Essays19th November 2015

Identify what the question wants you to do

Question - ‘Open justice is an important feature of any democracy and should be maintained with minimal interference.’ Discuss.

What are the Key words?

Vital that you answer the question that is asked and do not answer the question you would have liked to have been asked to answer.

Marking criteria• 70-79%: An excellent answer that demonstrates considerable independent thinking and

links this with a broad and detailed knowledge of the subject area. This should be exemplified by an astute choice of relevant examples where appropriate, derived from material that goes beyond that suggested for the programme or module. This should be integrated into a well-reasoned answer that carries a clear, thoughtful and substantiated line of argument.

• 60-69%: A meritorious and distinctive answer that integrates material from different sources into a concise and well-organised account of the subject area. There should be evidence of independent research effort and evaluative thinking that has been developed from ideas presented in the programme or module, and the submission should provide a clear, concise and well-reasoned answer that covers the important points without major omission.

• 55-59%: A satisfactory pass answer that demonstrates a generally sound understanding of the subject area supported by relevant examples that are demonstrably well understood and presented coherently. Typically, an answer in this category falls short of a merit classification because of shortcomings in coverage, misunderstandings of critical issues, or because the presentation, organisation or writing style are deficient.

Plan of actionHow are you going to write a great essay?

You know what the marking criteria requires.

Quality ResearchPlanning – Essay planStructureQuality Writing

Sources of Material/ResearchGood sources of material – texts and journals• BAILII on ‘Lawlinks’ has some good access to other jurisdictions not just to UK sources.• Quotes from judgments if helpful • Statutes or other forms of legislation e.g. conventions/constitutions • Comments from academic writers (again with complete references).

This includes textbooks as well as articles from journals.

Construction of Essay/Essay PlanFrameworkIntroduction – Is it effective as a roadmap for the rest of the essay?Main body – Each section separately headed, and linking coherently into the next section. Conclusion – Drawing everything together in a coherent and effective way.

Presentation

WritingClarityEffective use of materialsYour own opinion should be set out clearly as such and should, if possible, be in the 3rd person rather than using ‘I’.Indulge in a really good discussion on the issues and introduce your own ideas where possible – Remember marks are given for clear independence of thought and a sustained argument.

Referencing• See Lawlinks ‘Researching the Law’ Oscola referencing guide under

‘Cite the Law’ for English cases if not referenced clearly in your chosen text.• http:www.kent.ac.uk/lawlinks/researching-the-law/index.html

For USA cases - use the reference provided by the text/article where you found it. Crook is excellent on this as the cases are referenced within the text and also listed at the end of the book. If you use Moore and Murray you will need to look at the reference given within the text.

Additional helpFeel free to email if you have any questions, or want me to look over your essay plan.