Any criminal law / law type people on the forum?
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Caporegime
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Ask here, I'll see what i remember.
I've got an exam tomorrow where I'll be required to answer 3 questions, out of 6.
I know the topics of each question, I've chosen:
I'm thinking the only thing I can actually revise for are -
I've got a statute book so thats not a worry.
I'm just not sure what to expect really.. and what sort of structure I should apply to my answers.
I'm guessing for Problem Questions:
And Essay Questions:
Does that seem about right? Any advice for the exam? Wondering if I've missed anything.
I know the topics of each question, I've chosen:
- Battered woman and provocation - Essay Question
- Homicide - Problem Question
- Sexual Offences - Problem Question
I'm thinking the only thing I can actually revise for are -
- Cases for each question.
- The types of offences / defences etc for each topic.
I've got a statute book so thats not a worry.
I'm just not sure what to expect really.. and what sort of structure I should apply to my answers.
I'm guessing for Problem Questions:
- Analyse the case and state the crimes.
- Name cases and years that apply to the question.
- Principle I am trying to apply to the question, possible defences etc.
- Explain the Mens Rea and Actus Reus for each crime.
- Conclude
And Essay Questions:
- Introduce topic.
- Statement about the case.
- Do I agree/disagree?
- Arguements for/against.
- Discuss if the legal system is being fair or not.
- Conclude
Does that seem about right? Any advice for the exam? Wondering if I've missed anything.
Caporegime
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erm...
lets take provocation, obviously i would tackle the question by laying out the facts in the case, look at the statute then look at caselaws, in this case, off my head, R v Thorton. Talk about the judgment, and quotes from the judge if you can, and most importantly, and this is where you get the points, APPLY it to the problem in the question. And the problem question is usually a collection of elements from various caselaws, so apply all the relevant ones to the question and use that to support your conclusion. Obviously a problem question usually us "advise the client" which means you have to lay down the possibility of beating the charge with the facts, and from your arguments you have decide if you are going to advise her to plead guilty or not guilty.
p.s. I never really used the statue book much as thats not where the points (in the exams) are.
lets take provocation, obviously i would tackle the question by laying out the facts in the case, look at the statute then look at caselaws, in this case, off my head, R v Thorton. Talk about the judgment, and quotes from the judge if you can, and most importantly, and this is where you get the points, APPLY it to the problem in the question. And the problem question is usually a collection of elements from various caselaws, so apply all the relevant ones to the question and use that to support your conclusion. Obviously a problem question usually us "advise the client" which means you have to lay down the possibility of beating the charge with the facts, and from your arguments you have decide if you are going to advise her to plead guilty or not guilty.
p.s. I never really used the statue book much as thats not where the points (in the exams) are.
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Its been 8 years since i looked at that so I will be no help 
Its such a shame that academic law is so different to practice.. I hated the stage you're at.
If you do go into practice avoid criminal law too, unless money is not important to you.
Take a look at the discussion board on rollonfriday.com
Its such a shame that academic law is so different to practice.. I hated the stage you're at.
If you do go into practice avoid criminal law too, unless money is not important to you.
Take a look at the discussion board on rollonfriday.com
Ah don't worry, I don't have any intentions of going into Law! 
My course leaders thought it would be nice to torture us Forensics students with some Criminal Law.
Yeah I think I need to get up to scratch on some cases, I've got a case book that my lecturer uses.
Applying cases to questions well, and arguing my case well should get me enough to pass.
Thanks for the explanation Raymond Lin. I'll get looking at cases!
My course leaders thought it would be nice to torture us Forensics students with some Criminal Law.
Yeah I think I need to get up to scratch on some cases, I've got a case book that my lecturer uses.
Applying cases to questions well, and arguing my case well should get me enough to pass.
Thanks for the explanation Raymond Lin. I'll get looking at cases!
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Perhaps for the essay questions it would also be an idea to learn some judges or well regarded academic's thoughts/opinions on the law. Another area to try and look at is any proposed reforms to the law, consultation papers, law commission reports etc.
I would attempt to define the law that the scenario is referring to first, then work your way through it with regards to how it applies in the specific scenario with plenty of case law thrown in. Then state what is likely to happen, remember nothing in law is ever certain, state what is likely to happen on the balance of probablilites.
