The Division of Law and Dispute Resolution within the Department of Law and Criminal Justice Studies provides a dynamic and insightful approach to the study and research of law and legal studies, which leads to a qualifying law degree for all students who choose specified pathways. We have adopted an innovative approach to studying law (Law Framework of Modules - LFM), which enables us to provide a large range of high quality law modules from which students will study core compulsory modules and also enjoy a wide range of choice for optional modules. There are two distinct pathways within the framework, leading to single honours and combined honours qualifications.
Single Honours Law
The first pathway is a single honours route that allows students to undertake modules from within the law framework exclusively and leads to the qualification, LL.B. Law. This is recognised by the Law Society as a qualifying Law degree, which entitles the graduate to go on to study for the LPC (legal practical course) or BVC (bar vocational course). More information on this pathway can be accessed via the link below.
Combined Honours Legal Studies
The second pathway provides a combined honours route and allows students to combine law with many other subjects available within the university, although some restrictions will apply as this pathway also leads to a qualifying law degree. Combined honours students enjoy the freedom of being able to study modules within the Law framework of modules and the General Modular Scheme |(GMS) of the University. More information on this pathway can be accessed via the link below.
Qualifying Law Degree
Regardless of the pathway that you follow, you will be able to gain the status of a qualifying law degree, in addition to your academic law degree provided that you have chosen and passed the modules required by the external bodies (Law Society and Bar Council) referred to as "foundation of legal knowledge". On enrolment, guidance will be provided as to which modules satisfy these requirements
Theory Meets Practice: The Mediation Clinic
The ethos of the Department of Law and Criminal Justice Studies has traditionally been to develop programmes where theory is enriched by practice and this ethos has been eagerly adopted by the division of Law and Dispute Resolution through the development of a Mediation Clinic|. This clinic is becoming the flagship of the Law programmes, as it provides the opportunity to hone learned practical dispute resolution techniques through regular use in mediation clinical work.
The Mediation Clinic was successfully launched in November 2007. It is original and rather innovative for the UK higher legal education. The Mediation Clinic is an essential instrument in the teaching and learning strategy, as it complements the theoretical learning by illustrating the practical application of the law. The study of mediation both in its theoretical form at level 2 and in its practical form at level 3 within the clinical work aims to develop creative and less adversarial processes of dispute resolution to complement the role of the law in building a more egalitarian society, especially for those areas that the law does not reach or pragmatically fails to deliver.
Canterbury Christ Church University and the Canterbury & Districts Mediation Service ("The Mediation Service") are currently negotiating the possibility of accrediting professionally students who complete both the study of theory and practice of mediation at level 2 and 3. The Mediation Service is based in Whitstable, Kent, and it has been running for around 20 years. It covers the Canterbury City Council district for community and workplace mediation, and the East Kent regions for Victim Offender Mediation and Restorative Justice Conferencing in Schools. The Mediation Service has an excellent reputation in the area and it is also well known by national authorities.