Legal Language and Writing Notes | B.A. LL.B. (Five Year Course) Semester 2 | Mumbai University | munotes

Contents

Module I

1. Legal Language and Writing: What This Paper Covers, and How to Read This Book 1
2. The Meaning of Law 7
3. What Law Does: The Purposes of Law in an Organised Society 17
4. Rules and Regulations: Law Made Under an Act 23
5. Policy, and How It Becomes Law 33
6. Sources of Law: What the Phrase Means 41
7. Custom as a Source of Law 48
8. Treaties as a Source of Law 57
9. Legislation as a Source of Law 65
10. Precedent as a Source of Law: Stare Decisis and the Courts 80
11. Precedent: What Binds, and What Does Not 91
12. Language and Law 102
13. The Languages of Indian Law: The Constitution, the Courts and Translation 111
14. Characteristics of Legal Language 121
15. Legal Writing: Its Principles 129
16. Legal Writing at Work: An Answer, an Opinion, a Letter and a Notice 137
17. Reading a Judgment: Case Analysis 145
18. Writing a Case Brief 152
19. A Case Brief Worked: Bhagwandas Goverdhandas Kedia v. Girdharilal Parshottamdas (1965) 157
20. A Case Brief Worked: Vishaka v. State of Rajasthan (1997) 163
21. A Case Brief Worked: Shreya Singhal v. Union of India (2015) 170
22. Understanding a Statute: The Parts of an Act 176
23. Provisos, Explanations, Illustrations, Non Obstante Clauses and Deeming Provisions 184
24. Statutory Analysis: A Method 194
25. The Information Technology Act 2000: Why It Was Made, and Chapter I 200
26. Electronic Records and Signatures: Chapters II to V of the IT Act 214
27. The Controller, Certifying Authorities and Signature Certificates: Chapters VI to VIII of the IT Act 226
28. Penalties, Compensation and Adjudication: Chapters IX and X of the IT Act 236
29. Offences: Chapter XI of the IT Act 247
30. Intermediaries, the Examiner of Electronic Evidence, and the Last Chapters of the IT Act 259
31. The IT Act Analysed: Its Amendments, Its Courts and Its Place in the Law Today 270

Module II

1. Justice 281
2. Bar and Bench 289
3. Right and Duty 299
4. Wrong and Remedy 308
5. Fact 316
6. Jurisdiction 324
7. Person 333
8. Offence 341
9. Bail 348
10. Damage and Damages 360
11. Compensation 367
12. Trial 375
13. Petition 382
14. Extracts from Important Judgments: The Parts of a Law Report 390
15. Maneka Gandhi v. Union of India (1978): The Report Read 398
16. Maneka Gandhi: What It Decided, and Why It Matters 405
17. Municipal Council, Ratlam v. Vardhichand (1980): The Report Read 413
18. Ratlam: What It Decided, and Why It Matters 419
19. The Trials of Bal Gangadhar Tilak 426
20. Sedition After Tilak: Kedar Nath, the 2022 Order and the Sanhita 435
21. The Nanavati Trial 442
22. The Trial of Derek Chauvin 450

Module III Selected readings

1. The Divisions of the Law 456
2. Case Law Technique 471
3. The Interpretation of Statutes: The Rules 483
4. The Interpretation of Statutes: Maxims, Presumptions and Aids 496
5. Locus Standi: Lord Denning's Discipline of Law, Part Three 509
6. The Gouriet Case and the Remedy of Judicial Review 518
7. Locus Standi in India: Public Interest Litigation 527
8. Understanding a Moot Problem 538
9. Writing a Memorial 544
10. The Oral Round 551
11. Reservation: The Constitutional Provisions 558
12. Reservation in the Supreme Court 568
13. Reservation in the Supreme Court After Indra Sawhney 577
14. The Uniform Civil Code 588

Module IV

1. Technology, Communication and the Question of Jurisdiction 603
2. The Internet and Jurisdiction Policy Network 610
3. Introduction to Social Media 615
4. Social Media and Freedom of Speech and Expression 621
5. Artificial Intelligence and the Future of the Legal Profession 627
6. Virtual Courts and E-Courts in India 635