A Level Law

Would you love to learn more about the legal system? This A Level Law course will allow you to explore the difference between types of criminal offences, how laws are made, how the legal system are structured, and the theory behind tort law. You’ll also choose between two optional units depending on what interests you the most. Depending on the career you aspire to, the A Levels we recommend that you study alongside this course are A Level Politics, A Level Philosophy, and A Level Sociology.

Degrees this subject could lead to

Students who complete this course could go to study law at university, as well as other degrees such as business, politics, criminology, or sociology.

Future career options

Beyond university, not only will the skills and knowledge gained during your A Level Law studies be useful in a career as a solicitor, legal secretary, or barrister, but also in areas including law enforcement, business, public services, and human resources.

A Level law via distance learning

This A Level Law course is exactly the same as an A Level you would study at school or college, meaning you will take the same exams and get the same qualification. The only difference is that our courses are designed to be studied from home at your own pace, and you will receive full tutor support via email.

Course Content

Qualification code: 7162

There are five units within this course. Units one, two, and three are mandatory, and you can then choose whether to study units four or five.

Unit 1 (mandatory) The nature of law and English legal system

• Nature of law
• Nature of law: law and society
• Nature of law: law and morality
• Nature of law: law and justice
• The rule of law
• Law making: delegated legislation
• Law making: statutory interpretation
• Law making: judicial present
• Law making: law reform
• Law making: the European Union
• The legal system: the civil courts and other forms of dispute resolution
• The legal system: the criminal courts and lay people
• The legal system: legal personnel and the judiciary
• The legal system: access to justice and funding

Unit 2 (mandatory) Criminal law

• The rules of criminal law
• Theory in criminal law
• General elements of liability
• Fatal offences against the person
• Non-fatal offences against the person
• Property offences
• Preliminary offence
• Defences: Capacity defences
• Defences: Necessity defences

Unit 3 (mandatory) Tort

• The rules of tort law
• Theory of tort law
• Liability in negligence for physical injury to people and damage to property
• Liability in negligence for economic loss and psychiatric injury
• Occupiers' liability
• Nuisance and the escape of dangerous things
• Vicarious liability
• Defences
• Remedies

Unit 4 (optional) Law of contract

• The rules of contract law
• Theory of contract law
• Essential requirements of contract
• Contract terms: general
• Contract terms: specific terms implied by statute law in relation to consumer contracts
• Contract terms: exclusion clauses
• Vitiating factors
• Discharge of a contract
• Remedies

Unit 5 (optional) Human rights

• Rules in human rights law
• Theory in human rights
• Human rights in international law
• Human rights in the United Kingdom prior to the Human Rights Act 1998
• The European Convention on human rights 1953: article 2
• The European Convention on human rights 1953: article 5
• The European Convention on human rights 1953: article 8
• The European Convention on human rights 1953: article 10
• The European Convention on human rights 1953: article 11
• Restrictions
• Enforcement
• Human rights and English law
• Reform