Law

Curriculum Lead – Ms C Wildman – Cwildman@sandbachhigh.co.uk 

Studying Law enables you to develop a range of skills and explore some important aspects of human behaviour and thinking, as well as the relevance of law in everyday life. It will help to sharpen your mind, broaden your understanding of current affairs, and extend your knowledge of the state structures and institutions that shape and influence life under the UK law and the English legal system.

Studying Law should appeal to those with an enquiring mind, who want to develop both abstract thinking and practical problem solving. The study of Law at A level will introduce you to the kind of aptitudes required by a lawyer, and which lay a good foundation for other careers, which demand the intellectual strength to access, process and assess new information, combined with a practical and logical approach to factual challenges.

The syllabus content and specific topics will be structured around the following areas:

• The nature of law and the English legal system
• Private law (civil law)
• Public law (criminal law)
• Human Rights (ethical and moral issues)

Therefore, you will study the role of Law in society and the process by which laws are made. You will gain an insight into the sources of Law and the influences that operate on Parliament, including contemporary examples of the impact of pressure groups, the media and events, and the Law Commission. You will consider how laws are interpreted and applied by judges, and how civil disputes are settled in the courts and through alternatives to litigation. You will gain an insight into the work of legal personnel, including the judiciary, barristers and solicitors, as well as the contribution of lay people (magistrates and jury). This will be studied alongside access to justice and funding.

You will be introduced to the concept of liability, and study the basic elements or theory of both criminal and civil law, as well as the distinction between them, learning how to apply the criminal rules - offences against the person and property offences (as well as defences) - to a given set of facts in a case study scenario. In civil law, you will gain an awareness of the legal principles involved when a claim is brought for compensation for personal physical or psychiatric injury sustained as a result of negligence, and how civil rights are enforceable in other areas such as nuisance and occupiers’ liability. In that connection, you will study defences and remedies.

You will be introduced to important concepts and principles of Law, in the context of considering the role of Law in society; these include Law and morality, the importance of fault and balancing conflicting interests, justice and the rule of Law. You will also learn to evaluate aspects of current Law.

For further information on this course at Sandbach College visit: https://www.sandbachcollege.co.uk/law/

Assessment

You will be encouraged to think like a lawyer, and to approach materials, texts and practical problems with a legal mind. We hope to instil in you the necessary skills of study and enquiry, the desire to extend your vocabulary to embrace technical terms, and the power of expression that is characteristic of the lawyer! You will practise oral presentations, argumentation and discussion, written analysis and evaluation, critical responses to problems and practical approaches to case studies.

The assessment objectives measure how students have achieved the learning aims of the course. You must measure these based on a traffic light system. You will become masters in achieving these outcomes when you reach green.

AO1: Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the English legal system and legal rules and principles.

AO2: Apply legal rules and principles to given scenarios in order to present a legal argument using appropriate legal terminology.

AO3: Analyse and evaluate legal rules, principles, concepts and issues.

The assessment objectives will be assessed through summative Summer exams and reflect the standard of work expected of learners considering moving into Higher Education.

Paper 1:

What's assessed: The nature of law and the English legal system; criminal Law.

How it's assessed:

Written exam: 2 hours 100 marks

33% of A-level

A combination of multiple choice, short answer and extended writing questions.

 Paper 2:

What's assessed: The nature of Law and the English legal system; tort Law

How it's assessed:

Written exam: 2 hours 100 marks

33% of A-level

A combination of multiple choice, short answer and extended writing questions.

 Paper 3:

What's assessed: The nature of Law and the English legal system; Law of contract OR Human rights.

How it's assessed:

Written exam: 2 hours 100 marks

33% of A-level

A combination of multiple choice, short answer and extended writing questions.

Each year we invite guest speakers in who work in the field of related to law to speak to students about their job and how students’ subject knowledge can be applied to the real world. We take students to London to visit the Houses of Parliament. We also run a true-life conference, where we invite ex-offenders in to talk to students about their criminal behaviour and rehabilitation. There is the opportunity to be involved in a Forensics Dad to see how a case moves from crime scene to courtroom. We also visit Chester Crown Court where students witness a trial taking place. You also have the opportunity to get involved in the Bar Mock Trial Court Competition as a member of the profession or a witness. We have through to National Finals for this in the past.

Five ways you can help your child in this subject:

1. Stay up to date…

Always be on the look out for articles, tweets, TV news pieces that give you contextual examples to add to your class notes.  

2. What to read…Academic reading to engage and enthuse on the subject…

About Law - Tony Honore; Landmarks in the Law – Lord Denning; Letters to a Law Student – Nicholas McBride; Learning the Law – Granville Williams; To Kill a Mockingbird – Harper Lee; Winning Arguments – Jay Heinrichs; The Secret Barrister; Alex McBride – Defending the Guilty; Thomas Grant – Court Number One; Jeremy Hutchinson – Case Histories; William Clegg QC – Under the Wig

3. What to watch…See the experts in action…

12 Angry Men;  To Kill a Mockingbird; The Purge; Silk; Judge John Deed; How to get away with Murder; Law and Order: UK; Hot Coffee; Making a Murderer; The Strange Case of the Law; The Barristers; UK Supreme Court; Cops Like Us; The Briefs

4. Other things to do… Wider curricular engagement…

Visit the public gallery of your local court; Visit Parliament; gain work experience; take part in law-related competitions; listen to radio programmes e.g. Radio 4’s Law in Action

5. What to follow…Stay up to date with the news in your subject…

@SandHighLaw @LawLaus