UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAMME
Structure of the Programme
The Faculty of Law offers both an undergraduate and postgraduate programme. The undergraduate course leading to the LLB degree (Bachelor of Law) requires full time attendance for three years. The programme is divided into three parts: Part I is offered at the University of The West Indies, St Augustine, Mona, The College of the Bahamas and Cave Hill Campuses. Parts II and III are offered at the Cave Hill campus ONLY. The undergraduate programme is offered only to students from countries which contribute to the Faculty.
A student is generally required to complete each part successfully before being allowed to enroll for the Part following. However very limited trailing is permitted into Parts II and III of the programme.
Graduates holding Arts or Social Science degrees from the University of the West Indies or recognized non regional degrees may be considered for Direct Entry to the Part II course at Cave Hill.
The academic year is divided into 2 semesters running from September to December, and January to May. There is a mandatory requirement that students take 5 courses per semester, each worth 3 credits. Students require a total of 90 credits to be eligible for the award of the degree.
The courses undertaken in the first and second Parts of the curriculum are prescribed. During the first year the student is required to undertake two foundation courses offered by the Faculty of Social Sciences or Humanities and eight compulsory law courses. In Part II, the student is required to pursue ten non optional law courses.
In the final year, the student may chose their own programme of study from the more than 50 courses and seminars that are taught by both full time and adjunct faculty. Students are encouraged to pursue their own ambitions and interests and to undertake advanced work including independent study under supervision of the members of the faculty. The breadth and diversity of the curriculum allows for programmes of study which are tailored to the needs and ambitions of the individual student. Final year students are also given the opportunity to study abroad through the University of Toronto (Canada)/UWI Exchange Program for one semester.
The completion of study LLB may be awarded in the following categories:
• First Class Honours
• Upper Second Class Honours
• Lower Second Class Honours
• Pass
Mixed Degrees
Undergraduate courses offered at the Faculty of Law are available to students from other Faculties. The Faculty of Law in collaboration with the Faculty of Social Sciences also offers the following Mixed Law degrees leading to Bachelors of Science in the Following areas:
-Political Science and Law
-Sociology and Law
-Economics and Law
Entry Requirements
The normal entrance qualification for the Faculty of Law is the basic Matriculation standard of FIVE subjects, at least TWO of which must be at 'A' level or equivalent level, the remainder at CXC general. There are no special subject requirements in addition to those necessary for Matriculation. The competition for places in the Faculty is such that very high 'A' level grades and very high averages in undergraduate degrees are required for an applicant to stand a reasonable chance of gaining admission.
The Faculty is prepared to consider applications from persons who do not strictly satisfy Matriculation standards but who have equivalent academic qualifications. In particular, mature applicants over 21 who have shown evidence of academic and professional achievement can be considered. (Reference should be made to the Regulations Governing Matriculation in the University Calendar). This may provide an opportunity to read for a Law degree for those who have already been associated with the practice of law in some way - e.g. clerks of the courts, legal assistance, civil servants, police officers and so on.
Direct Entry
Exemption from all the non-law subjects in Part I is a concession granted by the Board of the Faculty of Law. Students who qualify under Faculty Regulations for such exemption may be considered for direct entry to the Part II course at Cave Hill. Potential candidates must have attained a regional social sciences degree of at least upper second class honours level. Direct entrants are required to undertake a more intensive programme of study with six to seven courses per semester. The Faculty of Law reserves the right to limit the number of direct entrants in a given year.
Time Table
CALENDAR 2004/2005
AUGUST
August Orientation
August 29 Semester I begins
August 30 - September 03 Registration Week
SEPTEMBER
September 06 Teaching starts
September Deadline for late Registration
OCTOBER
October Graduation Ceremonies, Cave Hill
DECEMBER
December 06 - 22 Examination Period
December 22 Semester I ends
JANUARY
January 16 Semester II begins
January 15 Deadline for applications for
transfer to Faculties of Medical
Sciences and Law
January 30 Deadline for changes in registration
for Semester II courses
MARCH
March Scholarship Examinations
March 27 - April 02 Break
March 31 Deadline for applications for transfer
to Faculties other than Law and
Medical Sciences
APRIL
April 27 - May 13 Examination period
MAY
May 13 Semester II ends
Course Offerings
COURSE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE LL.B.
