Contemporary Issues in Law and Society

Introduction
Contemporary Issues in Law and Society is an undergraduate elective subject offered by the Faculty of Law. This subject is not a technical law subject. It explores some of the social and contemporary controversies which surround law. The goal is to create cross-disciplinary debate on how to solve contemporary problems such as: the role of law as a social system; the impact of science in an era of human cloning and designer babies; freedom of expression, media regulation and hate speech; government regulation of social media; criminal sanctions and punishment; and gender issues. How do morality, law, politics, science and economics intersect and interact when we try to solve problems or secure progress in society? The plan of topics may be varied if new controversial issues emerge during the course of the semester.
 

Learning Objectives
1. Define their own set of ethical and moral principles through research, analytical thinking and reasoning which they can then carry forward to apply to any future life situation.
2. Obtain a body of knowledge about and critical insight into many of the most topical issues of our time. This will enable them to contribute reasoned perspectives to the major debates on these issues positively and with confidence.
3. Present material coherently and fluently and to debate the merits of problems with their peers.
4. Present reasoned and researched arguments in logical, structured written form.