Legal English Course Exam Topics for Advanced Students

Drd. Dana Musca

Write a 600!00 "ord essa# (between 2 and 1/3 pages & 4 pages) on $%E of the
topics &elo"' (eference to the legal texts studied in the course or to other similar
tets that !ou can "ind is recommended because "elldocumented essa#s are
ad#isable$ but coherence) the logical structuring of #our essa#s and the originalit#
of the approach are %ualities that are pri&ed abo#e all others in mar'ing !our essa!s.
(he essa!s ma! be t!ped or hand)written$ as !ou pre"er.
*lagiarism +,plagiat- "ill result in exam failure' ..
/enerall# (ecommended Sources0 1ictionaries of La") especiall# the $xford
1ictionar# of La"'
1EA1L2%ES0 the 3rd) the 40
th
and 45
th
of 1ecem&er 6007
$( the 5
th
and 48
th
9anuar# 6040 +papers su&mitted later than
the 48
th
of 9anuar# "ill not &e considered and the students in :uestion "ill &e
failed-'
1. Discuss the significance and implications of the hierarchical +treeli;e-
structure of the court s#stem in England and <ales and=or respectivel# the >S.
*" !ou choose to compare the two s!stems$ "ocus on their similarities and di""erences.
Suggestions0 Discuss the "unction o" appellate courts and their role in ensuring that
+ustice is done (wh! do we ha#e appeals against court decisions$ wh! are there ,courts
o" "irst instance- #s. ,courts o" appeal-). what 'ind o" cases reach the /upreme 0ourt/
(he 1ouse o" 2ords and which is the method/ process o" selection o" these cases3
1ow ma! the choice o" a speci"ic court in"luence the #erdict3
Wh! is there in 4ngland a ,small claims trac'- and a ,"ast trac' or multi)trac'
s!stem-3 Wh! in the 5/ "ederal courts can ta'e cases where the disputed amounts are
larger than 6789993
Sources: ;obert <. Madden$ Essential Law for Social Workers$ p. 89)87 (it is the
same as the document titled ,State?vs@ederal Court?CommonLa" in >S-
=hil 1arris$ An Introduction to Law$ pp. 1>9)1>?
@/tructure o" 0i#il 0ourts in 4ngland and Wales@ A English for Legal
Purposes (the green tetboo')$ p. 74
+$ptional- English for Legal Purposes) p. 89 in pd" ,caB88B8C-
English for Legal Purposes, pp. C9)C1 in pd" ,caBC9BC3-
2. Discuss the opposing punitive and reha&ilitation trends relating to offenders=
+ex-convicts in contemporar# Austice. Ma'e re"erence to the ,othering-$ to the
stigmatising o" the ,criminall! de#iant-$ the trial o" the de"endant as a ,degradation
ceremon!-$ as a destruction o" his/her social identit!. (=aul 1arris$ An Introduction to
Law$ pp. 1>9)1>?). Dlso bring into discussion the issue o" the abolition/ 'eeping in
place o" the death penalt! and the attempts at the reinsertion o" e)con#icts/arrested
persons in the social circuit. (Eou ma! re"er either to the 4nglish legal s!stem or to
the Dmerican one or to both. the death penalt! has been abolished in most countries
and has been replaced b! the li"e sentence$ ecept in some "ederal states in the 5/$ in
0hina etc.)
Source: =hil 1arris$ An Introduction to Law$ pp. 1>9)1>?
3. (he legal s!stem as a re"lection o" changing social #alues. Discuss the social)
ideological and +optionall#- moral significance o" la"s relating to a&ortion
homosexualit#) drug use) also ;no"n as crimes "ithout victims +in Barris-'
Discuss this concept (o" ,crimes without #ictims-) A is there such a thing as this in
actual practice3
Suggestions0
*" !ou want$ !ou can discuss onl! one or two o" these topics in greater detail: "or
eample$ "ocus +ust on laws concerning abortion etc.
Dbortion laws: is abortion murder or not (the position o" the church)$ "eminist issues
(womenFs control o#er their bodies and li#es)$ career #s. "amil! choices$ teenage
pregnanc!$ impregnated #ictims o" rape etc.
Drug use: in#ol#ing ,corrupted- minors$ ris' o" 1*G transmission$ costs o" medical
care and rehabilitation in speciali&ed clinics etc.
Source: =hil 1arris$ An Introduction to Law$ pp. 48)82 (,Moralit! and the 2aw-$
,0rimes without Gictims- sections).
4. Discuss the place and importance of common la" in the English or American
legal s#stem +or &oth-) and the role pla#ed &# &inding +Audicial- precedent in
ensuring the stabilit! o" law and consistenc! o" the +ustice)dispensing process$ but
also in updating the law in accordance to changing social needs and #alues. Dlso$
ma'e re"erence to the +udgesF "reedom o" interpreting the law and their creati#it! in
appl!ing precedent or in choosing to go against it (,+udicial interpretation-$ ,obiter
dictum-). Ma'e mention o" a ("amous) court #erdict in which +udicial precedent was
obser#ed or was circum#ented ("rom the tets recommended or "rom other sources)
and sa! wh! this was so.
Sources: ;obert <. Madden$ Essential Law for Social Workers$ p. 89)87 (it is the
same as the document titled ,State?vs@ederal Court?CommonLa" in >S-
=hil 1arris$ An Introduction to Law$ pp. 1>9)1>?
@/tructure o" 0i#il 0ourts in 4ngland and Wales@ A English for Legal
Purposes (the green tetboo')$ p. 74