FE1 Exam Thread (Mod Warning: NO ADS)

PTfan

frustratedTC wrote: »

so lets hope EC is a decent fella tomorrow

I would have my doubts somehow, he gives out that students can't seem to grasp the principles or answer the questions and yet gives zero useful guidance or feedback in the examiner reports other than people did well or didn't do well or people are using grids or anticipating topics. No offence but what bloody use is that?

sally01

PTfan wrote: »

I would have my doubts somehow, he gives out that students can't seem to grasp the principles or answer the questions and yet gives zero useful guidance or feedback in the examiner reports other than people did well or didn't do well or people are using grids or anticipating topics. No offence but what bloody use is that?

Completely agree. Would be great if he could at least give some guidance as to what the main topics were that he was looking for in each question.

boomtown84

My head hurts!

Best of luck tomorrow folks. All we can do now is pray. Cram and pray.

Happychicky7

boomtown84 wrote: »

My head hurts!

Best of luck tomorrow folks. All we can do now is pray. Cram and pray.

At this stage I dont know which one to dedicate more time to!! But the night is young yet..good luck!

Amre17

KoukiKeith wrote: »

Can anyone think of topical cases for EU Law in the last year or so?

I think the Microsoft decision may make an appearance given it's prominence in previous years & absence in the last two papers. Also, they were recently fined for failing to comply with a separate decision.

Simmenthal, Altmark, Zhu & Chen and Marshall are all due an appearance too.

Perhaps the Tobacco Advertising case given the new legislation came into effect last month (next Feb for existing products). Although it did appear in the October exam.

Any other suggestions?

I have Altmark, Simmenthal, Microsoft, Airtours and Marshall on my own list - just doing what I figure is due a run.

KoukiKeith

Amre17 wrote: »

I have Altmark, Simmenthal, Microsoft, Airtours and Marshall on my own list - just doing what I figure is due a run.

I've prepared a few others but think I'll just concentrate on those ones. Will avoid it if anything out of the ordinary pops up then.

Amre17

KoukiKeith wrote: »

I've prepared a few others but think I'll just concentrate on those ones. Will avoid it if anything out of the ordinary pops up then.

Have you done competition law? Are you concentrating on any particular areas of it or leaving any out?

KoukiKeith

Amre17 wrote: »

Have you done competition law? Are you concentrating on any particular areas of it or leaving any out?

Am just doing 101 & 102 really. Will try to cover a broad outline of State Aid if I have time but that's not looking likely at this stage!

UberStressed

Hope the exams are going well for everyone!

Anyone willing to share the prep course predictions for Equity next week? City Colleges guy is usually quite good I've heard! Have been working full time while studying and would love to know what the predictions are to focus on my study on for the next week!

JCJCJC

PorthawGlen wrote: »

I am looking for any tips in how to recognise what they are asking in the exam papers.

You'll get sympathy from all here in relation to that. Have you done law in college, with tutorials etc on tackling exam questions? I did law in UL and they were good at that. Sometimes, you have to ask yourself what is it not about. I keep returning to this point here, but about a year ago there was a constitutional question about a traveller. Lots of people assumed it was an equality question, just because the dude was a traveller. There was no information given on how any other class of person was treated, which ruled out equality, so you have to ask yourself is it about something else.
You could show your old exam papers to any solicitor, barrister or academic lawyer you know, they'll quickly analyse it for you. We had one lecturer in UL whom we could ask about any other subject, she was an absolutely brilliant barrister, and she could fly through any exam question in any legal subject in ten seconds.
This will sound totally daft, but I have received superb advice on this from a vet! Vets obviously have to make their diagnoses without the patient talking back, so they diagnose by ruling things out - 'it isn't this because.. and it isn't that because' etc until only one known ailment remains. As a mental strategy, I think it has a lot of value in law exams, think about it.

chops018

Seems like the Constitutional Exam was one of the easier one's. Kind of raging I didn't put more effort in with study now. I got 5 questions in though - a couple of good-ish one's, a couple ok-ish one's, then one awful one. I'd say I either barely passed or barley failed. Here's hoping it's marked easily, doubt it though.

crosshair12

Is it just me, or was there a strong correlation between the issues on the paper and the issues in EC's "leading cases of 2012" from the ucd conference a while back?

JCJCJC

crosshair12 wrote: »

Is it just me, or was there a strong correlation between the issues on the paper and the issues in EC's "leading cases of 2012" from the ucd conference a while back?

Hogzy and I have been telling you - go to that conference....

crosshair12

JCJCJC wrote: »

Hogzy and I have been telling you - go to that conference....

I was there, scribbling furiously!
€40 well spent...

JCJCJC

A case popped up on bailii this morning that has enormous exam potential in constitutional and tort (nuisance). I'd bet four pints in the Red Cow on the morning of the next const exam that it'll make the EC top ten for 2013..read it here.

frustratedTC

In the undue delay Q, what was he looking for in the second part?

Gibbonw2

I guess he was asking about the illegal provision of the search warrant. While not an unconstitutional infringement, (although that may be debatable) it was unlawful
The third part irritated me? what were they seeking there?

Strawberry Fields

At this stage what ares of freedoms and free movements are people focusing on for EU?
Any one any tips?

crosshair12

Gibbonw2 wrote: »

The third part irritated me? what were they seeking there?

