Legal Personnel | OCR A-Level Law (H418)
Legal Personnel
- 41 questions
- 4 subtopics
- Component 1: The legal system and criminal law
- Component 1
Who works in the legal system: the two branches of the profession, the judiciary, and the independence the constitution requires of it..
It covers barristers, solicitors and legal executives, the judiciary and its role, separation of powers and judicial independence and evaluating the judiciary and its independence.
Sample questions from Legal Personnel
Answer each one closed book first, then open the answer.
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Barristers, solicitors and legal executives
What is conveyancing and which type of legal professional typically handles it?
Show the answer
Conveyancing is the legal process of transferring property ownership, and it is typically conducted by solicitors. -
Barristers, solicitors and legal executives
Which body is responsible for regulating barristers?
Show the answer
The Bar Standards Board regulates barristers. -
The judiciary and its role
What is the role of Lords Justices of Appeal?
Show the answer
Lords Justices of Appeal sit in the Court of Appeal hearing appeals from lower courts in both civil and criminal divisions. -
The judiciary and its role
Name the three divisions of the High Court where High Court Judges sit.
Show the answer
High Court Judges sit in the King's Bench Division (formerly Queen's Bench), Chancery Division, and Family Division. -
Separation of powers and judicial independence
Why does the separation of powers doctrine require the three arms of the state to be separate?
Show the answer
To prevent concentration of power and protect individual liberty. -
Separation of powers and judicial independence
What is the Judicial Appointments Commission and what is its purpose?
Show the answer
The Judicial Appointments Commission selects candidates for judicial office based on merit, promoting independence from political influence in appointments. -
Evaluating the judiciary and its independence
Why is judicial independence important for protecting individuals against the state?
Show the answer
Independent judges can rule against the government when it acts unlawfully, protecting individual rights against state power. -
Evaluating the judiciary and its independence
Why might judges being unelected be seen as problematic?
Show the answer
Judges are unelected and therefore unaccountable to the public, which some see as undemocratic.
The 4 subtopics
One subtopic is one session. Work down the list.
| Subtopic | What it covers | Questions |
|---|---|---|
| Barristers, solicitors and legal executives | Recall questions on the work and rights of audience of barristers, solicitors and Chartered Legal Executives, and on regulation by the Bar Standards Board, the Solicitors Regulation Authority, CILEx Regulation and the Legal Services Board. | 16 |
| The judiciary and its role | Recall questions on the different levels of judge and their work in the civil and criminal courts. | 9 |
| Separation of powers and judicial independence | Recall questions on the roles of the legislature, executive and judiciary under the separation of powers, and on how security of tenure, immunity from suit, the Judicial Appointments Commission and the Constitutional Reform Act 2005 protect judicial independence. | 8 |
| Evaluating the judiciary and its independence | Recall questions on independence from the case and why judicial independence matters for impartiality, the rule of law and public confidence, and on criticisms of an unelected judiciary, judicial activism and the lack of diversity among judges. | 8 |
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.
Nearby topics
OCR A-Level Law Active Recall Guide
Every topic, not just this one. 1,624 questions with their answers.