LWMEL: Equality Law

Module code: LWMEL

Module provider: School of Law

Credits: 20

Level: 7

When you’ll be taught: Semester 1

Module convenor: Professor Grace James , email: c.g.james@reading.ac.uk

Module co-convenor: Dr Rachel Horton, email: r.e.horton@reading.ac.uk

Pre-requisite module(s):

Co-requisite module(s):

Pre-requisite or Co-requisite module(s):

Module(s) excluded:

Placement information: No placement specified

Academic year: 2025/6

Available to visiting students: Yes

Talis reading list: No

Last updated: 3 April 2025

Overview

Module aims and purpose

This module aims to provide students with a critical awareness of how Equality Law is framed in the UK and a detailed knowledge and understanding of key Equality Law topics.

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Adopting a theoretically informed, topic-based approach the module involves the study of Equality Laws in the employment context. It encourages a critical appreciation of relevant theoretical perspectives on Equality Law and an ability to navigate the law in order to offer advice in relation to employment-focused legal problems.

Module learning outcomes

By the end of the module, it is expected that students will be able to:
• Identify the sources of Equality Law in the UK
• Identify and evaluate theories on the aims and limits of Equality Law.
• Explain and apply key legal concepts in equality law
• Identify the grounds of prohibited discrimination and protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010.
• Critically assess and apply selected areas of Equality Law to practical employment -related problems.

Module content

Once key concepts and frameworks and core theoretical perspectives are introduced, this module is taught primarily through 6 core but inter-related topics:

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The main content is

• Introduction: historical development, prohibited conduct and protected characteristics under the Equality Act, the concept of equality and the aims / limits of anti-discrimination / equality laws.
• Topic 1: Race discrimination
• Topic 2: Sex discrimination
• Topic 3: Disability discrimination
• Topic 4: Age discrimination
• Topic 5: Pregnancy and maternity discrimination Ìý
• Topic 6: Discrimination on the grounds of religion and belief

(these topics may vary from year to year)

Structure

Teaching and learning methods

This module will be taught through lectures, seminars and supported by online drop-in sessions where students will have an opportunity to consider cases, reports, academic literature in more depth.

The lectures (22 hours) will take place weekly (2 hours a week across 11 weeks)

Seminars (5 x 2 hours) will involve structured group discussions and some presentations / group work by students (10 hours). Throughout the module, emphasis is placed on the student to actively participate in the learning experience. This includes researching the subject independently and being fully prepared for seminars.

Topic ‘Deep Dive’ sessions will be timetabled – these 2 hour sessions will be online after each seminar has taken place (x5) and allow students to look in more detail at relevant cases or reading that relates to the topic in question (10 hours). There will also be an opportunity to reflect on understanding and ask questions / seek clarification as needed. Generic feedback for formative assessments will also be provided in these sessions when relevant.

• Introduction: historical development, prohibited conduct and protected characteristics under the Equality Act, the concept of equality and the aims / limits of anti-discrimination / equality laws.
• Topic 1: Race discrimination
• Topic 2: Sex discrimination
• Topic 3: Disability discrimination
• Topic 4: Age discrimination
• Topic 5: Pregnancy and maternity discriminationÌý
• Topic 6: Discrimination on the grounds of religion and belief

Study hours

At least 40 hours of scheduled teaching and learning activities will be delivered in person, with the remaining hours for scheduled and self-scheduled teaching and learning activities delivered either in person or online. You will receive further details about how these hours will be delivered before the start of the module.

Please note the independent study hours above are notional numbers of hours; each student will approach studying in different ways. We would advise you to reflect on your learning and the number of hours you are allocating to these tasks.

Semester 1 The hours in this column may include hours during the Christmas holiday period.

Semester 2 The hours in this column may include hours during the Easter holiday period.

Summer The hours in this column will take place during the summer holidays and may be at the start and/or end of the module.

Assessment

Requirements for a pass

Students need to achieve an overall module mark of 50% to pass this module.

Summative assessment

Penalties for late submission of summative assessment

The Support Centres will apply the following penalties for work submitted late:

Assessments with numerical marks

• where the piece of work is submitted after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): 10% of the total marks available for that piece of work will be deducted from the mark for each working day (or part thereof) following the deadline up to a total of three working days;
• the mark awarded due to the imposition of the penalty shall not fall below the threshold pass mark, namely 40% in the case of modules at Levels 4-6 (i.e. undergraduate modules for Parts 1-3) and 50% in the case of Level 7 modules offered as part of an Integrated Masters or taught postgraduate degree programme;
• where the piece of work is awarded a mark below the threshold pass mark prior to any penalty being imposed, and is submitted up to three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline), no penalty shall be imposed;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): a mark of zero will be recorded.

Assessments marked Pass/Fail

• where the piece of work is submitted within three working days of the deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): no penalty will be applied;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): a grade of Fail will be awarded.

The University policy statement on penalties for late submission can be found at: /cqsd/-/media/project/functions/cqsd/documents/qap/penaltiesforlatesubmission.pdf

You are strongly advised to ensure that coursework is submitted by the relevant deadline. You should note that it is advisable to submit work in an unfinished state rather than to fail to submit any work.

Formative assessment

Formative assessment is any task or activity which creates feedback (or feedforward) for you about your learning, but which does not contribute towards your overall module mark.

Reassessment

Additional costs