GC v. Ireland:
Priority listing for her trial, and possible availability of damages, remedies that are less drastic than prohibition of the trial.

chops018

crosshair12 wrote: »

GC v. Ireland:
Priority listing for her trial, and possible availability of damages, remedies that are less drastic than prohibition of the trial.

Damages, injunction, or declaratory relief is all that can be given is it not? Anything else would be a breach of SOP.

liizzlemon

Hi anyone out there with hints for criminal and equity?I'm covering all defences and offenses in criminal, and intent, causation, omission and strict liability, because this will at least get me through five qs, but if anyone has tips in case I'm missing something, that would be a huge help!

crosshair12

chops018 wrote: »

Damages, injunction, or declaratory relief is all that can be given is it not? Anything else would be a breach of SOP.

Sounds better the way you say it!

chops018

liizzlemon wrote: »

Hi anyone out there with hints for criminal and equity?I'm covering all defences and offenses in criminal, and intent, causation, omission and strict liability, because this will at least get me through five qs, but if anyone has tips in case I'm missing something, that would be a huge help!

I'm not being smart, but, cover everything for criminal. Equity however look at the City Colleges night before notes, they always put a certain amount of topics that you should revise carefully. Here's the link: http://www.citycolleges.ie/wp/wp-content/uploads/EQUITY-NIGHT-BEFORE-NOTES-MARCH-2013.pdf

crosshair12 wrote: »

Sounds better the way you say it!

I hope it sounds better to the examiner too haha. I didn't do a whole for for part three to be honest, I reckon that part will bring a lot of people down, I'm just hoping it doesn't affect the other two parts.

Gibbonw2

My answer , i would have thought for that due process q was rather good, but i may have neglected to afford equal proportiality to the 3 aspects. i find it extremely unfair that they dont give you a weight for partitioned questions such as this. I cant for the life of me imagine that part 3 (remedies) could be as significant an aspect to the whole question that of part 1 (the various rights under the constitution infringed, ie right to expeditious trial, duty to preserve potentially significant evidence, inviolability of dwelling) etc

boomtown84

I doubt he'd give equal marks for each part. He just wants you to deal with all three in the answer. Fair paper i thought. Got 5 full q's done so i really hope it's enough.
Forgot to say damages like an idiot when i was discussing the GC case.

liizzlemon

chops018 wrote: »

I'm not being smart, but, cover everything for criminal. Equity however look at the City Colleges night before notes, they always put a certain amount of topics that you should revise carefully. Here's the link: http://www.citycolleges.ie/wp/wp-content/uploads/EQUITY-NIGHT-BEFORE-NOTES-MARCH-2013.pdf

Thanks for that link its really handy, as for criminal I think you're probably right, I'm just trying to optimise my weekend studying but a blanket approach is best!

frustratedTC

I thought I had done that Q OK but now I'm reading this its definitely not good! What are experiences with constitutionally in getting 5 low-average Q's to pass? Aggghhh

Caoileann

I got stuck for a fifth today in constitutional Disappointing when I had so much other stuff covered and it didn't come up. I gave privacy a go for my 5th even though I didnt have it covered, and dragged in proportionality not even sure if that was relevant but I wanted to put something down! Is there any hope in hell of passing if the rest of my questions were okay? None were outstanding answers by any means. I just feel like for constitutional you need to write the perfect paper to pass.. im hoping thats only hype!

TheGreaterFool

Getting a little bit ahead myself here now (given I have more to do next week) but my head is elsewhere (retail therapy) so wondering if people here might have a view on this.

Criminal Law. Will be aiming for it in October. Understand that it's a short course (albeit one that needs comprehensive coverage because he can ask everything?) but planning to invest in a textbook for it.

1) Where do undergrad textbooks go to die in Dublin? Bookshops on/off campus?

2) Any recommendations on a book? The new Campbell, Kilcommins, O'Sullivan one any good?

Similar story for constitutional actually.

(and yeah, I'll be using manuals mostly)

Any and all thoughts appreciated!

JCJCJC

TheGreaterFool wrote: »

Getting a little bit ahead myself here now (given I have more to do next week) but my head is elsewhere (retail therapy) so wondering if people here might have a view on this.

Criminal Law. Will be aiming for it in October. Understand that it's a short course (albeit one that needs comprehensive coverage because he can ask everything?) but planning to invest in a textbook for it.

1) Where do undergrad textbooks go to die in Dublin? Bookshops on/off campus?

2) Any recommendations on a book? The new Campbell, Kilcommins, O'Sullivan one any good?

Similar story for constitutional actually.

(and yeah, I'll be using manuals mostly)

Any and all thoughts appreciated!

The noticeboards in colleges are usually a good source for textbooks. After the academic year ends, you'll also find a lot of English law books on ebay.co.uk. You'll pick up an edition one short of the current one for pennies, it's a great way to gather a few classic texts, eg Smith & Hogan on Criminal, Lunney & Oliphant on Tort etc. I did that in college for essays etc, but to be honest the FE1 exam style isn't about quoting loads of authors and making nuanced analyses of their various spins.
For Criminal, a manual is fine, and print off copies of the various Acts and know them absolutely inside-out, keep them by you constantly while you study, because you can't bring them in to that exam. There isn't a whole lot of case-law on the statutory offences like S3 assault causing harm, because the Act is relatively recent, so it's easy enough to get on top of it.