Land Law Revision Pack

Actual Occupation Power Point

LRA 2002

Moot Court - How to write a dissenting opinion?

To the Moot Court judges.

In English judgments, a judge who disagrees with the majority may give a dissenting opinion.

Sometimes a dissenting opinion will actually be the basis for the appeal judges' decision. Thus, in Candler v Crane, Christmas & Co [1951] 2 KB 164, Lord Denning 's reasoning , which was dissenting in the Court of appeal, was later followed in the House of Lords.

Dissenting opinions are one expression of democracy. They also are a safeguard for judges' independance. 

Lord Kerr of Tonaghmore, in the Birkenhead Lecture (8 October 2012) gave a speech supporting the existing tradition of drafting dissenting opinions:

"In my firm opinion (and I would say this, of course) the existence of contrary views and their enunciation in dissenting judgments do not inevitably detract from the authority of the opinion of the

majority. On the contrary, where the majority has been required to address and deal with challenges to their reasoning, their judgments should be the more cogent and compelling as a consequence. After all, arguments which underlie minority opinions do not disappear simply because they have not been

expressed in dissenting judgments. " (for full speech, click here.)

Yet, how to write a dissenting opinion? Here are a few tips you should remember when drafting your own dissenting opinion.

• Only write a dissenting opinion if you actually disagree with the legal reasoning of the majority. 
• Do not attack your colleagues in your opinion. It will only weaken the decision, and it may isolate you from the judiciary/ your friends. The strength of a dissenting opinion is to state another way of hearing the case, following your own reasoning. You do not necessarily need to quote the majority opinion.
• Be clear. You need only state the facts again if you disagree in the way they were stated before. Go straight to the point in your reasoning. A dissenting opinion's purpose is also to persuade those who disagree with you, so be persuasive.
• Make sure you have reached a clearcut conclusion. After reading your opinion, why you disagree and what you disagree about must be two things the reader will remember.

Further readings:

UK Human Rights Blog - Why we allow dissent

Lord Kerr's speech in the Birkenhead Lecture

Judicial Writing Manual (US)

Lord Denning's dissenting opinion in Candler v Crane

Some more photos of the Moot Court

Credit photos: Mathilde Guyot

Some photos of the 2014 Moot Court... (more to follow)

Photo de classe - 3e année, promo 2014 - 2015

Que sont-ils devenus?... Des nouvelles des anciens de la Licence Bilingue

Une nouvelle rubrique vient d'éclore dans votre Blog!

Aujourd'hui, des nouvelles de Manon, actuellement en LLM à l'Université de Portsmouth! A quelques heures de ferry du Havre, Portsmouth est une ville dynamique, en front de mer, où il fait bon vivre! Chaque année, les L3 y font un petit pèlerinage juridique, à la rencontre des juges et avocats...

Le mot de Manon:

"J'ai en effet intégré le LLM in Law de l'Université de Portsmouth et je dois dire que j'en suis pleinement satisfaite. Les cours sont enseignés d'une façon bien différente à la France, une grande place est laissée au dialogue entre étudiants et professeurs durant les 'seminars'. Nous avons de nombreuses présentations à faire, ce qui me permet de développer mes compétences à l'oral. La vie universitaire anglaise est plus soutenue. La bibliothèque est ouverte 24/7, des lieux spécifiques existent juste pour les étudiants (l'Union), de grands événements sont organisés sur le campus (freshers' fairs). De mon point de vue, Portsmouth est une bonne ville pour étudier. La population étudiante y est dense, on peut sortir, il y a des endroits très sympas et le campus de la fac est assez impressionnant (une vraie ville dans la ville)."

 

Si comme Manon, vous voulez nous faire partager votre expérience, n'hésitez pas à nous écrire!

 

Gunnwarf Quays et la Spinnaker Tower, l'un des meilleurs endroits de Portsmouth

The Guildhall

Université de Portsmoyth: la Business School où se déroule une partie des cours de droit
 

 

L3's Portsmouth Trip Part III- Studying the case- Mock Trial

Studying the case in the Court Room dressed up.

L3's Portsmouth Trip Part II- some more photos

Feeling proud of being French.

Front of the Crown Court

Official dinner at the Pub with four teachers of Portsmouth University.

Four L3 students and a L1 student dressed for a mock trial.

First group of students dressed for the mock trial, standing before the sits of the judges.

Second group of students dressed for the mock trial, standing before the sits of the judges.

And our French teacher...

... not so funny after all ;)

Last beer on the ferry.

Goodbye Portsmouth, see you soon !!!