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EnglandLegal Studies

The Nature of Law and the English Legal System (Component 1)

7 dot points across 7 inquiry questions. Click any dot point for a focused answer with worked past exam questions where available.

How do people gain access to legal advice and representation, and what has happened to public funding?

Access to justice and funding: the meaning of access to justice, sources of legal advice and funding (legal aid and LASPO 2012, conditional fee agreements, the advice sector and pro bono), and the barriers to access.
An Eduqas A-Level Law guide to access to justice and funding. Explains what access to justice means, the sources of advice and funding (legal aid and LASPO, conditional fee agreements, the advice sector and pro bono) and the barriers, with worked exam answers and the evaluation the paper rewards.
15 min answer →

How do lay magistrates and juries take part in the justice system, and what are the arguments for and against lay involvement?

Lay people in the justice system: the selection, role and powers of lay magistrates and of juries, jury qualification and vetting, and the advantages and disadvantages of lay participation.
An Eduqas A-Level Law guide to lay people in the justice system. Explains the selection, role and powers of lay magistrates and juries, jury qualification and vetting, and the arguments for and against lay participation, with worked exam answers and the evaluation the paper rewards.
16 min answer →

What do barristers, solicitors and legal executives do, and how do their roles, training and regulation differ?

Legal personnel: the role, training and regulation of barristers, solicitors and chartered legal executives, the work they do, rights of audience, and the regulation of the professions.
An Eduqas A-Level Law guide to legal personnel. Explains the role, training and regulation of barristers, solicitors and chartered legal executives, rights of audience and how the professions are regulated, with worked exam answers and the application the paper rewards.
15 min answer →

How are civil disputes resolved through the courts, and what alternatives to litigation exist?

The civil courts (County Court and High Court and their divisions), the civil appeal routes and the track system, and alternative dispute resolution: negotiation, mediation, conciliation and arbitration.
An Eduqas A-Level Law guide to the civil courts and alternative dispute resolution. Explains the County Court and High Court, the track system, the civil appeal routes and the four forms of ADR, with worked exam answers and the evaluation the paper rewards.
16 min answer →

How are criminal cases classified, in which courts are they tried, and what are the routes of appeal?

The criminal courts: the classification of offences (summary, either-way and indictable), the jurisdiction of the Magistrates Court and the Crown Court, the pre-trial procedure and the criminal appeal routes; the aims of sentencing.
An Eduqas A-Level Law guide to the criminal courts and the appeal system. Explains the classification of offences, the Magistrates Court and Crown Court, pre-trial procedure, the criminal appeal routes and the aims of sentencing, with worked exam answers and the application the paper rewards.
16 min answer →

Who are the judges, how are they appointed, and why must they be independent of government?

The judiciary: the types and hierarchy of judges, their appointment and qualifications, judicial independence and the doctrine of the separation of powers, and the role of judges in the courts.
An Eduqas A-Level Law guide to the judiciary. Explains the types and hierarchy of judges, appointment and the Judicial Appointments Commission, judicial independence, the separation of powers and the role of judges, with worked exam answers and the evaluation the paper rewards.
16 min answer →

What is law, how does it differ from morality and rules, and what does the rule of law require of the state?

The nature of law: the distinction between legal rules and other rules (morality, ethics and social rules); the rule of law as expounded by Dicey and Bingham, and its place in the English legal system.
An Eduqas A-Level Law guide to the nature of law and the rule of law. Explains how legal rules differ from morality and social rules, the characteristics of law, and the rule of law as set out by Dicey and Bingham, with worked exam answers and the AO3 evaluation the paper rewards.
16 min answer →