Should EU Law LLB No More?
In a time of uncertainty and writhe, the UK is on course to leave the jurisdiction of the EU by March 2019 and as a result parliament will no longer have any legal obligations to follow treaties, regulations and directives. So should the EU law module still be a compulsory element of the LLB Course?
Dr S.Drake, senior lecturer of the EU law module at Cardiff University believes that keeping the EU law module is a must. When asked: “Should the EU law module have a compulsory place in the LLB considering the near-future departure of the UK from the EU?”
Dr Drake responded: "The short answer is yes! It will be essential for all future lawyers to have a solid understanding of EU law and its relationship with UK law even when the UK has withdrawn from the EU."
Why is this? A myriad of factors but the most obvious that surface are predominantly associated with trade, business and contract agreements with EU states. This view is shared by the Solicitor’s Regulation Authority and in a statement issued on the 6th September, they announced that there were no future plans to revoke or alter the EU law module:
“Some people may have concerns about the status of EU law as a compulsory subject for law students There will be no changes to the academic requirements in relation to EU law for either the Qualifying Law Degree, Common Professional Examination or Legal Practice Course for the coming academic year”
But note the specificity with regards to ‘the coming academic year’. Perhaps if one were to speculate, it would be reasonable to suggest that there is a change in the wind on the horizon and the academic year following next will bring about a more open-ended type compulsory module that encompasses more than just one form of international law.
It is grimly predictable that trading with the EU is going to fall following Brexit and preparing for that would suggest having a compulsory International law module in place. Not to diminish or disregard EU practices, but to recognise that there is going to be an increase in the range of legal international communications outside of the EU.