AQA A Level Law An Introduction to Law and Justice Student Handout with activities and Model Answer

This is an introduction to the complex topic of Law and Justice. It is designed to be distributed to students and it includes questions and activities and also provides a “model answer” to a common question on the topic.

The Handout is structured as follows:

• Definitions of Justice: Justice is associated with fairness, equality, and the proper administration of the law, with various perspectives provided by philosophers like Aristotle, Bentham, Rawls, and Nozick.
• Aristotle’s View: Aristotle divides justice into distributive justice, concerning the fair allocation of resources, and corrective justice, dealing with rectifying wrongs.
• Bentham’s Utilitarian Approach: Bentham’s utilitarian idea of justice aims to achieve the greatest happiness for the greatest number, though it has limitations.
• Rawls’s Theory: Rawls emphasizes fairness and equality, focusing on protecting the least advantaged members of society.
• Nozick’s Conservative View: Nozick offers a conservative alternative, focusing on individual rights and the minimal state.
• Case Studies: Several case studies illustrate the complexities of achieving justice, highlighting issues such as disproportionate punishments and the ethical implications of severe penalties.
• Barriers to Justice: Barriers include the unrepresentative legal profession, limited access to legal advice and representation, and biases in the administration of justice.
• Legal Theories’ Insights: Legal theories provide insights into the relationship between law and justice, with various definitions highlighting different dimensions like formal/procedural justice and substantive justice.