Law

Law is too important to be left to lawyers - every citizen should have some knowledge of their rights and of how to exercise these. So this is as much a course for those who wish to enter the legal profession – as it is for those who don’t.  It provides an opportunity to investigate how law is used to regulate human conduct, how it is affected by changes in moral values, and how it does (or doesn’t) promote justice and even-handedness in society.  Studying law at A Level involves exploring the legal principles of criminal law, law of negligence and human rights.  Students will also learn how the English Legal System works including ways in which our laws are made, discovering what judges, lawyers, jurors and magistrates do.  Studying law is hard work but it is rewarding because in addition to the legal knowledge students will also develop analytical skills, engage in legal debates and formulate logically structured arguments.  These are skills that can be applied to any subject.

Teacher: Mrs Wilkowska-Davies.

The awarding body is AQA.

Course Outline

The syllabus consists of the Core Content and the Optional Content.  Within the Core Content you will study three areas of law and one topic from the optional content. 

1.      The Nature of Law and the English Legal System

This area will involve learning about parliamentary law making, delegated legislation, statutory interpretation and judicial precedent. We shall then consider civil courts and dispute resolution, criminal courts and lay people, legal profession and advice/funding and the judiciary. In addition, you will explore concepts of law such as Law and Morality, Law and Justice and Fault.

2.      Criminal Law

In this section we will explore the general principles of criminal liability together with non-fatal offences of assault, battery, assault occasioning actual bodily harm (S47) and unlawfully inflicting/causing grievous bodily harm or wounding (S20 and S18).  You will also study murder, diminished responsibility, loss of control, unlawful act manslaughter and gross negligence manslaughter as well as general defences and attempts. The study of property offences will be limited to theft and robbery.

3.      Tort

This area relates to civil law and will include tort of negligence, occupiers’ liability, vicarious liability and nuisance.  You will also study defences and remedies in civil law.

4.      Optional Content

Law of Contract or Human Rights

This course is wholly assessed through hand-written examinations. (There is no coursework component whatsoever). This qualification is linear. Linear means that you will sit your exams at the end of the course. At the end of two years students will sit three exams for each paper. Each exam is two hours long.