OCR A-Level Law (H418): how the three components, the legal system, criminal law, law making, tort and the nature of law and human rights fit together

OCR A-Level Law (specification H418) is a three-component course covering the substantive and procedural law of England and Wales. There is no coursework: the whole A-level is assessed by three written exams sat at the end of the two-year course. This page explains how the components fit together, what each one tests, and how this site is organised so you can find every topic and the exam skills that win marks.

The three components

Component 1: The legal system and criminal law (H418/01)

A two-hour, 80-mark paper worth one third of the A-level. Section A covers the legal system (the civil and criminal courts and dispute resolution, lay people, legal personnel and the judiciary, and access to justice). Section B covers criminal law (the general elements of liability, fatal and non-fatal offences against the person, property offences, and the general defences).

Component 2: Law making and the law of tort (H418/02)

A two-hour, 80-mark paper worth one third of the A-level. Section A covers law making (parliamentary law making, delegated legislation, statutory interpretation, judicial precedent, law reform and the European Union). Section B covers the law of tort (negligence, occupiers liability, nuisance and the rule in Rylands v Fletcher, vicarious liability, and the defences and remedies).

Component 3: The nature of law and human rights (H418/03)

A two-hour, 80-mark paper worth one third of the A-level. Section A covers the nature of law (law and morality, law and justice, and law and society). Section B covers human rights law (the theory of rights, the European Convention on Human Rights, the Human Rights Act 1998, and the enforcement and reform of human rights). OCR offers an alternative Component 3 on the law of contract (H418/04); this site covers the human rights route.

The three assessment objectives

• AO1 (20%). Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of legal rules, principles, concepts and the legal system and method. This is the recall layer: the right statute, the right case, the right definition.
• AO2 (40%). Apply legal rules and principles to given factual situations. This is the scenario skill: taking a set of facts and reaching a reasoned legal conclusion using authority.
• AO3 (40%). Analyse and evaluate legal rules, principles, concepts and issues. This is the evaluation skill: weighing the strengths and weaknesses of an area of law and reaching a judgement.

Because AO2 and AO3 together carry 80 per cent, knowledge on its own is never enough. The marks are won by applying the law to the facts and by evaluating it critically.

How OCR Law is examined

• Section A questions. In Components 1 and 2 these are medium-tariff questions (20 marks in total); in Component 3 they are extended-response evaluation questions (20 marks). They reward precise knowledge and, in Component 3, sustained AO3 evaluation.
• Section B scenario questions (AO2). A factual problem ("Advise...", "Discuss whether...") on which you identify the issue, state the relevant law with authority, apply it to the facts, and reach a conclusion.
• Section B evaluation essays (AO3). An open question ("Discuss the extent to which...", "Evaluate...") on which you build a critical argument with examples and reach a reasoned judgement.

The topics on this site

This site covers every H418 component plus the exam skills shared between them:

• The legal system: the civil and criminal courts and ADR, lay people, legal personnel and the judiciary, and access to justice.
• Criminal law: the elements of liability, fatal and non-fatal offences, property offences, and the general defences.
• Law making: parliamentary law making, delegated legislation, statutory interpretation, judicial precedent, and law reform and the EU.
• The law of tort: negligence, occupiers liability, nuisance and Rylands v Fletcher, vicarious liability, and defences and remedies.
• The nature of law and human rights: law and morality, justice and society, the ECHR, the Human Rights Act 1998, and reform.
• Legal skills and application: the scenario question, the evaluation essay, and using cases and statutes accurately.