AQA A-Level Law Active Recall Guide (7162)
AQA · A-Level
AQA A-Level Law Active Recall Guide
Every topic of specification 7162 written as exam-style questions with the answers printed after them. 2,352 questions across 37 topics and 169 subtopics, including both Paper 3 options so the guide fits whichever one you sit.
- AQA
- A-Level
- Specification 7162
- 2,352 questions
Guide overview All 37 topics Sample questions Papers and weighting Look inside Questions and answers
What the exam asks of you
AQA A-Level Law is three written papers of 2 hours, 100 marks each, a third of the A-level apiece. Every paper opens with 25 marks on the nature of law and the English legal system. Paper 1 then examines criminal law, Paper 2 tort, and Paper 3 either the law of contract or human rights.
Law marks turn on named cases, statutory provisions and the precise elements of an offence or a tort. A case recalled as a general idea scores nothing, which is what makes a list of questions the right instrument for it.
| Paper | Covers | Length | Marks | Weighting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Paper 1 The English legal system and criminal law |
The nature of law and the English legal system (25 marks) Criminal law (75 marks) Multiple choice, short answer and extended writing |
2 hours | 100 marks | 33% |
|
Paper 2 The English legal system and tort |
The nature of law and the English legal system (25 marks) Tort (75 marks) Multiple choice, short answer and extended writing |
2 hours | 100 marks | 33% |
|
Paper 3 The English legal system and one option |
The nature of law and the English legal system (25 marks) Either the law of contract or human rights (75 marks) Multiple choice, short answer and extended writing |
2 hours | 100 marks | 33% |
What is in the guide
All 37 topics
Every topic has its own page with its subtopics, what it covers and sample questions.
Sample questions
Taken from the guide. Answer each one closed book first, then open the answer.
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Distributive and Corrective Justice
How does corrective justice apply when someone breaches a contract?
Show the answer
Corrective justice seeks to restore balance by requiring the wrongdoer to compensate the victim, rectifying the wrong caused by the breach. -
The Institutions of the European Union
How are members of the European Parliament selected?
Show the answer
They are directly elected by EU citizens. -
Barristers and Solicitors
What role do solicitors play in preparing for legal proceedings?
Show the answer
Solicitors prepare legal documents such as contracts, wills, and court papers. -
Advice Services and Private Funding
What type of legal support do trade unions typically provide to their members?
Show the answer
Legal advice and representation, particularly for employment-related disputes, workplace injuries and contractual matters. -
Green Papers, White Papers and Royal Assent
What happens at the First Reading of a Public Bill?
Show the answer
The First Reading is a formal introduction where the Bill's title is read out and no debate takes place. -
Delegated Legislation and Orders in Council
Give three typical uses of Orders in Council.
Show the answer
Transferring powers between government departments, bringing Acts into force, and making emergency legislation under the Civil Contingencies Act 2004. -
The Literal and Golden Rules
How does the literal rule respect parliamentary sovereignty?
Show the answer
By applying the exact words Parliament used, judges defer to Parliament's expressed will rather than substituting their own interpretation. -
Precedent and the Court Hierarchy
Which court is at the lowest level of the hierarchy for precedent purposes?
Show the answer
The Magistrates' Court.
How the guide is worked
Answering a question from memory stores it far better than reading the answer again. The guide runs that as a fixed procedure on one subtopic at a time, about twenty minutes a session.
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Step 1 · Closed book
Cover the answers. Work through one subtopic and write down what you can. Leave blanks where you have nothing.
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Step 2 · Open book
Go back to the top. Read each printed answer and write it out in full, including the ones you had right.
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Step 3 · Closed book again
Same questions, same order, from memory. The gap between pass one and pass three is the session result.
Read the full method, the return schedule and the research behind it.
Look inside
Questions for a subtopic print together and the answers for that section print after them.
- The Nature of Law243
- The European Union and English Law50
- Legal Personnel and the Judiciary82
- Access to Justice and Funding39
- Parliamentary Law Making36
- Delegated Legislation43
- Statutory Interpretation67
- Judicial Precedent35
- Law Reform42
- The Civil Courts and Dispute Resolution39
- The Criminal Courts and Sentencing45
- Lay People: Magistrates and Juries57
- and 25 more
- What is the composition of the Council of the European Union?
- What is the primary legislative function of the Council of the European Union?
- What role does the European Commission play in initiating EU legislation?
- How does the European Commission ensure member states comply with EU law?
- What is the European Commission's role regarding the day-to-day running of the EU?
- How are members of the European Parliament selected?
- What are the two main functions of the European Parliament?
- What is the primary function of the Court of Justice of the European Union regarding EU law?
- Why is the Court of Justice of the European Union important for consistency across the EU?
- Government ministers from each member state.
- It is the main decision-making body that adopts EU legislation, often jointly with the European Parliament.
- The European Commission proposes new EU legislation.
- It enforces EU law against member states.
- It manages the day-to-day business of implementing EU policies.
- They are directly elected by EU citizens.
- It debates and passes EU laws jointly with the Council, and scrutinises other EU institutions.
- It interprets EU law.
- It ensures uniform application of EU law across all member states.
questions
Scroll sideways to turn through the pages.
Questions students ask first
Do I do contract or human rights?
One of the two, on Paper 3, chosen by your school. Contract is six topics: rules and theory, formation, terms, vitiating factors, discharge and remedies. Human rights is six: rules and theory, international and UK law, the Convention articles, restrictions and enforcement, reform, and human rights in English law.
Both are in the guide. Work yours and skip the other.
Why is the same English legal system content on every paper?
Because AQA examines it that way. Each of the three papers carries 25 marks on the nature of law and the English legal system, so those twelve topics are worth revising once and drawing on three times.
Are the cases in it?
Yes. Cases are asked by name with the facts, the point they decide and the authority they stand for, because a case cited without its principle earns nothing.
What is the nature of law about?
Law and morality, law and justice, law and society, and the theories behind them, plus the balance between the individual and the state. It is 243 questions across 17 subtopics and it feeds the extended writing on every paper.
AQA A-Level Law Active Recall Guide
Every question paired with its answer, grouped by topic and subtopic, ready to work in three passes.