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LS451P: VOLUNTARY SCOTLAND: SCOTTISH CHARITIES, CLUBS, COMMUNITY ORGANISATIONS (2023-2024)

Last modified: 31 Jul 2023 11:39


Course Overview

Many students will be members of clubs and societies, and will go on to become board members for clubs and charities, or community organisation chairpersons and secretaries. This course is for them.

Scottish Charities are regulated by OSCR. Rights of local communities to acquire land are enshrined in statute. Clubs flourish and community empowerment has been the subject of legislation in the Scottish Parliament. However, private clubs can exclude women members, and the law accepts this. The range of business model available to community organisations may seem bewildering. The legal status of unincorporated associations is unclear. These are our topics.

Course Details

Study Type Undergraduate Level 4
Term Second Term Credit Points 25 credits (12.5 ECTS credits)
Campus Aberdeen Sustained Study No
Co-ordinators
  • Dr Douglas Bain

Qualification Prerequisites

  • One of Programme Level 3 or Programme Level 4 or Programme Level 5

What courses & programmes must have been taken before this course?

  • Any Undergraduate Programme (Studied)
  • Law (LS) (Studied)

What other courses must be taken with this course?

None.

What courses cannot be taken with this course?

Are there a limited number of places available?

No

Course Description

Course Aims The Scottish law of in respect of charities, clubs and associations is an intellectually rewarding and practically useful field of study.  The aim of this course is to ensure that potential future practising lawyers can develop a good grounding in a commercially and socially important field of law.  In this respect it worth noting that the Third Sector is a growing area of specialism in law firms.  In particular, the course will aim to

  1. Explore and critically evaluate the key principles of the Scottish law of in respect of charities, clubs and associations;
  2. Through the seminar programme in particular, to develop legal research, reasoning, analysis and legal argument skills, and also oral, written and team working skill, and the opportunity to respond constructively to feedback; and
  3. By providing students with the above knowledge and skills, to enable them to progress in their studies with greater understanding and confidence.

The course will be very practically orientated and will involve a hands-on approach to researching the third sector. Some seminars may involve an element of role-play.

Main Learning Outcomes Knowledge and Understanding: Seminars will cover the following topics:

  • Charity and charities - the old law.  Charities, public trusts, charitable trusts, quasi-trusts.  The charity/trust interface;
  • Charities - the new regime.  OSCR.  Legal forms.  The register;
  • Case Study - the Scottish Charitable Company;
  • Oversight and the regulation of charities;
  • The further reform of Scottish charities.
  • Unincorporated associations generally.  The unincorporated association as a non-entity and the importance of the inter-relationship of the members.  The rules of the association.  Property held for the use of associations. 
  • The report of the Scottish Law Commission on Unincorporated Associations;
  • Clubs - Constitutions, membership (including equality issues), expulsion (including the jurisdiction of the court);
  • Community Organisations, focusing on housing and land reform.

Subject Specific Skills and Concepts: Students will be able to: 1. Differentiate between and use appropriate primary and secondary sources and identify and retrieve up-to-date legal information using paper and electronic sources; 2.   Use recognised methods of citation; 3.  Use sources to support arguments and conclusions; 4.  Recognise, analyse, and rank arguments and evidence in terms of relevance and importance by managing volume of legal sources and select key material to construct written or oral answers to a legal problem; 5. Identify the legal problem from information provided; 6.  Address problems by reference to relevant material; 7.  Bring together, integrate, compare and synthesise information and materials from a variety of different sources, which explore policy and doctrinal issues; 8.  Be able to find in paper form legislative and case law materials in the Law Library; 9.  Present arguments for and against propositions; 10.  Be aware that arguments require to be supported by evidence, in order to meet legal requirements of proof by showing awareness of the need for evidence to support arguments; 11.  Apply knowledge and analysis creatively to complex situations in order to provide arguable solutions to concrete problems by presenting a range of viable options from a set of facts and law; 12. Think critically and make critical judgements on the relative and absolute merits of particular arguments and solutions and make choices as to the most preferable; 13  Communicate orally and in writing (and electronically where appropriate) using English language by creating work in a permanent format that is understandable by the intended audience (through submission of exam answers, essays, samples thereof and participating in tutorial discussion); 14.  Communicate in plain English, with legal terminology only as needed; and 15.  Display informed knowledge and understanding of the social, economic, moral and ethical contexts in which law operates by demonstrating legal knowledge in association with related policy, underlying social conditions, professional ethical issues and moral issues. Key Skills (Transferable): 1. Communicate orally and in writing; 2.  Ability to work effectively in small groups to contribute to the group’s task; 3.  Ability to work independently, to organise and manage time, stress and effort in performance of tasks; 4.  Problem solving skills; 5.  Critical analysis; 6.  Logical argument; 7.  An ability to synthesise and organise complex materials and arguments; 8.  With limited guidance act independently, and where appropriate as part of team, in planning and undertaking tasks;   9.  Conduct formal and informal oral presentations;  10.  Make appropriate use of technology in research, writing and oral presentations; and 11.  Reflect on own learning and to seek and make use of feedback. Course Content Seminars will cover the following topics:

  • Charity and charities - the old law.  Charities, public trusts, charitable trusts, quasi-trusts.  The charity/trust interface;
  • Charities - the new regime.  OSCR.  Legal forms.  The register;
  • Case Study - the Scottish Charitable Company;
  • Oversight and the regulation of charities;
  • The further reform of Scottish charities.
  • Unincorporated associations generally.  The unincorporated association as a non-entity and the importance of the inter-relationship of the members.  The rules of the association.  Property held for the use of associations. 
  • The report of the Scottish Law Commission on Unincorporated Associations;
  • Clubs - Constitutions, membership (including equality issues), expulsion (including the jurisdiction of the court);

Community Organisations, focusing on housing and land reform


Contact Teaching Time

Information on contact teaching time is available from the course guide.

Teaching Breakdown

More Information about Week Numbers


Details, including assessments, may be subject to change until 30 August 2024 for 1st term courses and 20 December 2024 for 2nd term courses.

Summative Assessments

Case Note

Assessment Type Summative Weighting 30
Assessment Weeks Feedback Weeks

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Feedback

Feedback will be provided on the feedback form within three weeks from the date of submission.

Learning Outcomes
Knowledge LevelThinking SkillOutcome
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Online Exam

Assessment Type Summative Weighting 50
Assessment Weeks Feedback Weeks

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Feedback

Feedback will be provided on the feedback form within three weeks from the date of submission.

Learning Outcomes
Knowledge LevelThinking SkillOutcome
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Class Test - Multiple Choice Questions

Assessment Type Summative Weighting 20
Assessment Weeks Feedback Weeks

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Feedback

Feedback will be provided on the feedback form within three weeks from the date of submission.

Learning Outcomes
Knowledge LevelThinking SkillOutcome
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Formative Assessment

There are no assessments for this course.

Resit Assessments

Resit Failed Elements in same format if due to extenuating circumstances

Assessment Type Summative Weighting 100
Assessment Weeks Feedback Weeks

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Feedback
Learning Outcomes
Knowledge LevelThinking SkillOutcome
Sorry, we don't have this information available just now. Please check the course guide on MyAberdeen or with the Course Coordinator

Course Learning Outcomes

Knowledge LevelThinking SkillOutcome
FactualRememberILO’s for this course are available in the course guide.

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