Sounds about right, although I would be quite reserved in giving your opinion, focus more on the various arguments for and against. Another thing I would add here would be any proposed reforms and whether any proposed reforms would benefit the system.
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Caporegime
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Its been 8 years since i looked at that so I will be no help
Its such a shame that academic law is so different to practice.. I hated the stage you're at.
If you do go into practice avoid criminal law too, unless money is not important to you.
Take a look at the discussion board on rollonfriday.com
There is no money is crime. In every sense of the word
Tax and corporate law is where the money is, or do immigration law, Charge £250 to do an application, you can make a living out of that doing a few of those a week.
heh, fair enough.
As much as it pains me to say it, I do think Law teaches you to think differently about a problem. Lawyers approach issues very differently to other professions. Sometimes to the negative, because you don't see lawyers, in the UK, running companies because they are too risk averse. Anyhow I am ranting.
To answer your question, you have to break down each 'criminal offence' into its finite parts, state the relevent clauses/statute, apply the facts presented to the elements of the MR/AR, and then talk in depth by relating to case law, obiter comments and above all common sense. All very dull, but that gets you marks in law exams.
As much as it pains me to say it, I do think Law teaches you to think differently about a problem. Lawyers approach issues very differently to other professions. Sometimes to the negative, because you don't see lawyers, in the UK, running companies because they are too risk averse. Anyhow I am ranting.
To answer your question, you have to break down each 'criminal offence' into its finite parts, state the relevent clauses/statute, apply the facts presented to the elements of the MR/AR, and then talk in depth by relating to case law, obiter comments and above all common sense. All very dull, but that gets you marks in law exams.
Thanks for explaining lucasade1. I think I've underestimated how much work I need to do.
I'm just gonna remember 3 / 4 cases for Battered Women Syndrome,
R v Thornton 1992
R v Ahluwalia 1992
Humphreys 1995 unreported..? Was from my lecturers notes.
Going to read up on some views from Judges / Academics.
I'm just gonna remember 3 / 4 cases for Battered Women Syndrome,
R v Thornton 1992
R v Ahluwalia 1992
Humphreys 1995 unreported..? Was from my lecturers notes.
Going to read up on some views from Judges / Academics.
No prob's for A-Level 3/4 cases for each point should be fine, my memory from A-level isn't that great but those cases ring a bell for it just be sure to apply them properly. Obiter comments from judges will get you serious kudos but again, not the end of the world if you don't at A-level.
for A-Level 3/4 cases for each point should be fine, my memory from A-level isn't that great but those cases ring a bell for it just be sure to apply them properly. Obiter comments from judges will get you serious kudos but again, not the end of the world if you don't at A-level.Umm, this is degree level but not for a Law degree.
I'm doing a Forensic Science degree, I know I should know at least 5-6 cases for each question, but I don't have a lot of time.
I've got 3 for BWS, but that's all I can find so far.
I'll see how many I can remember for Homicide and Sexual Offences.
Law is so much easier to revise than Biochemistry
It's all just going in, I guess because it makes sense and is fairly interesting. Where as Glucuronidation isn't...
I'm doing a Forensic Science degree, I know I should know at least 5-6 cases for each question, but I don't have a lot of time.
I've got 3 for BWS, but that's all I can find so far.
I'll see how many I can remember for Homicide and Sexual Offences.
Law is so much easier to revise than Biochemistry
It's all just going in, I guess because it makes sense and is fairly interesting. Where as Glucuronidation isn't...
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Caporegime
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Chances are the person who teaches you the module is from the law school department and is marked by him/her with the same standard as any law students.
Argh that was torture.
The problem questions we were given in our lectures were exactly the same as the questions in the paper. Only names of people involved had been changed.
Everyone thought it would be stupid to revise the exact cases we'd been doing as there's no chance we'd be given the answers before the exam!
How wrong were we?
The problem questions we were given in our lectures were exactly the same as the questions in the paper. Only names of people involved had been changed.
Everyone thought it would be stupid to revise the exact cases we'd been doing as there's no chance we'd be given the answers before the exam!
How wrong were we?