Page 1 of 30
AQA A level Law Paper 1 English legal system2025 EXAM PRACTICE GRADED A+
QUESTIONS WITH CORRECT ANSWERS 2025-2026 VERIFIED
What are the problems with parliamentary sovereignty ?
1. EU Law - decided to be bound/ can be unbound BREXIT
2. Human rights Act 1998
3. Devolution Act 1998 -devolved power to Ireland / Scotland
What does s.3(1) of the CRA 2005 say ?
Separation of powers
What is parliamentary sovereignty ?
Parliament can make or unmake any law
Why does parliament have sovereignty ?
Because they are voted in
What is judicial review ?
Judges can examine public bodies for their decision to be fair
How is criminal law enforced ?
Formally by the police and courts
What does ambiguity mean ?
Where a word has two or more meanings and it may not be clear which meaning
should be used
What does changes in the use of language mean ?
The meaning of words can change over years
What's the case for new developments ?
Nursing v DHSS
What is the literal rule ?
The words have the simplest meaning even if it leads to a weird result
What does Whitely v Chappell illustrate ?
The literal rule made the law absurd
What happened in Whitely v Chappell ?
Offence to impersonate 'any person entitled to vote' - defendant was not guilty since
a dead person is not in the literal meaning of the words 'entitled to vote'
What happened in LNER v berriman ?
Her claim for compensation failed because a look out only be provided for 'relaying
or repairing' not maintenance such as oiling
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What is the difference between the broad and narrow approach when using the
golden rule ?
The narrow approach chooses out of the literal meanings whereas the broad
meaning can interpret the words
What happened in Re Allen ?
Bigamist - defines marriage as ceremony - narrow one meaning
What is statute ?
These are a more common source of law, can also be referred to as an act of
parliament or legislation. These are laws which parliament has debated and voted on
and has received royal assent
What is negligence?
Don't have intention don't foresee risk but failed to take precautions
A failure to meet the standard of the reasonable man
What are the sentencing Council guidelines for offence category one?
Determining category - greater harm serious injury higher culpability
Category range - 1 to 3 years custody
Starting point - One year and six months custody
What are the sentencing council guidelines for offence category two?
Determining category - greater harm and lower culpability or lower harm and higher
culpability
Category range - low level community order - 51 week custody
Starting point - 26 weeks custody
What are the sentencing Council guidelines for Offence category three?
Determining category - lesser harm and lower culpability
Category range - Band A - high level community order
Starting point - medium community order
What is absolute liability?
No MR and not voluntary AR
Are social norms laws ?
No they are expectations and therefore are only deviant not criminal
How did the courts used to operate?
Local assizes at the principal towns of each country, where the main feature until
1971.
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Judges conducted trials dealing with serious offenders
Court verdicts were returned by juries of 12
What is the difference between an intrinsic and extrinsic aid ?
Intrinsic aids are matters within the statute itself that aid to make its meaning clearer
External aids that are matters outside the act
What extrinsic aid was used in Cheeseman v DPP ?
Dictionary
Was Hansard used in Davis v Johnson?
Yes
What is the case for binding precedent ?
Schweppes ltd RRTA
What is the criminal court structure ?
Supreme Court
Court of appeal
QBD - divisional
Crown
Magistrates
What is the court structure ?
Every court is bound to follow the courts above and appellate courts and in general
the appellate courts are bound by their own decisions
How are laws enforced ?
Formally by the police and courts, agree to be right but has punishment
What is ratio decidendi ?
Reason for deciding, binding part of the decision
What does a broad term mean ?
Words designed to cover several possibilities.
Lead to problems - how wide should it go ?
What does a drafting error mean ?
Parliamentary counsel who drafted the original bill may have made an error.
Likely to occur when the law has been amended.
What does new developments mean ?
New technology may mean that an old Act of parliament does not apparently cover
present day situations.
What is the golden rule ?
