Legal Method

Unit I — INTRODUCTION TO LAW

What is Law: Meaning, Definition, Nature, and Functions · Different Schools of Law · Classification of Law · Law, Policy, Justice, and Morality · Techniques of Law

• Meaning of Law, Rules, Regulation and Policy
• Schools of Jurisprudence 3.1Natural Law School
• Law and Morality, Ancient Indian concept of Dharma

Unit II — INTRODUCTION TO LOGIC AND REASONING

Meaning, Nature, and Scope of Logic · Fundamentals of Reasoning: Inductive Reasoning and Its Application in Law · Deductive Reasoning and Its Application in Law · Interlinking: Law, Logic, and Reasoning

• Traditional and Modern definitions of Logic
• Basic features of Inductive and Deductive reasoning and their uses in Courts

Unit III — MAJOR LEGAL SYSTEMS OF THE WORLD

Common Law · Civil Law · Religious Law · Customary Law · Hybrid/Mixed Legal System Ess • Glanville Williams, Learning the Law, 11th ed. (London: Sweet enti & Maxwell, 1982), p. 1-23,24-29. https://archive.org/details/glanvillewilliam15edwill. al · Darto,. (2025). The World Legal System: Characteristics, Rea Comparisons, and Dynamics in the Global Era. Jurnal ding Multidisiplin Madani. 5. 1168-1172. s https://www.researchgate.net/publication/397494079_The_World_ Legal_System_Characteristics_Comparisons_and_Dynamics_in_t he_Global_Era. Sugges • Andrew Burrows, ‘We Do this at Common Law But that in ted Equity’, (2002) 1 Oxford Journal of Legal Studies 1. Readin https://www.jstor.org/stable/3600632. gs • Ewoud Hondius, ‘Precedent and the Law’, (2007) 11 (3) Electronic Journal of Comparative Law, available at: http://www.ejcl.org/113/article113-3.pdf. · P.J. Fitzgerald, Salmond on Jurisprudence, 12th ed., (London: Sweet & Maxwell, 1966), p. 88-104. https://ia800805.us.archive.org/22/items/in.ernet.dli.2015.6983 7/2015.69837.Salmond-On-Jurisprudence_text.pdf.

Unit IV — SOURCES OF LAW(CUSTOMS)

Different Sources of Law · Nature and Origin of Custom · Custom as a source of law in different legal systems · Interpretation and Application of Custom

• Sources of law — custom and treaty, legislation, precedent
• Sources of law

Unit V — SOURCES OF LAW (LEGISLATION)

Meaning and Significance of Legislation · Legislative Process in India · General Principles of Statutory Interpretation · Aids of Interpretation

• Sources of law — custom and treaty, legislation, precedent
• Rules of interpretation of Statutes — Literal, Mischief and Golden rule of interpretation
• Legislative Material — Internal Aids — Parts of a statute and their function in interpretation of a statute — Short and long titles, preamble, schedules, marginal headings, parts, and their captions, chapters and their

Unit VI — SOURCES OF LAW (PRECEDENTS)

Origin, Theories, and Nature of the Precedent · Precedent and Court Structure in India · Law of Precedent and the Indian Legal System · Case law, Judgment and Opinion · Determining the Ratio Decidendi

• Precedent — Meaning and nature of Precedent as a source of law
• Judicial material — Ratio and guidelines of courts in the following cases, minority, and majority judgements

Unit VI-b — INTRODUCTION TO LEGAL RESEARCH AND WRITING

How to Use the Law Library How to use online library databases, such as JSTOR, Manupatra, Hein Online, etc. · Legal Research- Meaning and Importance · Doctrinal Research (Non-Empirical) and Non-Doctrinal (Empirical) Research · How to Write a Research Paper, Report, or Project, etc. · Bibliography, Footnotes, References- Meaning, Significance, and styles of writing Ess • Glanville Williams, Learning the Law, 11th ed. (London: Sweet enti & Maxwell, 1982), p. 32-47,173-78. New Delhi, 2004 (Chapter al 1). https://archive.org/details/glanvillewilliam15edwill. Re • Robin K Mills, ‘Legal Research Instruction in Law Schools: The adi State of the Art OR Why Law School Graduates do not Know ngs How to Find the Law’, (1982) 24 Journal of the Indian Law Institute 381. http://14.139.60.116:8080/jspui/bitstream/123456789/719/46/Legal %20Research%20Instruction%20in%20Law%20Schools%20the% 20State%20of%20the%20Art.pdf. Sugge • ‘Doctrinal and Non-Doctrinal Research’, (1975) 17 Journal of sted the Indian Law Institute 516. Readin https://www.jstor.org/stable/43952212. gs • E.P. Ellinger, K J Keith, ‘Legal Research: Techniques and Ideas’ (1982) 24 Journal of the Indian Law Institute 213. http://14.139.60.116:8080/jspui/bitstream/123456789/16737/1/ 011_Legal%20Research%20 %20Techniques%20and%20Ideas%20%28213-233%29.pdf. · Edward H Levi, ‘An Introduction to Legal Reasoning’, (1948)15 University of Chicago Law Review 501. https://chicagounbound.uchicago.edu/uclrev/vol15/iss3/2/. · H.C. Jain, ‘Using a Law Library’, (1982) 24 Journal of the Indian Law Institute 575. https://www.jstor.org/stable/i40163293. · S. N Jain, ‘Legal Research and Methodology’, (1972) 14 Journal of the Indian Law Institute 487. https://www.jstor.org/stable/i40163167. · S.L. Sharma, ‘Identification and Formulation of Research Problem’, (1982) 24, Journal of the Indian Law Institute 662. https://www.jstor.org/stable/i40163293.