MARL5120 – Maritime Law in practice: Mock Trial
Schedule, syllabus and examination date
Course content
The mock trial is a practical part of the Master of Maritime Law program. The students are divided into two groups – for the plaintiff and for the defendant – in a trial. The groups are given a text containing a dispute to be solved. The legal issues are within the topics taught in the two maritime law courses, but a more in depth investigation into the issues will be required. During a month of preparation the two groups will write statements of claim and defense and points of claim and defense. Two Norwegian Law firms function as coaches to help with procedural and formal matters. All legal issues will be handled by the students. The course ends with a main hearing where the students argue their case before a tribunal of three judges.
Learning outcome
You will learn to perform as an attorney under a trial. This includes knowledge about how to write the legal statements involved, investigation of legal sources, and how the main hearing is structured and performed. Further, it includes ability to perform an in depth analysis of the legal issues involved in a dispute and to argue a case before a tribunal. The main goal is to achieve ability to give a convincing legal argumentation for a submission orally to the tribunal.
Admission
Admission is only open for students enrolled in the L.L.M. Maritime Law (master's 1 1/2-years)
Prerequisites
Recommended previous knowledge
Recommended prerequisites: Passed exam in the two courses JUS5401 – Maritime Law - Contracts (discontinued) and JUS5402 – Maritime Law: Liability and Insurance (discontinued)
Teaching
The teaching will be in form of group seminars. There will be an information meeting/lecture for the whole LLM class. After, the group is divided into two teams and each team will be coached by lawyers from two different Law firms. The groups will in addition receive guidance from lecturers at the Institute.
Access to teaching
A student who has completed compulsory instruction and coursework and has had these approved, is not entitled to repeat that instruction and coursework. A student who has been admitted to a course, but who has not completed compulsory instruction and coursework or had these approved, is entitled to repeat that instruction and coursework, depending on available capacity.
Examination
The final grade consists of two parts; a group work in the form of a written assignment and an oral hearing.
The assignment will consist of legal briefs and judicial decisions.
Students in a team who fail or do not deliver the assignment will not be allowed to take the oral exam.
The oral presentation takes place at a full day main hearing before a tribunal of three judges.
Oral hearing will last for approx 3 hours per team, 15 min for each student.
Language of examination
English
Grading scale
Grades are awarded on a pass/fail scale. Read more about the grading system.
Marking criteria
This guide is used by examiners for grading this course.
Explanations and appeals
Resit an examination
- Illness at exams / postponed exams
- Resitting an examination.
- There are special rules for resitting a passed examination in the master's programme in Law.
Withdrawal from an examination
It is possible to take this exam up to 3 times. If you withdraw from the exam after the deadline or during the exam, this will be counted as an examination attempt.
There are special rules for resitting a passed examination in the master's programme in Law.
Special examination arrangements
Application form, deadline and requirements for special examination arrangements.