Bar Council Written study guide
Bar Council Written · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The Bar Council written examination is the long-form, essay and problem-based component of the route to professional practice at the bar. It is written for people who have completed the academic stage of legal training - a qualifying law degree or conversion course - and who are now moving to the vocational stage. The Bar Council Written study guide has 10 sections and about 2,227 words.
01Constitutional and Administrative Law
A candidate must command the separation of powers, parliamentary sovereignty, the rule of law, and the distinction between constitutional conventions and enforceable legal rules. Know the structure of fundamental rights, their limitation clauses, and the tests courts apply to proportionality and reasonableness.
262 words, about 1 min02Criminal Law and Procedure
Understand actus reus and mens rea, and how they must coincide. Know the degrees of mens rea: intention, recklessness, knowledge, negligence.
266 words, about 1 min03Law of Contract and Commercial Transactions
Build the contract from offer, acceptance, consideration, intention to create legal relations, and certainty. Study invitation to treat versus offer, the postal and instantaneous communication rules, and revocation.
253 words, about 1 min04Law of Tort and Civil Wrongs
Negligence dominates: duty of care, breach, causation, and remoteness. Know the neighbour principle, the Caparo three-stage test, and established duty categories.
235 words, about 1 min05Property, Land and Equity
Understand the distinction between real and personal property, legal and equitable interests, and the doctrine of estates. Study freehold and leasehold, co-ownership (joint tenancy and tenancy in common), and the rules of severance.
219 words, about 1 min06Family and Personal Law
Study marriage and its legal consequences, divorce and dissolution, financial relief, and the welfare of children. Know the best-interests principle, parental responsibility, custody and access, and child maintenance.
199 words, under 1 min07Evidence and Procedural Law
Understand relevance, admissibility, and weight. Study burdens and standards of proof, presumptions, and circumstantial evidence.
215 words, about 1 min08Legal Ethics and Professional Conduct
Understand the advocate's duties to the court, to the client, to opponents, and to the profession. Study confidentiality, conflict of interest, competence, and diligence.
216 words, about 1 min09Legal Drafting, Opinion Writing and Case Analysis
Drafting requires precision, consistency, and clarity. Learn the anatomy of pleadings, contracts, and statutory instruments.
185 words, under 1 min10Jurisprudence and Legal Reasoning
Study natural law, legal positivism, realism, and critical approaches. Understand the relationship between law and morality, the concept of validity, and the rule of recognition.
177 words, under 1 min