LW3ENV-Environmental Law

Module Provider: School of Law
Number of credits: 20 [10 ECTS credits]
Level:6
Terms in which taught: Autumn / Spring term module
Pre-requisites:
Non-modular pre-requisites:
Co-requisites:
Modules excluded:
Current from: 2023/4

Module Convenor: Dr Kyriaki Noussia
Email: k.p.noussia@reading.ac.uk

Type of module:

Summary module description:

This module involves the study of national and international environmental law and regulation, taking a broad comparative and transnational approach to the subject. While the main focus of the module will be on English environmental law, the module may also draw on the environmental laws of other countries, hence this module examines the subject from a comparative and transnational perspective, which means that insights are gained from a range of countries globally, both from the Global North and the Global South.

Aims:

This module aims to provide students with a detailed knowledge and understanding of certain key areas of environmental law and regulation as elaborated principally at national level, but incorporating EU law, transnational law, and international law elements where relevant. The module is intended to provide students with an appreciation of the core elements or foundations of domestic environmental law and regulation. This is likely to involve a mix of both cross-cutting topics such as environmental trends and narratives, regulation as well as regulatory instruments (such as e.g. eco-labels and emissions trading), environmental citizenship and rights, the principles of environmental law (such as the precautionary principle), and ‘substantive’ topics like e.g., water pollution, biodiversity/nature conservation, climate law and climate change law and risk, mitigation mechanisms, food sustainability, law and ethics, decarbonization process in oil and gas,Ìý animal-related law issues.

In addition to those listed in the Law School’s ‘core skills statement’, the module will encourage the development of:

• High-level oral communication skills through reflective, analytical class discussion.


• Advanced critical reading skills in relation to primary and/or secondary sources.

Assessable learning outcomes:

On completion of the module, students will be expected to be able to:

• Demonstrate an understanding of the nature and origins of environmental law including the scope of the subject and the justifications for regarding it as a distinct area of study.


• Demonstrate a substantive knowledge of the key foundation elements of national environmental law.


• Critically assess the advantages and disadvantages of relevant regulatory instruments.


• Appreciate the debates about who/what environmental law is designed to serve, including in the context of rights.


• Assess how effective environmental law is at tackling some key substantive areas of environmental law such as climate change, water pollution, and nature conservation (the precise topics may change from year to year).


• Analyse the role of the various principles of environmental law.


• Explain the role of enforcement in environmental regulation.


• Evaluate the place of risk in environmental law.

Additional outcomes:

Those skills listed in the School of Law's ‘Core Skills Statement’.

Outline content:

Precise topics may vary slightly from year to year but may include:

• Justifications for environmental law and the nature of the subject


• Principles of environmental law.


• Risk in environmental law


• Environmental rights


• Regulatory mechanisms of environmental protection


• Substantive legal regimes which apply in relation to for example water pollution, climate change and biodiversity/nature conservation.

Global context:

Although the main focus is on English environmental law, this module examines the subject from a comparative and transnational perspective, which means that insights are gained from a range of countries globally, both from the Global North and the Global South.

Brief description of teaching and learning methods: