Master of Laws in Environmental Law

Purpose

The purpose of the qualification is to enable learners to become effective legal researchers and to critically engage with legal principles within this broader context, so ensuring their professional development as legal scholars and/or practitioners. Learners are assisted to engage with the underlying legal theories and to assess the legal principles that ultimately impact on society as a whole. An opportunity is provided for learners to obtain detailed knowledge of a specific chosen legal area, and to critically reflect, analyse and synthesize divergent legal concepts in the chosen area. The qualification will also enable learners to engage relevant material for use in the national, African regional and international contexts, thus enabling learners to interpret law in the broader context to effect positive legal change. The aim is to develop various competencies and skills that facilitate life-long learning.

Rationale

As the legal field is ever-changing and developing within a broader constitutional, national and international context, new knowledge generated by trained researchers as professional practitioners is necessary for the enhancement of the broader legal profession, private and public practice, the judiciary and the court system, and government and the legislature.

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)

The principles underlying outcomes-based, source-based and life-long learning, in which considerations of articulation and mobility play a significant role are subscribed to. Recognition of Prior Learning, whether acquired by formal education curricula or informally (by experience) is an indispensable element in deciding on admission to and awarding credits in an explicitly selected qualification.

A Learner who does not meet the minimum entry requirements, but who can demonstrate (through the production of substantial and satisfactory evidence) experiential or work-based learning or a non-formal qualification (or a combination), may be considered for admission and/or for the Recognition of Prior Learning for the achievement of the qualification in part or in full. Entry Requirement:

• Bachelor of Law, Level 8.

This qualification consists of compulsory and elective module at Level 9 totalling 192 Credits.

Compulsory Modules at Level 9 totalling 120 Credits

• Mini Dissertation, 96 Credits.
• Research Methodology, 24 Credits.

Elective Modules at Level 9 totalling 72 Credits (Choose 3 modules)

• Natural Resources Law, 24 Credits.
• Pollution Control Law, 24 Credits.
• Ocean and Coastal Law, 24 Credits.
• International Environmental Law, 24 Credits.
• Land Use and Planning, 24 Credits.

1. Identify, describe, critically evaluate and apply the main concepts and legal principles pertaining to the selected area of legal study within a broader constitutional and international context.
2. Identify issues and solve practical and perceived legal problems through analytical thinking and evaluative techniques.
3. Demonstrate advanced legal research skills pertaining to national, regional and international environmental laws.
4. Apply a critical and evaluative approach to analysing complex issues in the field of environmental law.
5. Analyse complex legal problems relating to environmental law and motivate the appropriate way of dealing with these problems, with reference to specific legal principles.
6. Critically engage with legal principles specifically within the context of environmental law, and identify how they should be applied to complex legal problems in an environmental context.
7. Undertake independent legal research and write a dissertation which reflects advanced research skills, independent thinking, critical analysis and advanced insight into the selected areas of environmental law.

• Demonstrate understanding of the subject matter covered in the modules and evaluate such subject matter critically.
• Demonstrate specialised knowledge of a selected aspect of environmental law, and research, write on and critically assess such knowledge.
• Research must use appropriate methodology and be done ethically.
• A dissertation is written on the research findings logically using the appropriate structure and language an which represents independent thinking.
• Accurately and logically interpret data/evidence.
• Use an up-to-date range of sources which are appropriately acknowledged.
• The dissertation contains recommendations and provides a conclusion that is relevant to the research and the specialist field.

Integrated Assessment

Each module will be assessed through an integrated individual written assignment or test, in addition to a range of oral and written, group and individual class assignments in order to give learners the opportunities to demonstrate a variety of competencies.

The dissertation requires learners to apply their learning in an integrated way, to analyse a specific area related to their work context in a work-based assignment and to apply the theoretical frameworks to recommend solutions to identified legal problem areas. The dissertation assesses the ability of learners to integrate solutions from different modules to the applicable legal issue addressed in the dissertation.