Every student in his first year is required to read Foundation courses unless exempted from so doing under the terms of Faculty Regulations (see Examination and Regulations). Every first year student is required by the University to read such Foundation courses as may be prescribed by the Faculty of Law.
ACADEMIC PROGRAMME
Courses may be taught in a semester other than as indicated below.
PART I (YEAR ONE)
SEMESTER I
(LA10A) Law and Legal Systems
(LA11A) Criminal Law I
(LA13A) Law of Torts I
Two Foundation Courses :
(FD11A) Caribbean Civilisation
(FD12A) Science, Medicine & Technology in Society
SEMESTER II
(LA10B) Constitutional Law
(LA11B) Criminal Law II
(LA12C) Legal Methods and Writing
(LA12B) Law of Contract I
One Foundation Course:
(FD10B) Language Argument
PART II (YEAR TWO)
SEMESTER I
(LA20A) Law of Torts II
(LA21A) Law of Contract II
(LA22A) Real Property I
(LA23A) Public International Law I OR (LA24A) Comparative Law I
(LA25A) Jurisprudence
SEMESTER II
(LA22B) Real Property II
(LA23B) Public International Law II OR LAW2420
(LA24B) Comparative Law II
(LA25B) Law in Society I
(LA27A) Administrative Law
(LA28B) Equitable Remedies
PART III (YEAR THREE)
Five Courses each Semester chosen from the following list of Optional Courses if they have not already been chosen in Year Two above. It should be noted that all of the courses may not be available in an academic year.
(LA26A) Legal Writing and Research II
(LA27A) Administrative Law
(LA28B) Equitable Remedies
(LA30A) Industrial Relations Law
(LA30B) Employment Law
(LA30D) Discrimination in Employment Law
(LA30E) Dismissal Law
(LA39A) Law of Associations
(LA31A) Company Law
(LA31B) Law of Corporate Management
(LA31C) Law of Corporate Finance
(LA31E) Law of Corporate Insolvency
(LA31D) Revenue Law
(LA29B) Corporate Taxation
(LA31F) Law of Trusts
(LA39C) Administration of Trusts and Estates
(LA32A) Family Law I (Relating to Husband & Wife)
(LA32B) Family Law II (Law Relating to Children)
(LA32C) Family Law III (de Facto Families)
(LA28C) Law of Succession
(LA37C) Gender and the Law in the Commonwealth Caribbean
(LA32D) Law in Society II
(LA32E) International Mooting
(LA33A) Trade Relations Law I
(LA33B) Trade Relations Law II
(LA33C) International Development and Economic Law
(LA34A) Insurance Law
(LA34B) Consumer Law
(LA34C) Caribbean Environmental Law
(LA34D) International Environmental Law
(LA35A) Criminology
(LA35C) Comparative Third World Constitutions
(LA35D) General Principles of Private International Law
(LA35E) Specialized Problems in Private International Law Litigation
(LA36B) Law of Foreign Investment
(LA39B) Law of International Organizations
(LA39D) Caribbean Integration Law
(LA36E) Introduction to Offshore Law
(LA37A) Commonwealth Caribbean Human Rights Law
(LA37B) International Law of Human Rights
(LA37D) Intellectual Property: Copyright
(LA38A) Public Service Law
(LA38B) Planning Law
(LA38C) Welfare Law
(LA32F) Alternative Disputes Resolution
(LA33D) Public Law Remedies
(LA38D) Introduction to the Law of Restitution
(LA38E) Poverty Law I
(LA38F) Poverty Law II
Students in Part III may select up to two one-Semester Courses done in a Faculty other than the Faculty of Law approved by the Dean of the Faculty of Law. These courses are usually chosen from the array offered in the faculties of Social Sciences or Humanities and Education.
