Law Post 16

Law

Entry Guidance:

5 GCSEs at grades A* to C or equivalent, including grade B in GCSE in English Language.  This course will only run if a sufficient number of students express an interest.

Syllabus Outline:

The course provides a grounding in the main principles of English Law and their development and also the main principles of Criminal Law.

Studying the English Legal System at AS, involves the machinery of justice (the courts, alternative methods of dispute resolution, police powers and sentencing); legal personnel (the judiciary, the legal profession, legal services, lay magistrates and juries); and sources of law (case law, Acts of Parliament, delegated legislation, statutory interpretation, European law and law reform).

In Criminal Law at A2, the syllabus covers actus reus, mens rea, strict liability, preliminary offences and general defences, together with murder, manslaughter, non-fatal offences, theft, burglary, robbery and criminal damage.

Methods of Assessment:

The AS Law incorporates two units on the English Legal System whilst the study of a further two units on Criminal Law leads to the full A-level award. One unit on Criminal Law tests the candidates' understanding of the connections between the substantive law studied in Criminal Law and elements of the English Legal System at AS level. There is no coursework.

The questions on the English Legal System include data response and general essays whilst, in Criminal Law, problem questions, essays and dilemma boards are the basis for assessment.

General Comments:

For success in this demanding yet stimulating subject, you need to be able to write well, think clearly and be able to absorb detailed factual information. No prior knowledge is needed.

Law combines well with a wide range of A-levels. As a subject area, it should not be seen as a preparation for degree studies in Law or, for that matter, as an introduction to the professional training needed by a barrister or solicitor; it is a well respected, popular and useful course in its own right, whether it is taken as an AS alone or as an A level.