Faculty of Laws Newsletter : December 2023 : issue 14

Abstract

From time to time an academic member of staff reminds the rest of us what a difference it would make to our students, if the first year of their law studies was a foundation year. I cannot but agree with the idea of our students dedicating the first year of their law studies to topics such as legal history and philosophy, how to research and how to study law, and brushing up on their language skills too. Surely this would help them not only settle down in university life, but also be in a different and better frame of mind when they commence the substantive topics? I also think that it does not make sense to try to teach them Introduction to Law to name but one introductory subject, during the very same weeks and months that they are already learning Criminal and Constitutional Law. I am quite sure that the current system is not of advantage to our students; indeed several other academics tend to agree with me, but higher authority within the UM have always shot down the proposal for a foundation course in law put forward both by the current Dean and Prof. Kevin Aquilina during his tenure.