Law and Ethics Portfolio of Tasks: Assignment Brief and Learning Outcomes

Assignment Brief
As part of the formal assessment for the programme you are required to submit a Law and Ethics portfolio of tasks. Please refer to your Student Handbook for full details of the programme assessment scheme and general information on preparing and submitting assignments.

Learning Outcomes:
After completing the module you should be able to:
1. Explain the relationship between morality and law
2. Identify the values underpinning the legal system
3. Evaluate the institutions, professional roles and ethics of the judiciary and legal professions
4. Appraise the ethical responsibilities of lawyers

Your assignment should include: a title page containing your student number, the module name, the submission deadline and a word count; the appendices if relevant; and a reference list in OSCOLA format. You should address all the elements of the assignment task listed below. Please note that tutors will use the assessment criteria set out below in assessing your work.

Please note that exceeding the word count will result in a reduction in grade proportionate to the number of words used in excess of the permitted limit. 

Warning:
QLD Regulations require that unfair practice findings are referred to the SRA (Solicitors Regulation Authority) and BSB (Bar Standards Board) and can prevent admission as a barrister or a solicitor. Take your referencing seriously. Do not risk you career.

Assignment Task
This assignment consists of two parts, PART A and PART B. You must complete both Part A and Part B

Part A
1. To what extent do R v Brown [1993] UKHL 19, R v Emmett [1999] EWCA Crim 1710 and R v Wilson (1996) 2 Cr App Rep 241 reflect morality? In your answer you should refer to relevant theory and law.

Part B
2. Ariel, a barrister is currently in a four-week fraud trial in the High Court (Civil Division). She is a well - established barrister practising in civil law. Ariel has successfully completed the first two weeks and the trial is running smoothly.
However, at the start of the third week Ariel’s son, Donald, is rushed to hospital suffering from a mystery illness. She does not know what to do because she cannot leave her client, Mickey without proper representation. Ariel panics and gives the brief to Bell who is a barrister from Chambers. Ariel’s Instructing Solicitor, Andy is not aware of this. Daisy, is also a barrister working on the same case. Unfortunately, Daisy’s dog, Plunto, dies at the end of week four. She is very upset and feels like she cannot continue. Advise Ariel, Bell and Daisy as to their professional and ethical obligations in light of the circumstances above. 

Formative Feedback
You have the opportunity to submit a plan of your tasks to receive formative feedback.

The feedback is designed to help you develop areas of your work and it helps you develop your skills as an independent learner.

If you are a distance learning student, you should submit your work, by email, to your tutor, no later than two weeks before the actual submission deadline. If you are a blended learning student, your tutor will give you a deadline for formative feedback and further details.

Formative feedback will normally only be given once and will not be given to work submitted after the above date. 

Guidelines
You Must underpin your analysis and evaluation of the key issues with appropriate and wide ranging case law and ensure this is referenced using the OSCOLA system. The My Study Skills Area contains an OSCOLA Referencing Interactive Tutorial. You must use the OSCOLA referencing method in your assignment. 

Additional notes:
Students are required to indicate the exact word count on the title page of the assessment.

The word count excludes the title page, executive summary, reference list and appendices. Where assessment questions have been reprinted from the assessment brief these will also be excluded from the word count. ALL other printed words ARE included in the word count. Printed words include those contained within charts and tables. See ‘Word Count Policy’ on the homepage of
this module for more information.

Assignments submitted late will not be accepted and will be marked as a 0% fail. Your assessment should be submitted as a single Word (MS Word) or PDF file. For more information please see the “Guide to Submitting an Assignment” document available on the module page on iLearn.

You must ensure that the submitted assignment is all your own work and that all sources used are correctly attributed. Penalties apply to assignments which show evidence of academic unfair practice. (See the Student Handbook which is on the homepage of your module and also in the Induction Area).