Business Law Course

Regardless of what the nature of your involvement in business is - and whether you are working in the private or public sector - as a business man or woman you will face an array of legal controls and obligations of an unprecedented scope and complexity.

This course is designed to introduce students who are preparing for a career in business to some of the legal rules and issues which you will encounter once you enter the world of commerce.

You will not become an expert in any area of the law as a result of studying the course, however at the end of your study of this course it is hoped that you will not only have increased your knowledge about the law as it applies to the business world; but that you would have developed some competence at identifying legal issues, applying legal rules to factual situations and having a European perspective

Unit 1: The English Legal System

Section One: The Nature of Law

• Introduction
• Some social functions of law
• Criminal and civil law
• Common law and equity
• Equitable rights
• Equitable remedies
• Maxims of equity
• Common law damages
• Summary of section one

• Legislation
• Statutory interpretation
• Precedent
• European Union law
• Summary of section two

• Possible classifications
• The legal process
• Criminal courts
• Indictable offences
• Summary offences
• Offences triable either way
• Civil courts
• Tribunals
• Arbitration
• Mediation
• Summary of section three

• Magistrates
• Juries
• Members of tribunals
• The solicitor
• The barrister
• The judges
• Legal aid and other sources of legal assistance
• Summary of section four

Unit 2: Legal Relationships

Section One: Liability for Employees and Agents

• The employment relationship
• Vicarious liability
• The contract of employment
• Agency
• Types of agent and formation
• Responsibilities of the parties
• Terminating an agency
• The commercial agents regulations
• Summary of section one

• Business organisations introduced
• Sole traders
• Partnerships
• Liability of partners
• The partnership agreement
• Ending the partnership
• Summary of section two

• Basic principles
• Separate legal personality
• Company membership and limited liability
• Types of company
• Forming a company
• The constitution: memorandum and articles
• The Memorandum of Association
• The Articles of Association
• Changing the constitution
• Summary of section three

• Capital
• Shares
• Borrowing
• Company management
• Summary of section four

Unit 2: additional questions

Additional questions: guidance

Unit 3: Business Contracts

Section One: Making a Contract

• What is a contract?
• Creating the contract
• Agreement - offer
• Concluding the agreement - acceptance
• Intention to create legal relations
• Consideration
• Summary of section one

• What can go wrong in the making of a contract and how it affects the contract
• Lack of certainty
• Lack of necessary formality
• Lack of capacity
• Illegal contracts
• Misrepresentation
• Summary of section two

• The contents of a contract
• Terms and pre-contractual statements
• Contractual terms - express and implied
• Conditions, warranties and innominate terms
• Terms which exclude or limit liability
• Summary of section three

• How contracts come to an end
• Discharge by performance
• Discharge by agreement
• Discharge by breach of contract
• Frustration of contracts
• Remedies
• Summary of section four

Unit 3: additional questions

Additional questions: guidance

Reading list for Unit 3

Unit 4: Non-Contractual Obligations of the Seller/Producer

Section One: The Duty of Care in Negligence

• Negligence: an introduction
• The duty of care
• Special circumstance
• Negligent statements and professional negligence
• Summary of section one

• Breach of duty
• Factors in setting the standard
• Proof of breach
• Resulting damage
• Defences
• Remedies
• Product liability
• Summary of section two

• Nuisance
• The rule in Rylands v Fletcher
• Occupier's liability
• Summary of section three

• Vicarious liability
• Liability for employees only
• Within the course of employment
• Health and safety at work
• Making the system work
• Summary of section four

Unit 4: additional questions

Additional questions: guidance

Unit 5: European Community Law

Section One: The Development of the European Community

• Introduction and history
• The Treaty of Rome
• The four main institutions
• The Treaty of Maastricht
• Terminology
• Summary of section one

• The role of the institutions
• Inter-relationship of the institutions
• Recent changes
• Summary of section two

• Transformation of European Community law into English law
• The enacted sources of European Community law
• The general principles of EC law
• Modes of interpretation
• Summary of section three

• Supremacy of European Community law
• Direct effect
• Indirect effect of EC law
• State liability for non-compliance with EC law
• Summary of section four

• Introduction
• Control of the institutions
• The action for failure to act
• The plea of illegality
• The action for damages
• Control of Member States
• The preliminary reference procedure
• Comment
• Summary of section five

Unit 5: additional questions

Additional questions: guidance

Further reading

For a more detailed syllabus on this course, click here

On completion of your course, you will receive two qualifications:

Qualification 1: Business Law Diploma

Business Law Diploma issued by Stonebridge Associated Colleges, entitling you to use the letters SAC Dip after your name.

Qualification 2: ASET Level 4 Business Law Award

This Course leads to an ASET Level 4 Award Certificate for successful learners. That means that it is independantly accredited at a level of learning equivalent to level 4 on the National Qualifications Framework (NFQ) for England, Wales and Northern Ireland (in which case GCSE's are at levels 1 and 2 and A Levels are at level 3).

The Award has been designed by a learning provider to meet specific learners' or employers' requirements and as such is not listed as a qualification on NQF. While the duration, content or assessment may vary from similar national qualifications, in accrediting the programme at level 4, ASET attests that its learning outcomes are at an equivalent level to a level 4 national qualification.

This course is an online course. With online study you have access to your entire course from the start of your studies. You can access your course materials, and submit all of your question papers to your personal tutor, online from anywhere in the World using your unique student account.

If you do not have Internet access, or would prefer to study this course via the traditional paper/postal based study method, you can find more information on the course by clicking on the link below.

With this course you will have unlimited access to your own personal tutor who specialises in their field of study. It is your personal tutor's role to ensure that you receive constructive feedback and to deal with any queries you may have. You are more than welcome to telephone, fax or email your personal tutor.

You will also have access to a dedicated and friendly team of administrators and course advisors who offer sound and professional guidance and advice when you need it. This ensures that you will never feel neglected and that you will always succeed!

There is no experience or previous qualifications required for enrolment on this course. It is available to all students, of all academic backgrounds.

This is only an approximate figure and is dependant upon how much time you can dedicate to your studies and how well you grasp the learning concepts in the course material. Furthermore, at the end of each lesson there is a question paper that needs to be completed and returned to your tutor. You should allow at least 1 - 2 hours of study to complete each question paper.

The approximate amount of time required to complete the course is: 110 hrs.

Assessment Method

After each lesson there will be a question paper, which needs to be completed and submitted to your personal tutor for marking. This method of continual assessment ensures that your personal tutor can consistently monitor your progress and provide you with assistance throughout the duration of the course.

What's Included

• All study materials
• Study Guide
• Full Tutor and Admin support
• The course fee includes the ASET registration and certification fee (valued at up to £30.00).

What is ASET

ASET is a recognised National Awarding Body.

This course is accredited by ASET. ASET are a leading National Awarding Body, recognised in the U.K by the Department for Education and Skills (DfEs), Learning Skills Council (LSC) and the Qualifications & Curriculum Authority (QCA). ASET specialise in providing, quality-assuring and certificating vocational learning programmes.

For more information on this award, click here

To help you broaden your skills, update your expertise in a particular field or get a competitive edge on that job you're after, we have also included all the resources below absolutely FREE for you to use when you register for your course! Click title below for more details.

This course comes with a series of FREE online videos. The normal price per series is £50.00, however, enrol on this course through Elearnuk and you will have FREE and unlimited access to the series for one year.

PLEASE NOTE: These videos are purely supplemental and are for information purposes only. They will have no bearing on your programme outcome.

The series of online videos that accompanies this course is as follows: