OCR A-Level Law Past Papers & Mark Schemes

OCR Law marks are won and lost on case authority. For every legal principle you state, you should cite the relevant case: 'A duty of care exists where there is a relationship of proximity between the parties (Donoghue v Stevenson [1932]), the damage was reasonably foreseeable (Caparo Industries v Dickman [1990]), and it is fair, just, and reasonable to impose such a duty.' Students who state principles without cases, or cite cases without explaining the principle they establish, score in the lower mark bands. Problem scenario questions require the IRAC method: Identify the legal issue, state the Rule (principle + case authority), Apply the rule to the facts of the scenario, and reach a Conclusion. Each legal issue in the scenario should receive this treatment. A common weakness is jumping straight to application without establishing the rule, or stating the rule without applying it to the specific facts. Statutory authority is equally important for topics like criminal law. For murder, cite the definition from Coke's Institutes (as modified by subsequent legislation); for theft, cite s.1 Theft Act 1968 and its component elements (s.2–6). When answering questions on sentencing, reference the Sentencing Act 2020. Examiners expect precise statutory references, not vague references to 'the law.' For Component 3's jurisprudence section, engage with the philosophical arguments rather than just describing them. The question is not 'What did Hart say?' but 'Is Hart's positivist separation of law and morality defensible?' Use examples from English law to illustrate philosophical arguments — the debate about criminalising homosexuality (Hart-Devlin debate) or the legality of torture (A v Secretary of State) — to ground abstract theory in concrete legal reality.