Introduction to Law for the Life and Social Sciences

Global, regional, national and local societies are organized through law. As such, laws regulate almost every aspect of our lives and our environment and specific rules will be in place in relation to almost every profession. While the details of legal rules may be left to specialized lawyers, having a basic understanding of law is instrumental for professional life. Think of new European environmental rules on the preservation of marine ecosystems, or food safety rules, these will inevitably have consequences for governments and companies that need to be understood by professionals. In order to provide effective answers to questions related to environmental and technological regulation, it is essential to have an understanding of the laws governing these issues, the institutional processes leading to their adoption, the variety of interests behind them and the multitude of actors playing a role in their enforcement, including the judiciary.

This course provides students without a prior legal background with a well-rounded introduction to the meaning of basic legal terms, rules, principles, and institutional frameworks in law-making and law enforcement at the national, EU, and International level. With this course we seek to provide students first with an answer to two central questions: what do you as a food, marine or scientist in another field, need to know about law and how can you, as a scientist, influence current laws?

In terms of methodology, the course covers essential legal skills for students willing to do research projects directly and indirectly related to law: (A) legal database research, (B) case-law analysis, (C) legal argumentation and the role of scientific evidence, and (D) legal writing and legislative drafting.

After successful completion of this course students are expected to be able to:

• Explain the meaning of basic legal terms
• Compare national, European, and international systems of laws
• Analyse the process to develop EU laws and how this process is influenced
• Use legal databases to search relevant sources of law
• Analyse legal cases
• Discuss a judicial decision in a written commentary
• Appraise how law is essential in finding solution to global environmental problems