A study of selected issues in the philosophy and sociology of law.
This paper explores the concepts and principles that are considered to be the philosophical foundations of the criminal law, tort law, contract law, and property law.
In this paper we ask theoretical questions about these areas of law, such as: What are the distinctions between a criminal wrong, a tortious wrong, a contractual breach, and an infringement of a property right that demarcate them as separate branches of law? Do they share similar or differing notions of intention, vitiation, foresight, responsibility, care, and loss? To what extent can these areas of law be explained in terms of moral precepts, conceptions of justice, or goals of economic efficiency? What assumptions about morality and the nature of persons are necessary to make sense of criminal law, tort law, contract law, and property law?
| Paper title | Legal Theory |
|---|---|
| Paper code | LAWS452 |
| Subject | Law |
| EFTS | 0.1 |
| Points | 15 points |
| Teaching period | Not offered in 2023 (On campus) |
| Domestic Tuition Fees (NZD) | $710.30 |
| International Tuition Fees | Tuition Fees for international students are elsewhere on this website. |
- Prerequisite
- LAWS 302 and 66 further LAWS points
- Pre or Corequisite
- Any 200-level LAWS paper not already passed
- Limited to
- LLB, LLB(Hons)
- Notes
- Not all optional papers will be available in any given year.
- Contact
- law@otago.ac.nz
- More information link
- View more information on the Faculty of Law's website
- Teaching staff
To be confirmed when paper next offered.
- Textbooks
- Course materials are provided by the Faculty.
- Graduate Attributes Emphasised
- Global perspective, Interdisciplinary perspective, Lifelong learning, Scholarship,
Communication, Critical thinking, Cultural understanding, Ethics, Environmental literacy,
Information literacy, Research, Self-motivation, Teamwork.
View more information about Otago's graduate attributes. - Learning Outcomes
Students who successfully complete this paper will have
- The ability to undertake critical legal analysis of topics within property theory
