General Course Information
1.1 Course details
| Course code: | LLAW3205 / LALS3006 |
| Course name: | Advanced Legal Theory |
| Programme offered under: | LLB Programme / BA&LLB Programme |
| Semester: | Second |
| Designated research course: | Not applicable |
| Specialization: | Not applicable |
| Prerequisites / Co-requisites: | No |
| Course offered to non-law students: | No |
| Credit point value: | 6 credits |
1.2 Course description
This course provides a sustained in-depth analysis of a central theme in legal theory. This year the theme is ‘Dignity’. It is chosen to allow students to gain a deeper understanding of, and to critically engage with, a concept commonly accepted as the theoretical foundation for universal human rights.
Students will be invited to discuss and assess to what extent ‘dignity’ can exist as a definable and delimited concept in the law, and whether attempts at delimitation can produce a concept, or conceptions, of dignity that carries out independent work within legal theory and practice. Such discussions will entail explorations into how notions of dignity interact with other legal concepts (e.g. equality, autonomy, and citizenship), and the novel ways in which the term has been extended and deployed in legal practice in response to changing political and social contexts.
Topics to be covered under the theme may include: definitions of dignity; dignity as a foundational value; dignity as status; dignity versus price; dignity and work; dignity, gender and sexuality; indignities: torture, dehumanization, and punishment; the dignity of groups; dignity in the Chinese tradition.
1.3 Course teachers
| Name | E-mail address | Office | Consultation | |
| Course convenor | Scott Veitch | veitch@hku.hk | CCT 409 | By making an appointment through email |
Learning Outcomes
2.1 Course Learning Outcomes (CLOs) for this course
CLO 1 Develop an understanding of a range of key issues and arguments in legal theory.
CLO 2 Develop and defend their own interpretations and views of the theme (‘Dignity’) by critically evaluating material discussed in the course.
CLO 3 Apply their knowledge of the course materials to a research topic approved by the course convenor.
CLO 4 Demonstrate an ability to articulate and defend their views orally and in writing.
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 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Assessment(s)
3.1 Assessment Summary
| Assessment task | Due date | Weighting | Feedback method* | Course learning outcomes |
| Oral presentation | 20-21 Apr 2023 | 20% | 1, 3 | 1, 2, 3, 4 |
| Essay | 22 May 2023 | 80% | 1, 2, 3 | 1, 2, 3, 4 |
| *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 the convenor.
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
| Lecture: | 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/