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EnglandLegal Studies

The Nature of Law (Component 3, Section A)

3 dot points across 3 inquiry questions. Click any dot point for a focused answer with worked past exam questions where available.

What is justice, and how far does the law of England and Wales achieve it?

Law and justice: the meaning of justice and the main theories (Aristotle, Aquinas and natural law, utilitarianism, Rawls and Nozick), and the extent to which the legal system achieves justice.
An OCR A-Level Law guide to law and justice. Explains the meaning of justice and the theories of Aristotle, natural law, utilitarianism, Rawls and Nozick, and how far the legal system achieves justice, with worked exam answers and the AO3 evaluation the Component 3 paper rewards.
16 min answer →

What is the relationship between law and morality, and should the law enforce moral standards?

Law and morality: the distinction between legal and moral rules, the overlap and divergence between them, and the Hart-Devlin debate on whether the law should enforce morality.
An OCR A-Level Law guide to law and morality. Explains the distinction and overlap between legal and moral rules and the Hart-Devlin debate on enforcing morality, with examples, worked exam answers and the AO3 evaluation the Component 3 paper rewards.
15 min answer →

What functions does law perform in society, and how does it respond to social change?

Law and society: the functions of law, legal realism and the consensus and conflict views, and the role of law in achieving social, technological and moral change.
An OCR A-Level Law guide to law and society. Explains the functions of law, legal realism and the consensus and conflict views, and the role of law in social, technological and moral change, with examples, worked exam answers and the AO3 evaluation the Component 3 paper rewards.
15 min answer →