Law with Criminal Justice and Human Rights

This law degree gives you the opportunity to obtain specialist knowledge and deepen your understanding of criminal justice and human rights, and their challenging interactions.

Why study LLB Law with Criminal Justice and Human Rights at Goldsmiths

• This degree enables you to contextualise the study of law and broaden your horizons, opening up career opportunities in criminal justice professions, and human rights jobs in the third sector. It will lead to an LLB Law (Hons) with Criminal Justice and Human Rights degree.

• We’re one of the highest-rated courses in the country. We're number 1 in the UK for student satisfaction (Complete University Guide Law League Table 2024). In the National Student Survey 2022, our Department of Law was ranked number 1 in the UK for its intellectually stimulating curriculum and programme, and we were rated the best department in London for quality of teaching in law.

• Goldsmiths has a rich heritage of social awareness and engagement. You'll be part of an environment that champions human rights and social justice.

• You’ll not only get a qualifying law degree, but the course has also been developed in anticipation of the new Solicitors Qualifying Examinations (SQE). Training for these is integrated throughout the degree, with the option to take an SQE module in your final year.

• This degree is active. You won't just be sitting and reading, you'll learn problem-solving, debating and advocating through a range of experiential learning, extra-curricular and professional development activities, on campus and beyond.

• You will gain systematic knowledge and understanding of criminal justice and human rights theory and practice, and be equipped with the ability to critically engage with core debates in these areas.

• The programme will provide you with the conceptual and methodological tools required to analyse and explore the ideas, actors, and practices central to criminal justice and human rights law.

• You will hone the essential critical thinking and practical skills needed in representing clients and defending cases as a solicitor or barrister specialising in criminal law and human rights.

You'll take compulsory modules in your first year of the LLB, and then you'll have the opportunity to focus on your interests in the second and third years by choosing from a range of law option modules.

A unique feature of the degree is that you'll also be able to study across a wide range of specialisms, drawing on globally leading expertise in the departments of Sociology, Anthropology, Psychology, Art, and Media, Communications and Cultural Studies.

Year 1 (credit level 4)
You'll study the following compulsory modules:
21st Century Legal Skills
Contract Law
Criminal Law: Theory and Practice
Public Law and the Human Rights Act
English Legal System in a Global Context

Year 2 (credit level 5)
You'll study the following compulsory modules:
EU Law and the UK
Law of Tort
Land Law
Trusts
International Law and Politics

Option modules
Department of Sociology Modules
You'll then choose 1 or 2 from an approved list of modules from an approved list from the Department of Sociology. This list is updated each year, and may include the following:
Criminal Justice in Context
Crimes Against Humanity
Religion, Crime, and Law

Depending on how many credits you decide to take from the Department of Sociology, you can choose up to 1 module from the Department of Law optional modules, or from relevant departments (known as the Connected Curriculum) across the University.

Department of Law modules
You can select up to 1 optional module that may include those listed below.
Immigration Law
Intellectual Property Law
The Goldsmiths Elective
The Goldsmiths Project

We run an 'Immigration Law and Policy Clinic' that you can take for credit if you select The Goldsmiths Project module.

Connected Curriculum modules
You can also select modules from the Connected Curriculum, if you're keen to extend your studies beyond law. Exact lists of these modules will be available at the beginning of each academic year. You can select up to 1 module from Connected Curriculum modules.

Year 3 (credit level 6)
In your third year, you'll take the following compulsory modules:
Criminal Justice & Human Rights Dissertation
Criminal Evidence (with Advanced Mooting and Advocacy)
Human Rights Law and Clinic

Interdisciplinary modules
You then need to select 1 or 2 from an approved list of interdisciplinary modules. This list is published annually and may include modules such as:
Confronting climate crisis
Media Law and Ethics
Anthropology of Rights
Crimes of the Powerful
Psychology and Law

You can then choose 2 or 3 from option modules that may include:
AI, Disruptive Technologies and the Law
Work Placement
Commercial Law and International Trade Agreements
Art Law
Company Law
SQE2: Practical Legal Skills in Context

Please note that due to staff research commitments not all of these modules may be available every year.

You’ll be assessed by a variety of methods, depending on your module choices. These include coursework, examinations, reports, case notes, statutory interpretation, critiques of articles, and research projects such as the dissertation.

As well as these traditional assessment methods, you'll also have the option in your second and third years to take modules that are wholly assessed in more innovative ways, such as:

• A portfolio of mooting contributions
• Client interviewing, persuasive argumentation, written advice and legal drafting
• Voluntary and prepared contributions in the classroom
• Taking part in a human rights clinic and other experiential learning activities

Professionally accredited courses provide industry-wide recognition of the quality of your qualification.

• Solicitors Regulation Authority
• Bar Standards Board