Structure of Tutorials

Structure of Lux-Verbi’s and CCRS’s Online Tutorials [this is a draft- and is subject to corrections]. 

AS THIS PAGE IS STILL UNDER CONSTRUCTION - SOME TYPOS MAY EXIST. IT SHOULD BE UP AND RUNNING IN A FEW WEEKS.

For your legal research try: http://www2.bailii.org/~jury/cases/sort.htm - the latest English and Welsh Cases

Understanding Law – for LLB Degrees 

(for years 1 to 2. If you would like year 3 tutorials please let us know)

1.                 Purpose/Objective of revision tutorial –       

·        To review generally what you have been studying and tested on over the past  months

- may sound daunting but if you break it down into units you will find that it is manageable.

·        To brush-up on your revision techniques that should help you revise more effectively and quickly.

·        Opportunity to attempt some pass exam questions, under semi-exam conditions.

·        Finally will review the questions you have attempted.

2.                 General overview of course - units

The Law 

·        We looked at law as a System of rules for which society all groups are organised and control.

·        Regulates almost everything in our daily lives

·        Some complex others very basic

·        Morale or legal rules (e.g. laws concerning right of the individual as opposed to rules of procedure

·        But that aims the same - system or method (written or unwritten) of social control

·        Without laws life would be anarchy “ short nasty and brutish” - Locke

·        Sources of law

1.                  Societal norms

2.                  Family norms

3.                  Cultural values

4.                  International e.g. international treaties

5.                  Court - common law or case law– ‘ declaration of law as is’

6.                  Legislation

·        Legal verses social rules

What other differences, if any?

(i)                  Consequences

(ii)                Enforcement

(iii)               Consensus

·        Civil and criminal law - the differences

Criminal law - VS -Civil law

1.                  Acts/offences against the state or society/ whereas civil claims involved acts or wrongs against individuals or companies

2.                  criminal law concerned about acts having so serious an impact on the society that sate should intervene/whereas enforcement of civil law was matter for the individual concerned

3.                  Prosecuted by state or Crown/civil law by claimant

4.                  Burden of proof on prosecution /civil burden on claimant

5.                  Standard of proof were very high / civil standard much lower –on the balance of probability

6.                  Compliant under each are usually heard in different courts with different procedures

Basic overview of court system

·        Mag. Crt –Mainly (95%) of all criminal cases, some specific civil

·        Crown Crt – Only criminal matters

·        County Crts – Mainly civil, some criminal matters

·        High Crt (QBD, Ch D, Family D) dealing with civil/criminal matters, property/commercial matters and family matters respectively. Also hears matters on appeal from courts lowers down the hierarchy

·        Crt of Appeal and House of Lds – only appeals on matters of public importance or where a conviction is unsafe, with leave of the lower crt or the Appeal crts themselves

Terminologies an Sources of law - Unit 2

CRIMINAL

·        Men's rea

·        Actus reus

·        Prosecution v defendant

·        Accused

·        Offence

·        Sentence

·        Conviction

·        Acquittal

·        Plea

·        Appellants

CIVIL

·        Claimant/defendants

·        Damages

·        Applicants

·        Costs

Public and private law

       PUBLIC LAW

• Judicial review – e.g. R v S of S for Environment. ex p. Liam
• Leave need
• Remedies, including damage are discretionary
• Reviewer limited to looking at law decision made not the merits of decision?
• Only in the High Court!  with appeals to C.A/H.L

 PRIVATE LAW

• Almost exclusively civil actions                                            

-Some Private Criminal Prosecutions e.g. Stephen Lawrence case

• E.g. of private law –tort, contract, civil rights claims, claims under EC law, for breach of employment rights etc.

Sources of law    - Finding the law

• Case Law, or common law
• Acts of parliament/ legislation and primary and secondary
• EC law
• Citation of case law

Statutory interpretation - 

·        Why need for statutory interpretation?

·        Literal rule                          e.g.

·        Golden rule                        e.g.

·        Mischief rule                      e.g.

·        Rules of language             e.g.

·        Aids to interpretation        e.g.

Doctrine of president – Stare decisis -

• What is the doctrine?

1.                  Where a higher court establishes a rule or gives a decision of fact, then in a subsequent case a court deciding an issue based on similar facts, and law is bound to follow or apply that earlier rule of principle, providing the latter court is inferior to the court, which decided the earlier case.

Example Donoghue v Stephenson (1932)

• Ratio Decidendi

- The decision of principle made on the actual facts, the court is asked to rule upon, as opposed to hypothetical or assumed facts.

