Law - A Level

"Law is inspiring and has given me a better understanding of the world.”

Entry Requirements

Three GCSEs at grade 4 plus a grade 5 in English Language

Subject Intent

Studying Law helps students to understand the English Legal system and its impact on society. Through studying Law students also develop an appreciation of individual liberty and mutual respect towards others. Our curriculum also enables our students to review different viewpoints and make informed decisions based on evidence. This is an important life skill as well as potentially leading to many careers within the field of Law such as legal clerks, barristers or becoming a judge.

Course Introduction

Whether you are planning a career in Law or not, A Level Law is a fantastic choice to complement your study programme at the college. You will learn to analyse information and develop your debating and reasoning skills, key requirements of many employers and universities.

Throughout the course you will gain an in-depth insight into the legal system and explore real life legal cases and the impact they have on the law such as Donoghue v Stevenson where Mrs Donoghue found a decomposing snail in her ginger beer and the ginger beer manufacturer owed a duty of care to Mrs Donoghue, despite her not buying the ginger beer and therefore having no contract with the manufacturer. This famous neighbour principle has been applied to a variety of situations that have similar material facts.

The law is constantly changing and evolving so you will be studying a topical subject that is at the heart of modern life. We will bring your learning to life with a visit to London to watch real criminal cases at the Old Bailey.

Course Modules

First Year

English Legal System - Topics covered here include types of Law, the court system, juries, judges and magistrates, barristers and solicitors.

Criminal Law - This includes criminal liability in relation to assault, battery, actual bodily harm and grievous bodily harm.

Tort Law - This provides an introduction to civil law in areas relating to physical injury to people and damage to property.

Second Year

Criminal Law (Continuation from First Year) - This includes murder, manslaughter, theft and robbery, the law of attempts and criminal defences.

Tort Law (Continuation from First Year) - This includes the study of liability for psychiatric injury, liability of occupiers of property, the law of nuisance, vicarious liability along with civil law defences.

Contract Law -This includes the study of how a contract can be formed, the various terms and clauses which can be included within a contract, how a contract can be discharged, along with remedies which can be sought in contract law.

Nature of Law (i.e Theory of Law: Fault, Law and Morality, Law and Justice, Balancing Conflicting Interests) - Students bring together their knowledge of material gained from earlier study to provide an overview of the whole subject.

Assessment

The assessment for the new linear Law A Level takes the form of three examinations at the end of the course. Each exam is worth 33% of the overall A Level, with each lasting two hours, and being worth a total of 100 marks.

• Paper 1 assesses the English legal system, nature of law and the Criminal Law topics. The exam paper itself includes multiple choice, short answer and extended answer scenario based questions.
• Paper 2 assesses the English legal system, nature of law and Tort Law topics. The exam paper itself includes multiple choice, short answer and extended answer scenario based questions.
• Paper 3 assesses the English legal system, nature of law and Contract Law topics. The exam paper itself includes multiple choice, short answer and extended answer scenario based questions.

Course Fact

We have multiple guest speakers each year including former students who share their experiences of studying at university and working within the legal profession.

Example Career Opportunities

Lawyer | Barrister | Police Officer | Social Worker | Crown Prosecutor | Legal Secretary | Criminal Intelligence Analyst Immigration Officer | Court Legal Advisor | HR Manager