| Unit name | Roman Law |
|---|---|
| Unit code | LAWD20046 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | I/5 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24) |
| Unit director | Dr. Chathuni Jayathilaka |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you may not take alongside this one |
None |
| School/department | University of Bristol Law School |
| Faculty | Faculty of Social Sciences and Law |
Why is this unit important?
Roman law was the most highly developed body of law in the ancient world, and it became one of the most important classical influences on the development of European civilisation. A substantial body of Roman law was preserved for posterity in a large compendium – the corpus iuris civilis – sponsored by the Emperor Justinian in the 6th century CE. This body of law has remained an object of scholarly study and practical interest for lawyers ever since its rediscovery in the 11th century. It has influenced every modern legal tradition, including the common law, although it has had a particularly strong influence on continental European legal systems. In studying Roman law you are therefore studying one of the foundations of law itself.
How does this unit fit into your programme of study?
Roman law is an important part of legal history and studying it will deepen your understanding of law generally. It complements comparative law particularly well, as it provides the historical background to all continental European legal systems. It is also useful as preparation for the study of English legal history. Apart from that it will provide you with concepts and a technical vocabulary familiar to lawyers across the whole world, offering an important international dimension to your study. Roman law is an optional unit and does not require any prior knowledge of Latin.
An overview of content
This unit will introduce you to the basic elements of Roman Law. It presents the law in context, which means that it combines (1) the analytical reconstruction of Roman Law’s doctrinal system with (2) the recognition of change and development over the course of Roman Law’s long history, and (3) the role of law in the varied economic and social contexts of the places it affected. In particular you will learn about the history and sources of Roman Law; the law of actions: litigation and the legal system; the law of persons: slavery, marriage, family and children; the law of things: interests in property, the acquisition and loss of proprietary interests, and the law of death and inheritance; and the law of obligations: contract and delict.
How will students, personally, be different as a result of the unit?
This unit will make you familiar with the intellectual origins of a wide range of contemporary legal systems and processes. You will have greater insight into English law as well as the confidence to engage well with lawyers across the whole world. Studying Roman Law also gives you a chance to get an overview of an entire legal system, enabling you to explain how law fits together as a whole and within its social context.
Learning Outcomes
After studying this unit, you will be able to comment with expertise on Roman Law texts by:
Roman law is taught by a mixture of lectures, large-group sessions (including small group discussion) and interactive seminars. Lectures will provide you with a systematic overview of the subject-matter, large-group sessions will typically focus on reading, understanding and explaining source texts together, and in seminars we will discuss more complex matters of content, context and critique. Your progress in the unit will be assessed half-way through when you are required to submit a 1,000 word formative essay which is a shorter version of the summative assessment based on work to date.
Tasks which help you learn and prepare you for summative tasks (formative)
After the lecture, you will be expected to read the relevant sections of the textbook. You will also prepare in advance for the large-group sources exercises, as well as reading a piece of secondary literature relating to those sources afterwards. Seminars will require you to revise this material and read further primary and secondary sources to prepare to discuss specific questions. Your progress in the unit will be assessed half-way through when you are required to submit a 1,000 word essay which is a shorter version of the summative assessment based on work to date.
Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative)
At the end of the unit you will be asked to submit a 3,000 word Coursework essay. This will be split into two parts, each of which will be based on a Roman Law source text. You will be asked to explain the significance of this text in its immediate doctrinal context, as well as reflecting on its economic and social significance. In doing this, you will be expected to show evidence of further reading in secondary sources. The assessment covers all Intended Learning Outcomes for this unit.
When assessment does not go to plan
If you fail the unit and are eligible to resubmit, the unit will be reassessed on a like-for-like basis. The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessment required for credit in the usual way.
If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.
If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. LAWD20046).
How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours
of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks,
independent learning and assessment activity.
See the University Workload statement relating to this unit for more information.
Assessment
The assessment methods listed in this unit specification are designed to enable students to demonstrate the named learning outcomes (LOs). Where a disability prevents a student from undertaking a specific method of assessment, schools will make reasonable adjustments to support a student to demonstrate the LO by an alternative method or with additional resources.
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit.
The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. For appropriate assessments, if you have self-certificated your absence, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (for assessments at the end of TB1 and TB2 this is usually in the next re-assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any exceptional circumstances and operates
within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
