Your pathway to a prestigious British Law degree at Nawaloka College
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Dr. Dayanath Jayasuriya, Senior Academic Advisor (NCHS School of Law)
The 2+1 Law Degree offered by Nawaloka College of Higher Studies (NCHS) in collaboration with the Ulster University Law School is an attractive arrangement for Sri Lankan students who have just completed the A/L Examination.
They will spend the first two years following classes that mirror what is being taught at Ulster and will then get the opportunity to move to Northern Ireland for the third and the final year of their studies. This arrangement currently has no parallels in the area of legal studies in Sri Lanka.
An obvious advantage of the 2+1 arrangement is that Sri Lankan students will get a world class British LLB degree without having to incur the high costs of living in the U.K. for the full three years that it normally takes to acquire such a degree.
It needs to be underlined that the LLB degree that they can expect at the end of the course will be exactly the same as that awarded to domestic U.K. students. British law degrees, such as the one earned by Ulster students, are still considered the ‘gold standard’ by employers and professional bodies in various parts of the world.
The Ulster Law School is one of the highly ranked U.K. law schools which has won many accolades. The choice of subjects in the curriculum, quality of law teaching, research on the impact of law and high level of employability are among some of the achievements that distinguishes this law school from scores of other law schools in the U.K. It is worth mentioning as well that the Ulster Law School has the reputation of being outward-looking; among other things, the school has numerous international links and boasts academics with a special interest in comparative law, including the legal systems of Commonwealth countries such as Sri Lanka.
English law remains an integral part of the Sri Lankan legal system. There is hardly any other jurisdiction in the world where one will find so many different legal systems operating side by side. In some areas of the law, where a locally enacted statute is silent on any particular aspect, it is the English Law that would apply.
Lectures at NCHS, whilst focusing on what is covered at Ulster, will draw attention to significant variations in the application of principles in English and Sri Lankan law. Separate optional lectures will be held to give an orientation to Sri Lankan law- this knowledge will be particularly useful for writing essays of a comparative nature as well as for Law College examinations later on.
The NCHS-Ulster law programme will also provide students with practical skills, including those of a transferable nature. Mooting will be an integral part of the curriculum, and students will be exposed to this important practical aspect of lawyering at an early stage. It is expected that, even during the two years that Sri Lankan students spend in-country, they will have the opportunity of interacting with visiting lecturers from Ulster.
Moot Court at Ulster university
We now live in a global village. English law remains the predominant system of law applying across so many different fields. Having evolved over centuries and adapting itself to changing circumstances, English Law provides clarity with regard to many aspects and accommodates different approaches to be found in various countries. Most model laws prepared under the aegis of the UN and other specialised bodies are based to a large extent on English law principles.
A striking example of the increasing influence of English Law is evident from the fact that with China is forging ahead with the ‘One Belt One Road’ initiative, most joint ventures agree to be governed by English Law in the interpretation of contracts and in the settlement of disputes. More and more Chinese students now enter British law schools, whilst many leading Chinese law schools offer selected English Law courses.
A knowledge of English Law with a degree from a highly ranked British university opens the door to many employment opportunities. International and non-governmental organisations, international financial institutions, international banks and international law firms. Just to mention, a few prefer to employ law graduates with a knowledge of English law and a degree from a highly recognised university. Most international arbitration centres use English Law as the choice of law.
Law graduates who enter the legal profession in either Northern Ireland or England and/or Sri Lanka will find that their knowledge of English law will stand them in good stead when they prepare their submissions. With increasing opportunities for global mobility in the area of law, the importance of a recognised brand such as Ulster cannot be underestimated.
In the world of corporate law, directors, CEOs, company secretaries and chief legal officers with a comparative knowledge of English Law will have a definite edge over those who may lack that advantage. For all these reasons, Sri Lankan students contemplating a career in law should consider the NCHS-Ulster option quite seriously.
Located in the heart of Colombo 03, NCHS offers the best facilities which include purpose-built engineering and computer laboratories, a resource-oriented library, study areas and ample parking space and reputed academics to administer the programs.
Students can join for the foundation programme after GCE O/L, or the first year of the LLB degree after GCE A/L. To find out more on how you can be a part of the prestigious degree at NCHS, call Terrance on
077 888 9655.
-Dr. Dayanath Jayasuriya P.C.