SQE1 Legal System of England and Wales – Rules, Exceptions & Key Distinctions Cheat Sheet

 comprehensive 18-page SQE1 Legal System of England and Wales revision guide designed to help you understand, organise and quickly recall the core principles most likely to be tested in multiple-choice questions.

The resource is structured to follow the relevant SRA SQE1 Assessment Specification and Functioning Legal Knowledge (FLK) applicable.

The cheat sheet presents the subject in structured, colour-coded tables separating the general rule, exceptions, important limits, MCQ trigger words, legal effects and key distinctions.

Topics covered include:

• Sources and hierarchy of English law
• Primary and secondary legislation
• Parliamentary sovereignty
• The rule of law
• The court structure and jurisdiction
• The judicial function
• Judicial precedent
• Binding and persuasive authority
• Ratio decidendi and obiter dicta
• Statutory interpretation
• Interpretation of legislation
• The relationship between common law and equity
• The continuing relevance of EU-derived law
• Core features of the English and Welsh legal system

The guide places particular emphasis on the distinctions between closely related constitutional and legal concepts, helping candidates identify the legal effect of different sources, authorities and court decisions.

The resource is designed for use when consolidating the Legal System of England and Wales, preparing for mocks or completing final-stage revision before the SQE1 examination.

Please note: This is an independently prepared revision resource and is not affiliated with, approved by or endorsed by the SRA, Kaplan, any university, education provider or SQE training provider. It is intended as a supplementary study aid and should be used alongside the official SQE assessment specification and your main study materials.