Overview
Can you see yourself becoming a barrister presiding over a jury, fighting for your client's innocence? Perhaps you'd prefer to be on the opposing side, ensuring the suspect is prosecuted and justice is done?
Whether or not your future lies in the courtroom, studying law is a fantastic choice; not only will you gain a deep understanding of the principles and values that underpin English society, you'll gain a range of transferable skills such as critical thinking, attention to detail, analysis, research and problem-solving.
What you'll learn
To start your Law A-level course, you’ll begin to understand the English law system and the impact it has on England and Wales. Packed full of traditions, customs and language, you’ll learn these in context with law and you’ll be able to describe the sources and how they operate. Within the second part of this unit, you’ll be able to identify two court systems, describe how they are different from one another and how they work. You’ll explain the role of judges, laypeople and legal professionals.
To study law, you need to first understand the range of offences that criminal law covers, from theft to murder and everything in between. You’ll learn the important principles which govern every offence in English Law: actus reus and mens rea. As part of this unit, you’ll be able to define and explain the concepts of both of these terms. Finally, you’ll understand the distinctions between the types of non-fatal offences against the person and be able to explain the legal principles that regulate them.
There are many different kinds of tort, including negligence, trespass to land, nuisance, trespass to person and defamation. In this unit, you’ll be focussing on negligence in relation to personal injury and property damage. You’ll study liability, defence and the legal remedies available when someone feels a wrong has been committed against them. You’ll also learn about occupier’s liability, a complex area of UK law which is concerned with the duty of care owed by a landowner towards people who use their land.
This unit covers the essential requirements, rules and principles of contract law; you’ll learn about how contract law provides a legal framework for parties to regulate their agreements and resolve disputes. This concerns the formation, different terms, vitiating factors, discharge of a contract and associated remedies of contract law. You’ll also understand how contract law protects the consumer.
In this short section, you’ll examine some abstract concepts associated with the law. You’ll consider what is meant by ‘justice’ and the role that theoretical and religious concepts have influenced our understanding of it. Next, you’ll take a look at the concept of ‘morality’, how we define what’s good or bad and how our understanding of these terms can shift over time.
In unit six, you’ll begin by studying some of the theories that underpin criminal law in the English legal system, such as the concepts of harm and fault. You’ll learn the legal terms associated with various types of fatal offences such as murder, voluntary manslaughter and gross negligence manslaughter. Moving on, you’ll look at property crimes such as theft and robbery and the types of defences that defendants may bring forward, such as duress and insanity.
Extra info
Awarding Body
Edexcel is the UK’s largest awarding organisation offering academic and vocational qualifications in schools, colleges and workplaces in the UK and abroad. Edexcel is a multinational education and examination body covering A-Level Courses and GCSE Courses.
Recognised through UCAS
This course carries UCAS points. This means that it can be used to gain direct access to University courses and other Higher Education, through the UCAS system.
Click here to confirm it's real with OfQual.
Course Outcome
Upon successful completion of this home learning course, you will receive an A-level in Law, issued by Edexcel. Your certificate is identical to that issued to students at any other school, college or university.
This syllabus (YLA1) has been chosen by Oxbridge because it is the best suited to online learning and we believe it provides the best chance of success.
How is this course assessed or examined?
You can enrol now for Edexcel Law A-level examinations for Summer 2024.
You'll be required to sit two standard Edexcel A-level written exams at one of our dedicated exam centres. Please note, this may not necessarily be your local school or college, so you may need to travel.
- Paper 1: 3 hours, 50% of A-level, 100 marks.
- Paper 2: 3 hours, 50% of A-level, 100 marks.
These exams contain a mixture of short and long answer questions and extended response questions. Speak to one of our learning advisers if you have any queries.
Entry requirements
You'll need a GCSE in English (at grade 4 / grade C) or the equivalent before starting this course. This A-level Law syllabus is a difficulty level three: the equivalent difficulty of an A-level or BTEC, usually suitable for most learners of all ages.
