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ACCT2131: Business Law

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Type Tied
Level 2
Credits 20
Availability Available in 2025/2026
Module Cap
Location Durham
Department Accounting

Prerequisites

  • None

Corequisites

  • None

Excluded Combinations of Modules

  • ACCT1131 Business Law for Accountants
  • ACCT1137 Business Law
  • ACCT2041 Principles of Business Law
  • ACCT3161 Corporate and Business Law

Aims

  • This is a law module for non-law students on accounting and business programmes.
  • It is important for those students studying in the fields of accounting and business to have an understanding of the legal framework within which businesses operate and the requirements and restrictions imposed on a business by the different aspects of the law of England and Wales that are relevant to the operation of a business.

Content

  • The English Legal System
  • The law of obligations (contract and selected torts, e.g. negligence)
  • Agency law
  • Employment law
  • Business organisations (sole traders, partnerships and companies)
  • Company law (formation, constitution, financing, management, administration and regulation)
  • Insolvency law
  • Corporate criminal behaviour

Learning Outcomes

Subject-specific Knowledge:

  • Knowledge of the regulatory framework with which businesses must comply, and of significant aspects of the law of England and Wales as they appertain to the operation of a business

Subject-specific Skills:

  • Be able to analyse and offer advice on common legal issues facing a business

Key Skills:

  • Skills of enquiry, analysis, judgement and problem solving
  • The ability to communicate complex issues, ideas, analysis and judgement orally and in writing
  • The ability to think critically and to argue coherently

Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module

  • Learning takes place through attendance at, preparation for, and participation in workshops, and independent study.
  • Formative assessment is by means of a practice test.
  • Summative assessment is by means of an in-person timed invigilated written examination.

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

ActivityNumberFrequencyDurationTotalMonitored
Workshops20Weekly2 hours40Yes
Preparation and Reading160 
Total200 

Summative Assessment

Component: ExaminationComponent Weighting: 100%
ElementLength / DurationElement WeightingResit Opportunity
On Campus Written Examination2 hours100

Formative Assessment

Practice test

More information

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