SQE: legal system, public law and criminal litigation
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This module covers a range of relevant SQE1 functioning legal knowledge in the legal system of England and Wales, constitutional and administrative law, EU law, legal services, solicitors’ accounts, and criminal law and practice. You’ll have the opportunity 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 support you if you’re preparing for SQE1 and enhance your employability.
What you will study
The module is divided into 16 units of study. The first eight units will provide you with a foundational understanding of key areas of law by covering:
- an introduction to the module and an overview of professional conduct and ethics
- how cases are funded and aspects of the English and Welsh legal system
- certain public law matters, including core state institutions, judicial review, European Union law, and Human Rights
- solicitors’ accounts
- criminal law.
The remaining eight units focus on criminal law in practice and will cover:
- advising a defendant at the police station
- bail, pre-trial procedure, and hearings
- evidence, trial procedure, and plea in mitigation
- sentencing, appeals, and the youth court.
Throughout the module, you&/courses/qualifications/details/w321/39;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&/courses/qualifications/details/w321/39;ll also be encouraged to reflect on ethical and professional conduct issues.
Professional recognition
The Foundations of Legal Knowledge (FLK) route of the Bachelor of Laws (Honours) (LLB) (graduate entry) will be accredited by the Council of Legal Education (Northern Ireland) as a recognised law degree, subject to time limits, exempting you from the academic stage of legal training to become a barrister or solicitor in Northern Ireland.
Completing the FLK route within the specified time limits will enable you to self-certify that you have fulfilled the requirements set by the Bar Standards Board to be exempt from the academic stage of training if you wish to become a barrister in England and Wales.
Entry requirements
If you will be studying this module as part of the:
- Bachelor of Laws (Honours) (R81) or Bachelor of Laws (Honours) (graduate entry) (R82), you must have completed Public law (W211) and Contract law (W212)
- previous versions of our law degrees Bachelor of Laws (Honours) (Q79) or Bachelor of Laws (Honours) (graduate entry) (Q80), you must have completed Contract law and tort law​ (W202) and Public law and criminal law (W203).
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 have:
- at least nine hours available to study per week
- a competent level of use with a computer, the internet and Office 365
- a strong command of reading and writing in English
- reasonable numeracy skills, as part of the module requires the completion of solicitors’ accounts.
Preparatory work
This module will build on your knowledge of the legal system of England and Wales, public law, and criminal law. It is therefore recommended that you look over materials and notes on these subject areas from any relevant previous study in preparation for the module.
If you are studying the Bachelor of Laws (Honours) (graduate entry) (R82), you will not have covered criminal law previously, and you are therefore strongly advised to prepare for this module by studying the supplementary materials on criminal law, which will be made available on the Law Study Home site.
What's included
You will be provided with six eBooks on the following areas:
- Constitutional and administrative law
- Criminal law
- Criminal practice
- Solicitors’ accounts
- The legal system and services of England and Wales
- Ethics and professional conduct
You&/courses/qualifications/details/w321/39;ll also have access to a module website, which includes:
- a week-by-week study planner
- module-specific study materials
- audio and video content
- interactive activities
- assignment details and submission section
- online tutorial access and tutor support.
Computing requirements
- Primary device – A desktop or laptop computer. It’s possible to access some materials on a mobile phone, tablet or Chromebook; however, they will not be suitable as your primary device.
- Peripheral device – Headphones/earphones with a built-in microphone for online tutorials.
- Our OU Study app operates on supported versions of Android and iOS.
- Operating systems – Windows 11 or latest supported macOS. Microsoft will no longer support Windows 10 as of 14 October 2025.
- Internet access – Broadband or mobile connection.
- Browser – Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge are recommended. Mozilla Firefox and Safari may be suitable.