General Course Information
1.1 Course details
| Course code: | LLAW3141 / LALS3004 |
| Course name: | Law and Film |
| Programme offered under: | LLB Programme / BA&LLB Programme |
| Semester: | Second |
| Designated research course: | Yes |
| Specialization: | Not applicable |
| Prerequisites / Co-requisites: | No |
| Course offered to non-law students: | No |
| Credit point value: | 6 credits |
| Cap on student numbers: | 40 (priority to BA/LLB students) |
1.2 Course description
Legal actors, institutions and problems have fascinated filmmakers since the early days of cinema. This course examines the ways in which the law and the legal system have been represented in a variety of films, and also considers the ways in which films engage with legal debates and controversies. This course is cross-listed between the Department of Law and the Department of Comparative Literature; it aims to encourage reflection on the cultural lives of the law and also on a central theme in film studies. No prior background in film studies or the law will be assumed.
1.3 Course teachers
| Name | E-mail address | Office | Consultation | |
| Course convenor | Marco Wan | mwan@hku.hk | CCT 616 | By email |
Learning Outcomes
2.1 Course Learning Outcomes (CLOs) for this course
CLO 1 Demonstrate knowledge of key developments in the study of law and the cinema.
CLO 2 Show an appreciation of ethnic, racial, national, gender, and other differences that shape our understanding of the depiction of legal processes in film.
CLO 3 Understand film aesthetics against the backdrop of the depiction of law on screen.
CLO 4 Acquire the critical tools needed to analyze current films dealing with law and legal processes.
CLO 5 Draw on a range of theoretical perspectives in order to determine an approach to unfamiliar films.
CLO 6 Demonstrate knowledge of the relationship between film text and legal context.
CLO 7 Be able to define a research topic, develop an argument, support findings with evidence, evaluate primary and secondary sources, and articulate findings.
CLO 8 Communicate effectively about law in Asian film culture in oral and written forms.
2.2 LLB Programme Learning Outcomes (PLOs)
Please refer to the following link: https://course.law.hku.hk/llb-plo/
2.3 Programme Learning Outcomes to be achieved in this course
| PLO A | PLO B | PLO C | PLO D | PLO E | PLO F | |
| CLO 1 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| CLO 2 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| CLO 3 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| CLO 4 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| CLO 5 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| CLO 6 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| CLO 7 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| CLO 8 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Assessment(s)
3.1 Assessment Summary
| Assessment task | Due date | Weighting | Feedback method* | Course learning outcomes |
| Class participation | N/A | 15% | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 | |
| Written responses | TBC | 15% | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 | |
| Paper proposal | 16 Apr 2024 | 10% | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 | |
| Term paper | 17 May 2024 | 60% | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 |
| *Feedback method (to be determined by course teacher) | |
| 1 | A general course report to be disseminated through Moodle |
| 2 | Individual feedback to be disseminated by email / through Moodle |
| 3 | Individual review meeting upon appointment |
| 4 | Group review meeting |
| 5 | In-class verbal feedback |
3.2 Assessment Detail
To be advised by course convenor(s).
3.3 Grading Criteria
Please refer to the following link: https://www.law.hku.hk/_files/law_programme_grade_descriptors.pdf
Learning Activities
4.1 Learning Activity Plan
| Seminar | 3 hours / week for 12 teaching weeks |
| Private study time: | 9.5 hours / week for 12 teaching weeks |
Remarks: the normative student study load per credit unit is 25 ± 5 hours (ie. 150 ± 30 hours for a 6-credit course), which includes all learning activities and experiences within and outside of classroom, and any assessment task and examinations and associated preparations.
4.2 Details of Learning Activities
To be advised by course convenor(s).
Learning Resources
5.1 Resources
| Reading materials: | Reading materials are posted on Moodle |
| Core reading list: | TBA |
| Recommended reading list: | TBA |
5.2 Links
Please refer to the following link: http://www.law.hku.hk/course/learning-resources/