LEGAL LANGAUGE & LEGAL WRITING
Rashtrasant Tukadoji Maharaj Nagpur University · LL.B. Semester 1 · 1.5
Unit A — SECTION A
Unit I — GENERAL STUDY OF LAW
Definition of Law · Functions of law · Kinds of Law · Classification of Law · Sources of Law · Rights ad Remedies
Unit II — CHARACTERISTICS OF LEGAL LANGUAGE
Meaning of Legal Language · Scope and Domain of Legal Language · Problems of Legal Language · Interpreting the Law
- Legal Concepts — Law, Custom, Justice, Right, Duty, Wrong, Remedy, Fact, Person, Offence, State, Plaint, Complaint, Suit, Affidavit, Judgment, Appeal, Review, Revision, Reference, Writ, Stay
- 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
- Rules of interpretation of Statutes — Literal, Mischief and Golden rule of interpretation
- Presumptions in Statutory interpretation — Statutes are valid, Statutes are territorial in operation, Presumption as to jurisdiction, Presumption against what is inconvenient or absurd, Presumption against intending injustice, Presumption against impairing obligations or permitting advantage from one's own wrong
Unit III — LEGAL TERMINOLOGY
Ad hoc, Ad interim, Animo attestandi, Alibi, Ad valorem, Ambiguitas – patent, Ambiguitas – latents, Amicus Curiae, Animus possidenti, Bona Fide(s), Corpus juris civilis, Caveat emptor, De facto, De jure, Detenu, En masse, Ex officio, Ex-cathedra, Ex-parte, Ex-gratia, En-route, Ens legis, Ex post facto, Factum valent, In pari delicto, In pari material, In lieu of, In personam, In rem, Inter se, Impasse, In situ, Inter alia, In toto, Ipso facto, Intra vires, Jure Divino, Jus in rem, Jus ad rem, Jus tertii, Jus in re aliena, Jus in re propria, Jus gentium, Jus natural, Laissez faire, Legalis homo, Lex loci, Locus standi, Magnum bonum, Magnum opus, Mala fides, Modus operandi, Mutatis and mutandis, Note bene, Novus homo, Onus probandi, Obiter dictum, Prima facie, Quid pro quo, Res integra, Res nullius, Sine qua non, Socius criminis, Sans, Status quo, Suo motu, Ultra vires, Vox populi vox dei.
Unit III — LEGAL MAXIMS
Actus dei nemini facit injuriam · Actus non facit reum nisimens sit rea · Actus personalis moritur cum persona · Audi alteram partem · Communis error facit jus · Damnum sine injuria · Delegates non potest delegare · Ex turpi causa non oritur action · Falsus in uno falius in omnibus · Generalia specialibus non derogant · Ignorantia facit excusat ignorantia juris non excusat · Injuria sine damno · Nemo dat quod non habet · Novus actus interveniens or nova causa interveniens · Noscitur a sociis · Par in partem imperium non habet · Qui facit per alium facit per se · Respondeat superior · Res ipsa loquitor · Res non potest peccare · Ubi jus ibi idem remedium · Vigilantibuset non domientibus, jura subveniunt · Volenti non fit injura
Unit IV — FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES OF LEGAL WRITING
Concision, clarity and cogency · Simplicity of structure · Title · Heading · Use of italics · Numbers · Definition of terms · Contractions · Use of first person · Ellipses & alterations · Citations, references and foot notes
Unit V — LEGAL DRAFTING OF PLEADINGS
Notices · Affidavit · Agreement of sale · Promissory note · Plaint · Written statement · Will
Unit B — SECTION B
Unit VI — PARAPHRASING AND SYNOPSIS WRITING
Legal passages from legal articles for paraphrasing · Synopsis writing of paragraphs from case laws or judgements/Case Comments.