Financial Aid
SCHOLARSHIPS
Students in the Faculty will be eligible for scholarships and bursaries available at the University. In some cases, students will have to compete with students of other Faculties for general University awards, details of which are available in the University Calendar. A list of scholarships available may be obtained from the Student Affairs Section.
Some students may be eligible for Government awards on the basis of their acceptance at university or of their performance in 'A' level examinations. Enquiries about these should in the first place be made to the student's own Ministry of Education.
The undermentioned scholarships are available:
The ANTHONY & JOY BLAND SCHOLARSHIP
This scholarship is open to Caribbean nationals who have completed Part I of the LL.B. programme. The value of the award is BDS$5,000 per annum. The award of the Scholarship shall be based on academic merit but some consideration may be given to financial need. Candidates are required to submit written application to the University stating why they wish to be considered for the award.
THE PATTERSON CHELTENHAM Q.C. SCHOLARSHIP
This scholarship of $3000 will be awarded annually and is open to nationals of any Caribbean country who have gained admission to the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus, to read for a degree in Law. The award of the Scholarship shall be based on academic merit and financial need.
THE DR. RICHARD CHELTENHAM Q.C. SCHOLARSHIP (not available in the academic year 2003/2004)
THE OLTON SPRINGER SCHOLARSHIP
THE OLTON SPRINGER MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP
This scholarship open to nationals of Barbados majoring in Law or Education and have completed at least one year of study or who are entering the Level II programme at the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus. The Scholarship, in the amount of BDS$ 2,000 will be awarded annually and is based on academic merit and financial need.
PRIZES
The Sir Gaston Johnston Memorial Prize in Criminal Law
The Sir Fred Phillips Prize for Law and Legal Systems in the West Indies
The Thorne de la Bastide Prize in Constitutional Law
The Reid Prize in Real Property
The Time Kendall, Q.C. Prize in the Law of Contract
The Christopher Blackman Prize in Trade Union Law
The Jack Dear Prize in Company Law
The Chancellor's Prize in Human Rights
The Barbados Mutual Prize in Insurance Law
The Frederick Kelsick, Q.C. Memorial Prize in Revenue Law
The UWI Faculty of Law Prize for Parts I and II
The Barbados Bar Association Prize for Part III
Student Exchange Program
A maximum of four (4) places per year are available for study at the University of Toronto under the University of Toronto/UWI Student Exchange Program. The length of the programme is one semester and students may attend the University of Toronto in either semester. Students are required to maintain a B + average in order to be eligible for participation in the programme.
Students are expected to follow a programme comprising courses totaling 13-15 credits. These courses must be approved by the Dean, Faculty of Law at Cave Hill. No fees are payable to the University of Toronto. However students are expected to fund their own living expenses in Toronto for the semester. Such students may apply to the UWI for assistance. Students are required to pay their annual fees to the University of the West Indies as usual. Grades obtained at the University of Toronto will be taken into consideration in awarding the U.W.I. LL.B. degree.
Moot Programme
Mooting is also an important activity in the Faculty. Each year 2 teams are selected to represent the Caribbean at the Phillip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition and the Inter American Human Rights Moot Court Competition. These prestigious competitions are internationally recognized and thus far students of the Faculty have excelled in both.
Sponsored annually by the International Law Students Association, The Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition is an international law advocacy competition in which oral and written pleadings are presented on timely issues of international law and argued as before the International Court of Justice in The Hague, The Netherlands. Originally named the "International Law Moot", the Jessup Competition has risen to the pre-eminent position of being the world's largest and most prestigious international law moot court competition. Participants first compete in Regional and National Competitions in their respective countries. Winners from these Competitions advance to the International Rounds, which have been held, historically, in Washington, D.C. Law students around the world spend an entire year preparing to compete in the Jessup by auditioning and selecting team members, researching the topic, and developing oral and written advocacy skills.
