ACY2101 Legal Pitfalls in Daily Life – Common Core Curriculum Office (CCCO)

Department

Accountancy

Semester

AY2016/17 Sem 1, AY2017/18 Sem 1, AY2018/19 Sem 1, AY2019/20 Summer Sem, AY2020/21 Sem 1, AY2020/21 Sem 2, AY2021/22 Sem 1, AY2021/22 Sem 2, AY2022/23 Sem 1, AY2022/23 Sem 2, AY2023/24 Sem 1, AY2023/24 Sem 2

Method

Lecture 3 hours

Cluster

4 (Moral Reasoning)

Prerequisite

GEN1000 Perspectives on General Education / Subject to Instructor’s Discretion

Exclusion

Nil

Module Description

This module aims to introduce students with some fundamental legal knowledge and ethical consideration encountered in day-to-day life, including when one takes the role of individual citizen, professional practitioner, employer, employee, business owner, director, seller, and service provider. Through a combination of lectures with class discussion, case studies and presentations, we examine a range of legal related contemporary issues that have ethical implications. Students should be able to develop their reasoning skill to solve ethical problems, and develop their own judgments on the basis of critical evaluations from legal and ethical perspectives to avoid traps in daily legal pitfalls and ethical challenges.

Module Intended Learning Outcomes (MILO)

Upon completion of this module, students should be able to:
a. describe the legal system in Hong Kong
b. explain the ethical theories and the importance of ethical consideration
c. analyze various daily life scenarios to identify relevant legal principles as well as possible legal pitfalls
d. recognize ethics implications and dilemmas in a range of daily life scenarios and adopt appropriate ethical theories and principles to resolve these issues
e. critically evaluate legal pitfalls problems from both legal and ethical perspectives, rationally resolve the issues to avoid being trapped or help others avoid being trapped.

Module Content

1. Hong Kong legal system

1.1 Sources of law
1.2 The doctrine of precedent
1.3 The judiciary
1.4 Civil and criminal liabilities

2. Ethical theories

2.1 Importance of ethics
2.2 Relationship between laws and ethics
2.3 Ethical theories and reasoning process
2.4 Business ethics
2.5 Corporate social responsibility

3. Ethical codes and practices – professional responsibility and integrity

3.1 Accountants and auditors
3.2 Company secretaries
3.3 Lawyers

4. Legal problems – related to one as “individual citizen” in daily life scenarios

4.1 Tax morale
4.2 Falsified document
4.3 Infringement of intellectual property
4.4 Traffic regulations
4.5 Legal and ethical consideration in above scenarios

5. Legal problems – related to employment scenarios

5.1 Rights and duties of employer
5.2 Workplace rights of employees on health and safety
5.3 Job security
5.4 Bribery and rebates
5.5 Discrimination
5.6 Legal and ethical consideration in above scenarios

6. Legal problems – related to business operations

6.1 Business organization
6.2 Director power and duties
6.3 Shareholder’s/Investor’s rights and safeguards
6.4 Accounting fraud
6.5 Environmental pollution
6.6 Fair competition
6.7 Legal and ethical consideration in above scenarios

7. Legal problems – related to sales of goods and provision of services

7.1 Consumer protection
7.2 Advertising ethics
7.3 Product safety
7.4 Liabilities for negligence
7.5 Exemption clause
7.6 Legal and ethical consideration in above scenarios

Assessment Methods

1. Class participation (10%)
2. Case study report (25%)
3. Presentation (15%)
4. Examination (50%)

Texts & References

1. Srivastava, D. K. (2017). Business Law in Hong Kong. (5th ed.). Hong Kong: Thomson.
2. Lawrence, Anne T., and Weber, James. (2020). Business and Society: Stakeholders, Ethics, Public Policy. 16th Edition, New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.
3. Mackinnon, Barabara (2018). Ethics: Theory and Contemporary Issues (9th Edition). Australia: Wadsworth Publishing.
4. Brooks, L.J., Dunn, P. (2017). Business & Professional Ethics for Directors, Executives & Accountants. 8th Edition. South-Western Cengage Learning. 9th Edition will be printed in 2021.
5. Velasquez, M.G. (2018). Business Ethics: Concepts and Cases. 8th Edition. New York Pearson.
6. Thorne, D., Ferrell, O., and Ferrell, L. (2011). Business and Society – A Strategic Approach to Social Responsibility. 4th Edition. Boston, MA: Cengage.
7. Hartman, L., DesJardins J., and MacDonald C. (2018). Business Ethics – Decision Making for Personal Integrity and Social Responsibility. 4th Edition. McGraw Hill.
8. Professional Codes of Ethics
a. Hong Kong Institute of Certified Public Accountants
b. The Institute of Internal Auditors
c. Other relevant professional bodies