LLM in
International Commercial Law

The module enables the students to critically analyse the principles essential to international commercial law. It will set the context in which international commercial law operates, with a review of the key concepts in English contract law. It will help students develop their understanding of the legal rules affecting international sale of goods contract, and high-level research skills in this subject and its related fields. The module also covers international commercial arbitration and its alternatives; primary and secondary agreements; incorporation; separability; forms of agreement, applicable substantive and procedural laws; relationships with national courts; competence and autonomy.

Assessment: The module is assessed through two components designed to evaluate both applied knowledge and critical analysis skills. An in-class test assesses students’ understanding of Commercial Law through problem-based and critical discussion questions. A one-day coursework legal essay, completed at the end of the module, evaluates students’ research, analytical, and problem-solving abilities in relation to International Commercial Law concepts and rules covered in the second half of the module.

The module is intended to introduce students to the law of international investment arbitration, with an intensive focus on the study and analysis of arbitral awards and the texts of international instruments such as the ICSID Convention, Bilateral Investment Treaties (BITs), and Free Trade Agreements like the NAFTA. The analysis of foreign direct investment arbitration will be systematically integrated with reference to issues of globalisation, sovereignty and regulatory autonomy, the protection of non-economic values, and human rights.

Assessment: The module is assessed through two components, each contributing 50% to the final grade. The Legal Essay requires students to conduct in-depth research and apply critical thinking to address a problem-based question. The closed-book Exam evaluates the breadth and depth of students’ knowledge and skills, covering module learning outcomes and testing their ability to apply concepts under timed conditions.

The dissertation module allows and supports extended student research on a topic of their choice within the broad field of International Commercial Law. This module incorporates seminars and workshops that introduce students to basic research methods in international commercial law. Under the direction of their supervisors, students will elaborate on a research question and a hypothesis, undertake a literature review, and define the methodology and methods for conducting the research. At a later stage, students will engage in data collection and argument building.

Assessment: The dissertation is the culmination of the Master’s degree programme of study and allows extended study in a negotiated area of the student’s choice. The Dissertation will assess all module learning outcomes. Under the guidance of a supervisor, students will be able to build upon theories and concepts introduced during the course of their research and supervision, and to develop these in relation to a self-generated programme of work that will demonstrate evidence of relevant research and engagement with existing knowledge in the chosen field.

The module will introduce the key aspects of electronic commerce systems that have been subject to regulatory intervention. The module will examine the essential legal framework for electronic commerce, its changes, and the legal implications of recent developments. The module will focus on the legal relations of commercial actors within trade platforms and cloud systems. Legal analysis of the key points of the commercial transaction chain involving e-contracting, digital identification and payment process. The module separately examines cryptocurrencies and blockchain, legal constraints on the use of personal data, ownership and management of data and online dispute regulation.

Assessment: The module is assessed through a single Legal Essay, worth 100% of the final grade. This problem-solving essay evaluates students’ ability to identify, analyse, and critically apply the law to given legal issues, covering all module learning outcomes.

The module examines the nature of tax, taxation and tax bases; the international and national jurisdictions to tax; the principal entities involved in cross-border taxation; the taxation of trade and investments; the interactions amongst States; the interaction between States and taxpayers; the issues of avoidance and evasion; treaty law and tax conventions; and the relevance and role of international law in cross-border taxation.

Assessment: The module is assessed through two components, each contributing 50% to the final grade. The Legal Essay requires students to critically analyse controversial issues in international taxation law. The Exam assesses module learning outcomes through case-based scenarios that test students’ ability to apply both practical and theoretical knowledge in a structured and analytical manner.

The module offers students the opportunity to critically evaluate and analyse the law governing international sale contracts. The student will be introduced to the intricacies of international sales transactions by considering the rights and remedies available to sellers and buyers, and the legal consequences of using certain standard trade terms under English law. The student will also study the UN Convention on the International Sale of Goods (CISG), which aims to harmonise the substantive law of international sales, and will consider its successes and limits through rulings by courts and arbitral tribunals across the globe. It will stress competing perspectives and explore the principles and concepts that underpin both theoretical and practical frameworks of international sales.

Assessment: The module shall be assessed by a take-home test. Prior to the test, students will undertake several research and reading tasks and have the opportunity to take a mock exam. The take-home test will require students to answer a number of problem-type and/or essay-type questions associated with the reading/research tasks. The take-home test will assess students’ ability to recognise, analyse, and critically evaluate the legal issues arising from the research tasks they have undertaken.

The module introduces the law and policy of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and examines its fundamental principles. Topics covered include sources of WTO law, the relationship between WTO law and international and domestic law, and substantive rules on market access, non-discrimination principles. The module analyses an open, non-discriminatory and equitable multilateral trading system under WTO and discusses the timely implementation of duty-free and quota-free market access on a lasting basis for all least developed countries, consistent with WTO decisions.

Assessment: The module uses a combination of presentation and written coursework to develop both analytical depth and professional communication skills. The first assessment is a presentation, designed to engage students early with the module syllabus and assess module learning outcomes. The second assessment is a legal essay that requires students to undertake substantive research, apply critical legal reasoning, and construct well-supported arguments in response to a given title.

International project finance law focuses on large-scale, capital-intensive projects worldwide, including power generation, energy, infrastructure, tolled transport systems, solid waste, and urban regeneration. Given the complexity per transaction, the project finance lawyer consultant is required to predict and resolve a large number of potential risks involving political, commercial, credit quality, insurance, default and bankruptcy and must be able to craft a set of documents which capture a “mini-legal system” reflecting the entire legal process for a wide range of project participants. This module will cover the critical stages of the project finance process and critically assess the major legal models used in international project transactions, especially in light of risk management practice and theory.

Assessment: The legal essay aims to allow students to develop their knowledge and critical evaluation of the subject. Students will discuss a question and undertake in-depth research to provide an extended answer. Whilst the essay question will be chosen by the student from a selection of questions provided by the Module Leader, the questions will allow the research to be focused on a topic or topics of the student’s choice.

The module aims to provide students with opportunities to gain an understanding of global issues affecting construction law and practice, and to develop knowledge and the requisite skills in preparation for employment in international construction legal practice and commercial organisations in the region. The module also provides the students with specialist knowledge in particular areas of international construction law. Although the module involves the academic study of construction law, it also features a very important practical dimension, as evidenced by case studies.

Assessment: The legal essay aims to allow students to develop their knowledge and critical evaluation of the subject. Students will discuss a question and undertake in-depth research to provide an extended answer. Whilst the essay question will be chosen by the student from a selection of questions provided by the Module Leader, the questions will allow the research to be focused on a topic or topics of the student’s choice.

The module introduces international banking law and regulation. This module provides students with a deep understanding of how banks are regulated, particularly in an international context. The student will also be exposed to the law of banker-customer and banking instruments.

Assessment: The module is assessed through a Legal Essay. The summative legal essay enables students to develop in-depth knowledge and critical evaluation of the subject across learning outcomes. Students select a question from a set provided, allowing them to focus their research on specific topics of interest while demonstrating independent inquiry and advanced legal reasoning.