This course aims to:

• provide students with an opportunity to engage in original discovery in the form of an independent legal research under the supervision of an experienced staff;
• develop students' ability to analyse data, think critically, discover new concepts and organise thoughts on a given issue and to further develop the students’attitude in discovery by engaging in enquiry with the supervisor;
• harness and acquire the writing and citation and research skills of students;
• enable students to express and defend their views orally and in writing; and
• complete an original piece of researched writing.

Students' achievements will be graded on the basis of their performance in assessment tasks/activities. To pass this course, students must obtain an aggregate mark of 40% and a minimum of 30% in written research paper (carrying 100% weightage).

The written research paper must be between 8,000 and 10,000 words (excluding footnotes). Students must cite all relevant authorities as per the Oxford Standard for Citation of Legal Authorities (OSCOLA) 2006.

All research papers - which will be assessed for substance, originality, breadth of research, quality of presentation, analysis and reasoning, accuracy, and citation style and authorities. The faculty who supervised the independent research and another anonymous faculty member will mark the research paper simultaneously. The relevant External Academic Advisor and/or a third marker may moderate the assessment of the research paper, especially if there is a significant difference in grades assigned by the supervisor and the second marker.

Late submission of research papers, if allowed in exceptional circumstances and for good reasons, will attract a penalty at the discretion of the Course Leader.

Grading will be done as per the Law School's adopted standards: A+ (85% or above), A (80-84%), A- (75-79%), ...F (below 40%).

If an LLB student was previously enrolled in LW5552 Independent Research, he/she will not be allowed to enrol in LW4635.