Legal Studies

This course introduces students to the subject of Criminology through the lens of the Scottish Criminal Justice System. It begins with an overview of the Scottish Criminal Justice System before examining the major avenues by which the public obtain information about crime – as victims of crime and from the media and official statistics. The course examines the processes that have developed Scotland's definitions of crime and the broader social and political context in which this crime occurs.

International criminal justice is at a crossroads. On the one hand, we now have an unprecedented ability to prosecute individuals accused of torture, genocide, and crimes against humanity both domestically and internationally, emblematic of the extent to which these kinds of prosecutions have become normalized over the last seventy years. On the other hand, more and more countries have raised concerns about the efficacy and fairness of international criminal prosecutions, arguing that they are selective or neo-colonialist, biased, or myopic. This is exemplified by the complex status and reception of the International Criminal Court, alternately lionized and criticized. This course introduces students to these debates and examines the legal and philosophical underpinnings of international criminal law and justice. 

The course aims to help students understand the causes of crime, the fundamental concepts and types of criminal policies, and develop a rational perspective on the role of criminal law and policy. It encourages students to focus on major social issues, enhance their legal awareness, and acquire knowledge for crime prevention, ultimately contributing to a stable and harmonious society.

This course presents the history and the main characteristics of the Japanese legal system. The first part of the course presents the historical background of the Japanese legal system, focusing on the reception of Western law in the Meiji period, and on the consolidation of the legal system in the 20th century. The second part of the course presents several key aspects of current Japanese constitutional law, private law, criminal law and procedure. 

The course considers the nature of deviance, crime, and criminality in South Africa, from both historical and current viewpoints. The following questions are reviewed: How much crime is there in South Africa? Who are the victims of crime and who are the offenders? Why is crime in South Africa so violent? These discussions draw freely from international, criminological debate, and locate those debates within a developing context. The course explores responses to crime in the South African context by considering what has and is being done by the state and non-state to engage with crime? What is the thinking behind (violent) crime control and prevention programmes and initiatives? How effective have these initiatives been? These discussions focus on crime policies that have been developed as well as community and private sector initiatives to address issues of crime and violence. DP requirements: Completion of all written tests, essays and assignments. Assessment: Coursework counts 50% and one two-hour examination counts 50% of the final mark. Course entry requirements: SOC1001F, SOC1005S, or any 1000-level social science course.

This course surveys US law governing mergers and acquisitions and analyzes the agreements lawyers use to initiate and complete these transactions. The course covers structures commonly used in M&A transactions; the duties of management and directors; the rights of shareholders; and the structure and important terms of acquisition agreements.   

This course explores the principles of civil, commercial, and labor law pertaining to economics. It discusses legal entities, the framework of the entrepreneur (including labor-management relations), free competition, copyright/intellectual property and patent/industrial rights, and consumer protection law or company insolvency.

This course looks into important roles that the judicial branch in the U.S. and its judges have played in the evolution of the U.S. Constitution. The course first examines theoretical considerations behind the role of the judiciary. Then it looks at how the U.S courts have performed this role, organized around three major themes: 1) the extent to which the ideology of the judges affect their decision-making; 2) the effectiveness of the courts in bringing about social change, and 3) the tensions between the judiciary and the other political branches. This course examines the aforementioned topics through cases that have divided U.S. society and politics-- such as abortion rights, same-sex marriage, gun regulation, racial and gender equality, and the President's power over immigration.
 

This course introduces students to the complex area of youth crime, the contemporary forces that shape youth justice policy, and the ways in which the criminal justice system has responded to it.

This course covers the general principles of private international law, conflict of laws and private cases with international elements. The main contents are in civil and commercial matters, including those concerning procedural aspects, based on the Thai legal system.  

Prerequisite: Public International Law