Bachelor of Laws

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 1:

• Critically evaluate and discuss current and contemporary concepts, theories, and methods in law in detail in written and oral submissions.
• Analyse and apply different theorists in oral and written work, and the arguments expressed therein.
• Discuss current and contemporary legal issues with reference to values.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 2:

• Identify accurately the issue that requires researching in one or more legal regimes, whether South African, regional and/or international.
• Select and apply research methods appropriate for the project and justify all desktop research.
• Carefully apply research methods providing reliable results.
• Discuss and account for potential weaknesses in the chosen methods and the analysis of the results.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 3:

• Collect, organize, analyse, and critically evaluate information and evidence from a legal perspective.
• Use up to date references in the research report and include the most recent publications.
• Critically review and analyse existing knowledge in the legal field of study.
• Access, and critically evaluate information from a wide range of sources and include in all written submissions.
• Evaluate alternative viewpoints to manage well contradictory information and reach a balanced conclusion.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 4:

• Communicate results from the research project to both professional and lay audiences using appropriate language and technology.
• Communicate clearly complex legal concepts, ideas, theories, and arguments in a convincing manner.
• Participate and engage in presentations and complete them within the given time.
• Use appropriate legal language in all submissions, present in the approved style and adhere to norms for legal writing.
• Use standard referencing styles accurately and consistently in all written submissions.
• Acknowledge sources used in the research to eliminate plagiarism in all written work.
• Critically consider and successfully incorporate feedback into iterative drafts of work.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 5:

• Identify and analyse legal problems in real-life or hypothetical/factual situations.
• Analyse and apply legal theory and practice to decide on the correct approach to addressing a complex legal problem.
• Apply fundamental and specialist knowledge of the law to address complex and diverse legal problems.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 6:

• Work in groups as a participant who contributes effectively to the group's task.
• Agree on roles and assign responsibilities to team members in a group discussion.
• Critically reflect on and assess own work and critique the work of others in a reasoned and formative manner.
• Constitute teamwork successfully according to an agreed-on timeframe.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 7:

• Construct appropriate responses to legal issues in a text, scenario, or hypothetical.
• Communicate effectively by verbal and written means as required in the legal environment.
• Interact successfully with colleagues, other role players in the legal process and members of other professions and disciplines.
• Select appropriate channels for effective communication in a variety of contexts.
• Use effective, appropriate, and persuasive listening, comprehension, reading, writing, and oral skills to legal and non-legal audiences.
• Apply communication skills to situations and genres relevant to different legal environments.
• Present possible solutions in an oral argument or in written format that includes the drafting of legal documents.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 8:

• Carry out the basic numeracy tasks that relate to the different areas/branches of law and that are necessary for successful professional practice.
• Identify ethical issues, as they relate to law and address them in all oral and written work.
• Manage and organize her/his professional activities in the legal field responsibly and effectively.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 9:

• Discuss how the law balances competing interests in society and explore the functions of all role players in legal processes within a constitutional state.
• Define the value of transformative constitutionalism and form a basis for discussion of topics including but not limited to environmental law and environmental rights.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 10:

• Identify legal problems in the South African context.
• Analyse and apply relevant South African legal principles and their underlying values in solving identified problems.
• Compare and/or critically evaluate solutions in other legal systems and related international trends in solving identified legal problems.

INTEGRATED ASSESSMENT:

• Assessment strategies align with qualification level requirements.
• Formative and summative assessments are balanced.
• Assessments are designed to test for various outcomes and criteria.
• Assessments provide opportunities for skills development and knowledge integration.
• Validity and reliability in assessments are ensured through proper alignment of outcomes and criteria.
• Various forms of assessment are utilized, including individual and group tasks, tests, moots, and mock trials.
• Feedback is provided in a timely and constructive manner to enhance learning and development.
• Assessment policies are in line with broader institutional guidelines.