The Inter American Human Rights Moot Court Competition is the only trilingual (English, Spanish, Portuguese) moot court competition dedicated to the Inter-American human rights legal system. Students, faculty and attorneys from all over the world participate in the Competition, which includes visits to international and non-profit organizations, a training seminar, and networking receptions. All team members must be enrolled in a Juris Doctor (JD) degree programme or its international equivalent.
See the Faculty International Mooting Page.
Professional Training
Entry into the legal profession of all of the Commonwealth Caribbean territories is regulated by the law of the particular territory, but as a result of a regional agreement the basic requirements tend to follow a common pattern.
Since 1975, a prospective lawyer normally requires a Legal Education Certificate. This is granted by the (West Indian) Council of Legal Education which was established in April 1971. The certificate will be granted to a student who successfully completes a two year course of full time training at one of the Council's three Law Schools in Jamaica, Trinidad or The Bahamas.
Entry into a Law School will normally be granted to any applicant holding the U.W.I. LL.B. degree. Students who hold law degrees from other universities are required to sit an entrance examination which is held in July of each year. The deadline for applications to the Law Schools is January 31 of the proposed year of study. Application forms are obtainable from the Faculty of Law or from either of the three Law Schools at the addresses below:
Norman Manley Law School The Eugene Dupuch Law School
P.O. Box 231 P.O. Box SS-6394
Mona Campus, Kingston 7 Nassau
JAMAICA THE BAHAMAS
Hugh Wooding Law School
P.O. Bag 323
Tunapuna Post Office
TRINIDAD
GRADUATE PROGRAMME
Overview of the programme
The Master of Laws in Corporate and Commercial Law and the Advanced Diploma in Corporate and Commercial Law are specialised graduate programmes offered by the Faculty of Law under its Graduate Studies Programme. Other specialised programmes are the General LL.M., the LL.M. in Public Law, the LL.M. in International Law, the LL.M. in Judicial Studies and the LL.M. in Legislative Drafting . For the academic year 2002-2003 only the Master of Laws and the Advanced Diploma in Corporate and Commercial Law as well as the Legislative Drafting Programme and the Doctor of Laws will be offered.
The concentration in commercial law and corporate law has been designed to meet the needs of students interested in an advanced legal studies programme focused on corporate law, financial law, intellectual property law and transnational commercial transactions law.
The courses will be delivered at Cave Hill Campus, Mona Campus and St. Augustine Campus by way of a combination of week-night and weekend residential lectures, workshops, seminars and modern distance learning techniques including the use of UWIDEC and web-based delivery. Each course consists of a minimum of 24 contact hours. In addition, students will be assisted by written manuals and other written and distance materials. Residential sessions will take place in accordance with a pre-scheduled timetable on a regularity which varies with the structure and requirement of the particular course. These sessions will provide students with an opportunity to meet their fellow students and to enable networking groups between students.
For further information please visit the Graduate Studies Home Page
LL.M and Advanced Diploma in Corporate and Commercial Law Curriculum
Course Listings:
- Company Law Theory in Modern Commerce
- Caribbean Business and Public International Law
- The Law of Intellectual Property
- Legal Aspects of Corporate Misconduct
- Comparative Labour Law in a Corporate Environment ***
- Law of Industrial Action and Collective Bargaining in Trinidad and Tobago **
- The Law of Corporate Management
- The Law of Corporate Finance
- Offshore Financial Law
- Insurance Law
- The Law of Insolvency
- International Environmental Law
- Transnational Transactions Law
- International Tax Planning
- Such other courses as the Faculty of Law Board may from time to time prescribe.
Changes in the curriculum are made periodically; consequently, not all courses are taught every semester.
***To be offered only at Cave Hill and Mona.
** Is offered at St. Augustine or by UWIDEC.
LL.M. in Legislative Drafting
The LL.M. in Legislative Drafting is a fully residential programme. Students registered for this programme must complete courses in Legislative Drafting, Public Law I or Comparative Constitutional Theory and Public Law II. A dissertation which will normally be of 15,000 words in length on a topic in Legislative Drafting or on a topic in Public Law I or Public Law II must also be completed.
