Why Case Law Memory Fails For Most Students

• Students try to memorise full judgments.

• Students think examiners want long case facts.

• Students confuse ratio with obiter.

• Students rely on storytelling.

• Students overstuff answers with irrelevant cases.

• A* students do the opposite:

  • Minimum words

  • Maximum precision

  • Direct relevance

  • Ratio only

  • One-line application

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A Rule: Case Law ≠ Story. Case Law = Formula*

• Case law should function like math formulas.

• Each case =

  • Name

  • 4–8 word ratio

  • 1 line application

• Anything more is wasted time and marks.

• Your memory becomes lighter and your writing sharper.

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Written and Compiled By Sir Hunain Zia, World Record Holder With 154 Total A Grades, 7 Distinctions and 11 World Records For Educate A Change AS Level Law Free Material

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The LCR Technique (A Case Writing Shortcut)*

LCR = Label → Core → Relevance.

1. Label (Case Name Only)

• Donoghue v Stevenson

• R v White

• Caparo v Dickman

• R v Roberts

• Wagon Mound

• R v Cunningham

2. Core (Ratio Only)

• Donoghue v Stevenson — neighbour principle

• White — factual causation but-for test

• Caparo — three-stage duty test

• Roberts — foreseeability of victim reaction

• Wagon Mound — remoteness of damage

• Cunningham — subjective recklessness

3. Relevance (One Line Application)

• “Here, D’s conduct foreseeably harmed V, so neighbour duty applies.”

• “But for D’s act, the harm would not have occurred.”

• “Risk was reasonably foreseeable, proximity existed, and FJR satisfied.”

• “V’s reaction was foreseeable; chain of causation intact.”

• “Damage was foreseeable, so not too remote.”

• “D foresaw risk of harm; recklessness present.”

That’s the whole structure.
20–30 words per case.
Perfect for exam conditions.

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Why This Beats Memorising Full Cases

• Removes unnecessary facts.

• Stops confusion between ratio + obiter.

• Saves time in long answers.

• Ensures examiner clarity.

• Prevents misquoting cases.

• Builds confidence across the whole paper.

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Written and Compiled By Sir Hunain Zia, World Record Holder With 154 Total A Grades, 7 Distinctions and 11 World Records For Educate A Change AS Level Law Free Material

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Case Law Minimal Memory Framework (A Skill)*

Civil Liability Cases To Know

Duty Of Care

• Donoghue v Stevenson — neighbour principle

• Caparo v Dickman — three-stage duty test

• Hill v CC West Yorkshire — policy limitations

Breach Of Duty

• Blyth v Birmingham — reasonable man test

• Nettleship v Weston — learner driver standard

Causation

• White — factual causation

• Pagett — but-for clarity

• Roberts — victim reaction foreseeability

• Blaue — thin skull rule

Remoteness

• Wagon Mound — foreseeable damage

Criminal Liability Cases To Know

Actus Reus

• White — but-for

• Pagett — third-party causation

• Roberts — victim reaction

Mens Rea

• Mohan — direct intent

• Woollin — oblique intent

• Cunningham — subjective recklessness

• R v G — modern recklessness test

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How To Memorise All Cases In Under 1 Hour

Step 1: Group Cases

• Negligence

• Criminal AR

• Criminal MR

• Causation

• Remoteness
  Grouping reduces cognitive load by 70%.

Step 2: Learn Ratio Only

• 4–8 words maximum.

• No story.

• No facts.

• Examiner only cares about ratio.

Step 3: Apply To 3 Hypotheticals Each

• Write one line for each scenario.

• Repetition builds automatic application.

Step 4: Rewrite All Ratios On One Page

• One-page sheet = memory shortcut.

• Review daily for 5 minutes.

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Written and Compiled By Sir Hunain Zia, World Record Holder With 154 Total A Grades, 7 Distinctions and 11 World Records For Educate A Change AS Level Law Free Material

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The 4-Second Case Drop (A Exam Hack)*

This method saves 10–15 minutes every paper.
Use this template:

• “According to [case], the rule is [ratio].”

• “Here, [one-line application].”

Example:

• “According to Roberts, the rule is that victim reaction must be foreseeable.”

• “Here, V’s panic was foreseeable, so causation intact.”

Time required: 4 seconds.
Marks gained: full AO1 + AO2.

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When To Use Case Law (And When NOT To)

Use cases when:

• Defining a rule

• Showing authority

• Supporting application

• Demonstrating AO1 knowledge

• Proving causation or foreseeability

Do NOT use cases when:

• Explaining obvious facts

• Writing long narratives

• Repeating same rule twice

• Padding a weak paragraph

• Case has no direct relevance

Quality > Quantity

• Most questions need 1 strong case per issue, not 4 weak ones.

• A* answers use fewer but more precise cases.

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Case Writing Patterns To Copy

Pattern 1: Pure Ratio

• “In Hill, police owed no duty due to public policy.”

Pattern 2: Ratio + Application

• “In Cunningham, recklessness required foresight of risk. Here, D foresaw the risk.”

Pattern 3: Contrast Cases

• “Unlike White, where but-for failed, here D’s act clearly caused V’s harm.”

Pattern 4: Two-Case Balance

• “Caparo establishes duty; however, Hill shows policy limits.”

Use whichever pattern fits the question.

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Written and Compiled By Sir Hunain Zia, World Record Holder With 154 Total A Grades, 7 Distinctions and 11 World Records For Educate A Change AS Level Law Free Material

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A Case Law Checklist Before Exam*

• Ratios memorised (one line each).

• Cases grouped by topic.

• One-page case summary ready.

• Able to apply each case in 1–2 lines.

• Know which cases are essential for AR, MR, negligence, causation.

• Know alternative cases for evaluation.

• Comfortable distinguishing cases when needed.

• Able to use case names without hesitation.