One small step for man...

...one giant leap for me. Today I received the official acceptance and enrollment papers from the university. I have to admit that while I was thrilled to see the package on my desk when I came back from lunch, I was slightly disappointed when I opened it. The actual acceptance letter is a photocopy of a photocopy and along the lines of “to whom it may concern”. Those documents which are actually personalized are “insert name here” types. Oh well, at least it is here. I am pleased as I’ve been eagerly awaiting it as you know. I look forward to reading through the booklet they sent about studying English law at the university. I’ve ready read through the first four chapters on their website but it will be nice to dig into the hard copy. I’ve filled in my enrollment form and fee slip and will shoot them back to the university tomorrow.

Over the weekend I read more in Turpin and Tomkins, finishing the chapter on liberty and then swinging back to start at the beginning. So far so good with the chapters I’ve read. I have also managed to get my hands on a copy of Slapper and Kelly’s English Legal System. I’m rather happy as it is the fresh 10th edition for 2009/2010. Gary Slapper is a professor at the Open University and flipping through the book I can see a lot of similarities with the free law courses that they have online which I did. All in all, I think it’s been a rather successful month for my studies and the blog.

Liberty

I’ve thrown another book into the mix, British Government and the Constitution by Turpin and Tomkins. I have to say that I’ve done something that I normally don’t do – I’ve started not at the beginning but at the very end with a chapter on liberty. I admit that there are some things that I am missing out on which were referred to in earlier chapters but I could not resist. In part it is because I am working on a paper which focuses on the European Convention on Human Rights but also because I find it a really exciting area of the law. I strongly believe the rights of the individual need to be safeguarded from encroachments by the state. Don’t get me wrong, I am not a fundamentalist in this area but sadly it seems to be that individuals and their liberty are increasingly under threat. It’s interesting to learn more about notions of positive and negative liberty, absolute and qualified rights, etc. I touched on a number of these topics in my undergraduate in political science but obviously that was years ago. One of the items which I had suspected seems to be borne out by the readings - the deference of the courts to the executive particularly at the expense of individual liberties. Obviously the LLB focuses on common law in the UK and as an American I have a bit of a different perspective than most who study for this degree, but it does seem to be that having the executive based within the legislature limits the notional and practical aspects of the separation of powers. In addition, as an American we are used to speak of our ‘constitutional rights’ yet this term seems to be treated with a degree of suspicion bordering on scorn by some of the UK’s highest courts. Much is made of the fact that the UK’s unwritten or rather uncodified constitution is as robust as other countries' written constitutions however there seem to be precious few instances where the court errs on the assumed residual rights of the individual. Nowhere does this seem to be more evident than when the government puts forward a claim of national security. While there are noted dissents by Lord Denning and others who cry out for a greater respect for the rights of the individual, they remain dissenting opinions against a strong majority which hold for the government. Interesting reading indeed.

Reading criminal law

I’ve started with Principles of Criminal Law by Andrew Ashworth. I have to say that I really enjoy it. It starts a bit quickly for me, perhaps because I do not have much of a grounding in the subject, but after about fifty pages it really brings everything together. I think it approaches the material in a good manner based on a reasonable set of principles. I have to say that I am very much in agreement with Ashworth’s views on the need to limit the state's power via criminal law. He gives a number of arguments on how certain measure seem to undermine the autonomy of the individual. I will keep moving forward with it for a few more chapters. I had to put Zander aside for a few days as it was starting to weigh on me.

With luck I should get a letter this week from the university with my acceptance. Apparently then I need to write back and confirm as well as pay my initial fees. Once I do that I will get the infamous 'box'. Supposedly a back-breaking package containing a number of books, study guides, CD's, passwords, etc. that we form the basis of my studies. I have a feeling that I will need to get cracking to reinforce those shelves on my bookcase soon.

Yahoo!

No, not the website but my reaction today to one email which I've received informing me that my previous studies are recognised by the university and an Offer for the Graduate Entry route will be issued to me in due course. Yippee!

More and more

I've been exploring various forms of legal associations for students. While I remain surprised that my university does not seem to have one, I have been able to find a number of international student associations that I could join. Its a bit difficult to get a clear picture of which ones have value and which are more designed to merely enhance a resume but at least by having a look at them I become a bit more acquainted with the various associations and I can see what is out there. I am quite keen to join at least one student law association as I believe there are a lot of benefits. I will let you know what I find.

Also I've found a couple competitions which are open to law students sponsored by various firms and institutions. While mooting competitions seem to be the most numerous, there are a number of competitions which are focused instead on essay submissions. I am definitely keen to try these as I think it would help to hone my writing skills for law school. So far the ones I have found have submission dates in about a month's time which is perfect. It will give me enough time to put an essay together and also get properly enrolled with the university as a law student.

You are not alone

I’m pleased to report another development in my LLB quest – the first faint signs of camaraderie. Through one of the ‘social networking’ sites on the internet, I’ve managed to find a fledgling group of students who are studying in the same manner and at the same school. I’ve read various things about study groups to be honest, most of which seem to say that it is best when they are a small group of committed individuals. While I am sure they do have value, I guess the trick is to have them move beyond friendship to be of assistance in your studies. For sure I look forward to meeting others and knowing that I am not “alone” but it will be great to learn about various study aids, have others to exchange ideas with and also to review and critique essays. Hopefully it will go well and stand the test of time. In any event, I am quite excited about it and look forward to contributing and getting out of it as much as I can!

In other news, I’ve moved on in Zander’s Law Making Process. Now I am reading about various methods of statutory interpretation. I’ll be honest and say I like this section a bit more than those about the formulation of laws in Whitehall and Parliament. It is enjoyable to read some of the cases and see how they are interpreted by judges. I confess that when I first heard about the literal approach to interpretation it struck me as a bit far-fetched but after reading through some of the chapter, I can see the arguments in its favor. For example, it’s interesting to read the response from the House of Lords on Lord Denning’s proposition that the judiciary must “fill in the gaps” left by Parliament. Hopefully the book will continue more along these lines in the coming chapters.

The first clicks

The first learning ‘clicks’ are starting to appear! I was reading a blog this weekend which referred to the Carbolic Smoke Ball Company and I was actually able to remember the outlines of the case. Needless to say I was thrilled, surprised and very happy all at the same time. I believe it will happen more and more as I go forward and progress in my studies. Also I am pleased about the degree to which the three courses which I am studying for (criminal, common and public law) all seem to overlap. To be sure, criminal law less so than the other two but still everything seems to be blending together well.

In other news, I am reading a book called Law-Making Process by Michael Zander right now. I’ve managed to get through the first two chapters so far. I am surprised about one item - it is billed as an introductory law text for students. While it is definitely educational and moves through the law making process logically and in detail, it does not seem to present material in a manner that supports the learning. There is a structure to each chapter yet the topics which are covered are rarely touched on by the author. Instead they are developed via first hand extracts from others. This does present key insights for one to learn but it lacks a smooth and easy presentation. Certainly good material however and I look forward to starting chapter 3 tonight…