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Accessibility statement
Qualification dates
StartEnd
30 Jan 2027Jul 2027
This module covers a range of relevant SQE 1 functioning legal knowledge in business law and practice, contract, tort and dispute resolution. Alongside gaining knowledge of these areas, you’ll be able to develop legal and transferable skills (including communication, research and numeracy), professional behaviours and commercial awareness. The module aims to deliver substantive and procedural law in a highly engaging and authentic way. This should enhance your employability and support you if you’re preparing for SQE1.
The module is divided into 16 units.
The first six units cover the law on business practice. They begin by exploring what is involved in starting up a new business. You’ll consider and analyse the features of certain business structures. You’ll then focus on two particular types of business structure – legal partnerships and limited liability companies. You’ll look at how such business structures are formed and managed. You’ll learn more about the role of partners in a partnership, directors, and shareholders of a company. You’ll also consider the legal mechanisms for resolving disagreements between these parties.
You’ll look at how businesses are financed and the legal regime that applies when a business gets into financial difficulty. You’ll explore how trading profits are assessed and reliefs applied. You’ll then apply this knowledge to calculate income tax. You’ll also consider the scope and nature of VAT. Finally, you’ll be taken through the calculation of capital gains tax and how to apply business property relief to inheritance tax.
In the next two units, you'll focus on the law of obligations: contract law and tort law. You'll touch on contract formation and explore in depth four key aspects of contract law: terms of a contract, mistake, discharge and remedies. This will be followed by a brief consideration of the law on negligence before exploring other areas of tortious liability, such as employers’ liability, vicarious and product liability and nuisance (public and private) in more depth.
In the remaining eight units of the module, you'll investigate the law and procedure relating to dispute resolution. You'll begin by evaluating the different options available for dispute resolution, including alternative methods to court proceedings, such as mediation and arbitration. This will be followed by a step-by-step study of the processes involved in bringing a civil case to trial and the applicable law. This includes:
Throughout the module, you'll have opportunities to reinforce and consolidate knowledge and develop skills through a variety of shorter and longer activities. The longer activities are designed to simulate a virtual working experience by setting the sorts of tasks typically undertaken by those training for a career in law. At the end of each unit of study, there’s a consolidation activity comprising multiple-choice questions modelled on the approach taken in SQE1. You'll be encouraged to reflect on ethical and professional conduct issues throughout the module and note the increasing role of technology in legal practice.
During the module, there will be two online SQE events, open to all SQE students, which will cover areas common to the three SQE modules and be useful for aspiring solicitors. You will also have an opportunity to hear from legal practitioners talking about their experience of practice and providing advice on how to obtain employment in that area of law.
You will need to have studied or be studying on a concurrent presentation of SQE: legal system, public law and criminal litigation (W321) before enrolling on W323.
You must have a law degree which includes English and Welsh law and covers the seven foundations of legal knowledge if you will be studying this module as part of the Professional Certificate in Legal Practice: SQE1 (S36).
You must also:
This module will build on your knowledge of contract law. It is therefore recommended that you look over your materials on contract law from your previous study of this topic in preparation.
If you will be studying this module for the Bachelor of Laws (Honours) (graduate entry) (R82), you will not have studied tort previously and are therefore strongly advised to prepare by studying the supplementary materials on tort on the Law Study home site, which will be available when you register.
You’ll get help and support from an assigned tutor throughout your module.
They’ll help by:
Online tutorials run throughout the module. Where possible, we’ll make recordings available. While they’re not compulsory, we strongly encourage you to participate.
Due to the vocational nature of this module, the tutors will act like training principals or mentors. Therefore, the individual contact will be at a slightly higher level of frequency than you might have experienced on other OU level 3 modules.
Course work includes:
You will be provided with eBooks on:
You will also be referred to the book on Ethics and Professional Conduct, which you receive when you register for study on SQE: legal system, public law and criminal litigation (W321). You will be directed to read extracts from these eBooks as you work through the online study materials.
You'll also have access to a module website, which includes:
The OU strives to make all aspects of study accessible to everyone, and this Accessibility Statement outlines what studying W323 involves. You should use this information to inform your study preparations and any discussions with us about how we can meet your needs.
To find out more about what kind of support and adjustments might be available, contact us or visit our Disability support website.
SQE: business law and dispute resolution starts once a year – in February.
This page describes the module that will start in February 2027.
We expect it to start for the last time in February 2031.
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