Law

A Level Law provides an excellent platform for study of the subject at degree level. It is certainly not a prerequisite for a law degree but, if a student has a desire to become a legal professional, it is a subject they should consider.

The subject is not limited in its appeal to those planning a legal career. Typically, more than two thirds of each class choose the subject with no intention of studying law beyond A Level. You will finish the course with a basic knowledge of law, but even more importantly you will have started to develop the ability to analyse and evaluate legal problems. These problem-solving skills are highly transferable to other subjects, and universities and employers alike are seeking to recruit people who can show ability to think logically and analytically. By the end of the course, you should also have improved your communication skills, both written and oral.

In Year 1,  you will learn about the various sources of law in the UK.  You will also study the various courts that exist in the English Legal System as well as the people critical to the process, be they legal professionals or otherwise. By the year’s end, you should be able to outline the criminal process from arrest to sentencing and the civil process from claim to the award of damages.  However, the bulk of Year 1 is spent studying criminal law  You will begin by learning about the general principles of criminal liability, i.e. what makes something criminal and when will someone be liable? From there, you will learn to apply these principles to crimes such as, assault, grievous bodily harm, theft, robbery, manslaughter and murder. You will also learn about possible defences to these crimes such as self-defence or duress

In Year 2, you will study the remaining two major topics on the syllabus, tort and the law of contract.  A tort is a legal wrong that is not a matter for the criminal law or a breach of contract. When those adverts ask if “you have ever been injured at work”, they are touting for business in this area of law. However, the subject goes further than merely analysing and applying the law behind those negligence claims. It requires knowledge of other areas of tort such as occupiers’ liability, nuisance and the defences to all those.

There are very few areas of modern society where the law of contract does not play an important role. It governs every purchase you make from a chocolate bar to a new home. Students will learn what is needed to make a valid contract, how to interpret its “terms and conditions” and what protection is afforded to the ordinary consumer by statute. They will then learn how to apply this knowledge to tackle problem questions.

There are three, two-hour examinations accounting for one third of the overall marks each.  Each paper focuses on one of the four major topics on the syllabus.  The fourth topic, the Nature of Law and the English Legal System, features in all three papers:

• Paper 1 – Criminal Law
• Paper 2 – Tort
• Paper 3 – Law of Contract

The knowledge and skills acquired through undergraduate study of the law lend themselves to all manner of careers in addition to the obvious legal options:

• Barrister, solicitor, legal executive or paralegal
• Local Government
• Police & Law Enforcement
• Accountancy
• Business Management
• Broadcasting
• Civil Service
• Teaching & Academia