Undergraduate Programme and Module Handbook 2025-2026
Module ACCT2131: Business Law
Department: Accounting
ACCT2131: Business Law
| Type | Tied | Level | 2 | Credits | 20 | Availability | Available in 2025/2026 | Module Cap | Location | Durham |
|---|
| Tied to | N201 |
|---|---|
| Tied to | N203 |
| Tied to | N207 |
| Tied to | N408 |
| Tied to | N409 |
| Tied to | N410 |
| Tied to | NN43 |
| Tied to | N302 |
| Tied to | N304 |
| Tied to | NN42 |
| Tied to | N204 |
| Tied to | N206 |
Prerequisites
- None
Corequisites
- None
Excluded Combination 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
| Activity | Number | Frequency | Duration | Total/Hours | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Workshops | 20 | Weekly | 2 hours | 40 | ■ |
| Preparation and Reading | 160 | ||||
| Total | 200 |
Summative Assessment
| Component: Examination | Component Weighting: 100% | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Element | Length / duration | Element Weighting | Resit Opportunity |
| On Campus Written Examination | 2 hours | 100% | |
Formative Assessment:
Practice test
■ Attendance at all activities marked with this symbol will be monitored. Students who fail to attend these activities, or to complete the summative or formative assessment specified above, will be subject to the procedures defined in the University's General Regulation V, and may be required to leave the University