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CHAPTER 1 Introduction
CHAPTER 1 Introduction
CHAPTER 1 Introduction
LEGAL REASONING
and
LEGAL METHODOLOGIES
Marking
⚫Participation: 50%
✓ Contributive answers
✓ Valuable questions
✓ Group presentation
✓ Special award
CONTENT:
1. INTRODUCTION TO LEGAL
REASONING
3. LEGAL ARGUMENT
5. ORAL ARGUMENT
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CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION TO LEGAL
REASONING
IV. PARAGRAPHING
1. CONCEPT
What is “legal
reasoning“?
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1. CONCEPT
Broad sense:
“The psychological
processes undergone by
judges in reaching
decisions in the cases
before them”.
Why “judges”?
Psychological processes
comprised of:
⚫Ideas
⚫Beliefs
⚫Conjectures
⚫Hunches
⚫Feelings
⚫Emotions
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Narrow sense:
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❖ Argument construction
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What is thinking?
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Differences between
general and special
language?
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Primary source
Direct evidences or original sources of information
created at the time the event occurred
data collected
for scientific
studies
historical
documents
Primary Source
Nelson Mandela wrote his
autobiography about events
in his life called “Long Walk
to Freedom: The
Autobiography of Nelson
Mandela”. This is a primary
document because he wrote
his first hand experiences.
Secondary source
General In legal
meaning profession
▪ Derived from
primary source
▪ written about provide
primary sources summaries and
▪ analyze, interpret, interpretations of
and discuss the law and facts
information about
the primary source.
To evaluate if the source is primary or secondary →
Check the context and purpose of its use
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COMPARISON
Primary source Secondary source
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Strength Weakness
Primary ✓High accuracy ✓ Time consuming
sources ✓ Hard to find
Reading Sources
Ask these basic questions :
– Who wrote this?
– What does it say?
– When was it written?
– Where was it written?
– Why was it written?
Summing up
It is important to determine the type
of information you are looking at.
– Primary sources are original sources
of information
– Secondary sources summarize,
analyze, or critique primary sources
– Both primary and secondary sources
can be good sources of information,
but you need to critically evaluate
them.
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In Legal Reasoning
⚫ Primary sources can be
either mandatory (binding)
or persuasive.
⚫ Secondary sources are
always persuasive
authority.
⚫ The researcher is always
looking for primary
sources which are
mandatory.
Some Examples
Primary or
secondary source?
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⚫Construction
⚫Evaluation
⚫Interpretation
⚫Deconstruction
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▪ a means of communication
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Question:
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● Predictive writing:
two purposes
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Persuasive writing:
● framed as an argument
⚫ Well organized
⚫ Complete
⚫ Clear
⚫ Concise
⚫ Forceful
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Question:
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Rather than:
2. Conciseness
important in legal writing for reasons:
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3. Forcefulness
Agree Disagree
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3. Forcefulness
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accordingly in fact
additionally (in order) to
although in spite of
analogously in even that
as a result instead
because moreover
but nevertheless
consequently not only …., but also
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Example:
IV. PARAGRAPHING
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Example:
⚫This document examines whether
customary law should be more
effectively recognized in Vietnam.
⚫This document looks at arguments
in favour of and against early
marriage and the governing law.
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Example:
There are three reasons why Canada is one of
the best countries in the world. First, Canada
has an excellent health care system. All
Canadians have access to medical services at
a reasonable price. Second, Canada has a
high standard of education. Students are
taught by well-trained teachers and are
encouraged to continue studying at
university. Finally, Canada's cities are clean
and efficiently managed. Canadian cities have
many parks and lots of space for people to
live. As a result, Canada is a desirable place
to live.
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