Roman Law
This module introduces you to the Roman law of Property and Obligations, a subject required for aspiring advocates in Scotland according to the profession’s governing body.
Key facts
Overview
The module seeks to give an introduction to Roman law, including the following topics:
- legal interpretation, litigation and iurisconsulti;
- slaves, status and those ‘in power’;
- manumission, emancipation and marriage;
- ownership, possession and the ‘division of things’;
- acquisition of ownership;
- incorporeal things: inheritance and succession;
- incorporeal things: servitudes (personal and praedial);
- obligations (the law of contracts);
- obligations (the law of delicts).
Entrance requirements
Completion of LLB from any Scottish Law School.
English language requirements
If English is not your first language you must have one of the following qualifications as evidence of your English language skills:
- IELTS Academic or UKVI 6.0 with a minimum of 5.5 in each sub-skill.
- Pearson Test of English (Academic) 60 overall with a minimum of 59 in each sub-skill.
- TOEFL exams taken before 21 January 2026: 80 overall with 18 in reading, 17 in writing, 17 in listening, 20 in speaking.
- TOEFL exams taken from 21 January 2026: 4 overall with no less than 4 in any band.
See our information on English language requirements for more details on the language tests we accept and options to waive these requirements.
Objectives
- demonstrate an understanding of the significance of Roman law in the Scottish legal tradition;
- analyse key concepts of Roman private law;
- demonstrate an understanding of the methods of juristic reasoning employed by iurisconsulti and their successors;
- apply principles of Roman law to practical legal problems;
- critically evaluate the significance of Roman law in Scotland and the Continental European legal tradition.
Structure and content
There are weekly lectures covering the following topics:
- Roman governance and society
- Sources and development of Roman law
- The law of persons
- Property law I: ownership and possession
- Property law II: acquisition of ownership
- Property law III: rights in property
- The law of succession
- Contracts I: general principles and consensual contracts
- Contracts II: other contracts, quasi-contracts
- Delicts I: insulting behaviour and damage to property
- Delicts II: other delicts, quasi-delicts
Delivery and assessment
Weekly in person lecture (these are recorded), plus 6 one hour in-person only seminars and one online exam.
1 x 2500-word Essay (weighted at 40%) and
1 x 3.5-hour online exam (weighted at 60%).
Module coordinator
Employability
A pass in this module will allow you to apply for an exemption from the equivalent Faculty of Advocates exam.
What next?
Contact us
If you have any questions about entry requirements for our continuing professional development and short courses, contact our Admissions team.
For all other questions, please use our enquiry form.