- There may be more than one ratio!

• Obiter Dictum

- Any proposition or comments other than the ratio. (reason for the decision).

e.g. comments/propositions based on assumed or hypothetical facts/issues.

• Court Hierarchy

County Crt/Mag. Crt. Appeals to       High.Crt./ Crown Court –           .      CA      H.L       ECJ (strictly speaking not an appellate crt but a source of interpretation of EC law)

·        Distinguishing / Persuasive decision

1.                  e.g. where a particular issue was not considered in earlier authority or facts slightly different than that in the later case.

2.                  e.g. where a particular binding authority was not considered by Court in the earlier case.

3.                  e.g. persuasive authority, where principle was decided by lower crt or crt of equal status to present crt.

English Legal System  -

1.                  History

2.                  Civil/Criminal procedure

3.                  Appeal System (Briefly referred to earlier)

4.                  Access to justice

Introduction to Conditional Principles – 

1.                  What is a constitution – A set or system of

2.                  Sources of a constitution -

3.                  U.K

4.                  Separation of Powers

• The 3 powers, their role and function
• Is there true separation?
• Is the lack of full separation a good thing or bad

5.    Parliamentary Supremacy – Myth of Reality?

1.                  What is it?

2.                  When established?

3.                  What does it mean in practical terms?

4.                  Is there real Parliamentary Supremacy?

5.                  Section 2(4) ECA 1972

6.                  Factortame

7.                  Bulmer V Bullinger

8.                  Costa En Enel

9.                  Vand Gend En Loos

10.              Does European Union and EC law signal the end to supremacy parliamentary supremacy. If so why? If not why not?

Introduction to the EU & EC law

1.                  History

2.                  Reasons for formation

3.                  Declared aims of EC/EU

• The institution of the E.U

1.                  Council

2.                  Commission

3.                  Parliament

4.                  ECJ

• Sources of EC law

1.                  Various Treaties, in particular Treaty of Rome, and also role of ECHR

2.                  Various Regulations

3.                  Various Directives passed

4.                  Recommendations made

5.                  Opinions of Commission and Advocate Generals to ECJ

• The individual and EC law

1.                  Direct applicability

2.                  Direct effect

3.                  ECJ/national courts/Art 177 references

4.                  Social legislation e.g. Act 141, Directive 75/207 etc

5.                  Remedies for breach of EC law

• Parliamentary Supremacy

Protection of Human rights in the U.K -

• U.K’s records

• How are civil rights protected

1.      Allowed unless prohibited

2.      Found in common law and various statutes, secondary legislation

3.      ECHR – 5 year journey

4.      ECHR – its history and purposes and achievements

• Protection of civil rights and fundamental freedom will part of national law from tomorrow with the coming into full force of HRA 1998.

-How HRA 1998 changes U K law and practice

- Various key sections of the 1998 Act and their significance to sovereignty and judicial law making

•  Right to personal liberty – PACE

1.      Arrests

2.      Caution

3.      Search

4.      Legal Advice

5.      Rest/Food

6.      Unnecessary detention

7.      Remedies

(a)  Wrongful/unlawful arrest/detention                    Article 5 ECHR

(b)  False  imprisonment Art. 5 ECHR

(c)  Unlawful searches                                             Art ECHR

(d)              Assault/P. Injuries                                             }Art  ECHR

Introduction to Criminal Law -

• Action Rues
• Mens Rea
• When is a criminal offence committed – all the parts or elements of the offence must be satisfied (e.g. go over the TMA exercise on blackmail).

- Possible defences

INTRODUCTION TO LEGAL THEORY – ?

Law of Obligations – Tort & Contract -

• Why call L of O
• Contract

-         Formation (elements required)

-         privacy

-         liability for breach

-         terms implied into contracts by SGA , SGSA, CPA

-         relevance of UFCTA

• Tort

-         when/in what circumstances courts have held duty will exist

-         Damage and Product liability

-         Etc.

Workings of EC – 

Overview of law making process and authority to do so

Social Affairs and Social Policy – 

• Source of laws of SA/SP
• Purpose/aims
• Social legislations and propose approach to interpretation

1.      Equal treatment

2.      Consumer protection                                             

3.      Social security

4.      Health and safety

5.      Transfer of business undertaking

EC Law – Mobility – 

6.      Review & Attempt TMA06

7.      Review and attempt TMA07

8.      To whom does it apply?

Free Trade/Competition –

• Purpose of single market?
• Freedom of movement of goods – Art?
•  Competition law - Art. ?

4.       &