AQA A level Law Paper 1 English legal system2025 EXAM PRACTICE GRADED A+
QUESTIONS WITH CORRECT ANSWERS 2025-2026 VERIFIED
What are the problems with parliamentary sovereignty ?
1. EU Law - decided to be bound/ can be unbound BREXIT
2. Human rights Act 1998
3. Devolution Act 1998 -devolved power to Ireland / Scotland
What does s.3(1) of the CRA 2005 say ?
Separation of powers
What is parliamentary sovereignty ?
Parliament can make or unmake any law
Why does parliament have sovereignty ?
Because they are voted in
What is judicial review ?
Judges can examine public bodies for their decision to be fair
How is criminal law enforced ?
Formally by the police and courts
What does ambiguity mean ?
Where a word has two or more meanings and it may not be clear which meaning
should be used
What does changes in the use of language mean ?
The meaning of words can change over years
What's the case for new developments ?
Nursing v DHSS
What is the literal rule ?
The words have the simplest meaning even if it leads to a weird result
What does Whitely v Chappell illustrate ?
The literal rule made the law absurd
What happened in Whitely v Chappell ?
Offence to impersonate 'any person entitled to vote' - defendant was not guilty since
a dead person is not in the literal meaning of the words 'entitled to vote'
What happened in LNER v berriman ?
Her claim for compensation failed because a look out only be provided for 'relaying
or repairing' not maintenance such as oiling
, Page 2 of 30
What is the difference between the broad and narrow approach when using the
golden rule ?
The narrow approach chooses out of the literal meanings whereas the broad
meaning can interpret the words
What happened in Re Allen ?
Bigamist - defines marriage as ceremony - narrow one meaning
What is statute ?
These are a more common source of law, can also be referred to as an act of
parliament or legislation. These are laws which parliament has debated and voted on
and has received royal assent
What is negligence?
Don't have intention don't foresee risk but failed to take precautions
A failure to meet the standard of the reasonable man
What are the sentencing Council guidelines for offence category one?
Determining category - greater harm serious injury higher culpability
Category range - 1 to 3 years custody
Starting point - One year and six months custody
What are the sentencing council guidelines for offence category two?
Determining category - greater harm and lower culpability or lower harm and higher
culpability
Category range - low level community order - 51 week custody
Starting point - 26 weeks custody
What are the sentencing Council guidelines for Offence category three?
Determining category - lesser harm and lower culpability
Category range - Band A - high level community order
Starting point - medium community order
What is absolute liability?
No MR and not voluntary AR
Are social norms laws ?
No they are expectations and therefore are only deviant not criminal
How did the courts used to operate?
Local assizes at the principal towns of each country, where the main feature until
1971.
, Page 3 of 30
Judges conducted trials dealing with serious offenders
Court verdicts were returned by juries of 12
What is the difference between an intrinsic and extrinsic aid ?
Intrinsic aids are matters within the statute itself that aid to make its meaning clearer
External aids that are matters outside the act
What extrinsic aid was used in Cheeseman v DPP ?
Dictionary
Was Hansard used in Davis v Johnson?
Yes
What is the case for binding precedent ?
Schweppes ltd RRTA
What is the criminal court structure ?
Supreme Court
Court of appeal
QBD - divisional
Crown
Magistrates
What is the court structure ?
Every court is bound to follow the courts above and appellate courts and in general
the appellate courts are bound by their own decisions
How are laws enforced ?
Formally by the police and courts, agree to be right but has punishment
What is ratio decidendi ?
Reason for deciding, binding part of the decision
What does a broad term mean ?
Words designed to cover several possibilities.
Lead to problems - how wide should it go ?
What does a drafting error mean ?
Parliamentary counsel who drafted the original bill may have made an error.
Likely to occur when the law has been amended.
What does new developments mean ?
New technology may mean that an old Act of parliament does not apparently cover
present day situations.
What is the golden rule ?