Entrance Requirements
The following are eligible to apply for admission into the graduate programmes in Corporate and Commercial Law :
For the LL.M. in Corporate and Commercial Law
(i) graduates of this University holding the LL.B. degree;
(ii) graduates of this University or of an approved University holding a degree which includes such law subjects as shall satisfy the Board for Graduate Studies and Research;
(iii) graduates of this University or of an approved University who, having obtained a professional legal qualification, are admitted to practice in any part of the Commonwealth;
(iv) persons who having obtained a professional legal qualification, are admitted to practice in any part of the Commonwealth, and who have also been certified as being in practice for a minimum of five years.
(v) graduates of this University or of any approved University who satisfy the Board of Graduate Studies and Research of their capability to undertake the course of study leading to the award of the LL.M. degree.
For the Advanced Diploma in Corporate and Commercial Law-
(vi) graduates of this University holding the LL.B. degree;
(vii) graduates of this University or of an approved University holding a degree which includes such law subjects as shall satisfy the Board for Graduate Studies and Research;
(viii) graduates of this University or of an approved University who have obtained a professional legal qualification;
(ix) graduates of this University or of an approved University who satisfy the Board of Graduate Studies and Research of their capability to undertake the course of study leading to the award of the Advanced Diploma in Corporate and Commercial Law.
A person who applies for admittance to the LL.M. programme and who does not satisfy the criteria for the LL.M. but who has satisfied the Board of Graduate Studies and Research of their capability to undertake the course of study leading to the award of the Advanced Diploma in Corporate and Commercial Law may be admitted to read for the Advanced Diploma.
Qualifying Examination
Applicants may, at the discretion of the Board of Graduate Studies and Research, be required to take a qualification examination consisting of at least two papers of a minimum of two hours each, which shall be of an equivalent standard to that of Part II or Part III of the LL.B degree examination.
The language of instruction is English and students whose native language is not English may be required to take an English Proficiency Test set on behalf of the Board for Graduate Studies and Research.
Time of Entry
Candidates may enter the programme either in Semester One which starts in late August or in Semester Two, which begins in early January. Applications must be submitted on the prescribed form to the Student Affairs Section of the Registry at the Cave Hill Campus not later than June 30 of the proposed year of entry for entrance in Semester One and no later than September 30 of the proposed year of entry for entrance in Semester Two.
Students are required to register at either of the three campuses by the first week of each semester.
Degree and Diploma Requirements
The LL.M. Degree
The award of the LL.M. degree is obtained on the basis of examination of coursework and dissertation. It is contingent upon the attainment of thirty-five (35) credits. Candidates will be required to complete four courses carrying five (5) credits each selected from the designated course curriculum offered for that year. Candidates are also required to complete an examination by dissertation of a maximum length of 15,000 words on a topic in Commercial or Corporate Law. The dissertation is assigned fifteen (15) credit hours
The course work component must be completed within four semesters of the commencement of the programme.
The Advanced Diploma
The Advanced Diploma is obtained on the basis of examination of course work only. Students pursuing the Advanced Diploma are required to complete four courses carrying 5 credits each selected from the designated course curriculum offered for that year.
Students must complete the courses chosen within four semesters of the commencement of the programme.
Application Form
Application forms may be downloaded from the Faculty's website http://law.uwichill.edu.bb.
Application forms may be collected from the following offices:
Senior Assistant Registrar,
Student Affairs, Admissions Section,
UWI, Cave Hill, Barbados.
Tel: (246) 417-4119
E-mail: gradstud@uwichill.edu.bb
Assistant Registrar,
Student Affairs, Admissions Section,
UWI, St. Augustine, Trinidad.
Tel: (868) 663-2060;
E-mail: aregadms@centre.uwi.tt
Assistant Registrar,
Admissions Section,
UWI, Mona, Kingston 7, Jamaica.
Tel: (876) 927-1660-9.
For further information, please contact us at e-mail address: llm@uwichill.edu.bb
|
