CONSTITUTIONAL LAW 312
MEMORANDUM – MEETING WITH WRITING CONSULTANTS [AFRIKAANS FOLLOWS BELOW]
Tuesday, 13 March 2018
The Law Faculty’s Writing Consultants have received a number of questions from students and/or have detected a number of potential issues/concerns during their student consultations regarding the preparation of the applied writing assignment (‘AWA’) for Constitutional Law 312. As a point of departure, we would like to encourage students participating in Constitutional Law 312 to please consult the following resources again (1) the Applied Writing Assignment Guidelines and Case Study (‘Guidelines’); and (2) the entire 2018 Faculty of Law Writing Guide (‘Writing Guide’), but especially (i) pages 66-98 (Faculty’s referencing guidelines); and (ii) pages 112-122 (Faculty’s guidelines for drafting heads of arguments). Please see below for a summary of the key points discussed during our meeting:
1 Structure and headings
1 1 What type of headings should students use in their AWAs?
- You are encouraged to please consult Annexures B and C of Guidelines for examples of the relevant headings and subheadings, as well as applicable formatting.
- You should not number your headings or subheadings, as per the examples in Annexures B and C of the Guidelines. Use ‘bold’ and ‘normal’ formatting to distinguish between headings and sub-headings.
- However, you must remember to number your paragraphs.
- Please do not be tempted to deviate from the examples provided in Annexures B and C of the Guidelines based on other examples of heads of arguments that you may have come across during the course of your research.
1 2 How should students apply headings in their AWAs?
- You are encouraged to use headings and subheadings in a functional manner that clearly illustrates the progression, development and structure of your arguments and assignment.
- If you make use of subheadings, remember to avoid using only a single sub-heading in a particular section. When using subheadings, you must have a minimum of two or more sub-headings per section. Each heading or subheading must also closely relate to the content/topic of the subsequent paragraph(s).
2 Discussion of the facts/factual background
- You are encouraged to consult section 3 2 of the Faculty Writing Guide again, which deals specifically with the ‘background’ or ‘identification of the material facts’ in preparation for your AWA.
- While it is important to set out the material facts chronologically, thoughtfully and persuasively, you are encouraged to keep this section as concise as possible – state the facts that are relevant for the arguments that you advance.
- Where necessary, you can cross-refer to relevant paragraphs in the case study as, for example, the ‘statement of facts’ (and relevant paragraph numbers) e.g., Para 14 of the statement of facts.
- You should preferably not use more than one (1) page of your allotted ten (10) pages for the assignment to set out the (i) facts/factual background; (ii) main legal issues; (iii) applicable legal framework; and (iv) a brief overview of the structure of your heads of argument.
3 Substantive v procedural aspects
- You are encouraged to focus on the substantive aspects of your AWA. Although the procedural aspects of heads of argument are relevant and important in practice, this does not represent the focus/purpose of this particular AWA.
- The AWA is aimed at assessing your ability to critically read, understand, and apply the prescribed materials to a problem in the area of constitutional human rights law.
- In other words, you can – for example – assume that the parties in the case study have locus standi and you do not have to deal with issues associated with costs or further relief etc.
- Moreover, you do not have to motivate the remedies that are sought. Focus on the legal arguments and supporting facts to justify the remedies that the parties are seeking.
4 Sources and referencing
- You must focus on the sources that have been prescribed for purposes of the AWA. You are not required to undertake extensive independent research for the AWA. Please consult sections 2.2 and 5 of the Guidelines.
- You are encouraged not to neglect the legislation and draft legislation that has been prescribed for purposes of the AWA.
- If you want to refer to a generally accepted historical or scientific fact, please ensure that the source is referenced correctly. Please consult pages 66-98 of the Writing Guide.
- You are reminded that the technical aspects of your AWA count 40% of your final mark. Please be consistent regarding the technical aspects of your AWA.
- Examples of how to reference the Housing Code can be found in both the Guidelines and Writing Guide (see section 3 11 2). Whichever approach you prefer, please use it consistently.
5 Appointments with the writing consultants
- You are reminded that you are only permitted to make two (2) appointments with a writing consultant per module.
- Please ensure that you arrive at your appointment prepared, with a set of questions that you would like to discuss during the consultation.
- Please bring a printed draft of your assignment with you to the consultation.
STAATSREG 312
MEMORANDUM – VERGADERING MET SKRYFKONSULTANTE
Dinsdag, 13 Maart 2018
Die Regsfakulteit se Skryfkonsultante het ‘n aantal vrae ontvang en/of het ‘n aantal potensiële kwessies gedurende hul studente konsultasies opgelet met betrekking tot die voorbereiding van die toegepaste skryfopdrag (‘TSO’) vir Staatsreg 312. As vertrekpunt wil ons studente wat aan Staatsreg 312 deelneem, aanmoedig om asseblief die volgende hulpbronne weer te raadpleeg (1) die Toegepaste Skryfopdrag Riglyne en Gevallestudie (‘Riglyne’); en (2) die 2018 Regsfakulteit Skryfgids (‘Skryfgids’) in sy geheel, maar veral (i) bladsye 77-108 (stylriglyne vir verwysings); en (ii) bladsye 124-134 (riglyne vir die opstel van hoofde van betoog). Sien asseblief onder vir ‘n opsomming van die kernpunte wat tydens ons vergadering bespreek is:
1 Struktuur en opskrifte
1 1 Watter tipe opskrifte moet in die TSO gebruik word?
- U word aangemoedig om asseblief Aanhangsels B en C van die Riglyne te raadpleeg vir voorbeelde van die tersaaklike opskrifte en sub-opskrifte, asook die toepaslike formaat.
- U moet nie u opskrifte of sub-opskrifte nommer nie, soos per die voorbeelde in Aanhangsels B en C van die Riglyne. Gebruik die vetdruk (“bold”) en normale formaat om opskrifte van sub-opskrifte te onderskei.
- U moet egter onthou om u paragrawe te nommer.
- Moet asseblief nie van die voorbeelde in Aanhangsels B en C van die Riglyne afwyk nie weens ander voorbeelde van hoofde van betoë wat u in die verloop van u navorsing teëgekom het nie.
1 2 Hoe moet student opskrifte in hul TSOe toepas?
- U word aangemoedig om opskrifte en sub-opskrifte op ‘n funksionele wyse, wat duidelik die verloop, ontwikkeling en struktuur van u argumente en opdrag illustreer, te gebruik.
- Indien u van sub-opskrifte gebruik maak, onthou om nie slegs ‘n enkele sub-opskrif in ‘n afdeling te gebruik nie. Wanneer u sub-opskrifte gebruik, moet u minstes twee of meer sub-opskrifte per afdeling inkorporeer. Elke opskrif en sub-opskrif moet ook verband hou met die inhoud/onderwerp van die daaropvolgende paragraaf/paragrawe.
2 Bespreking van die feite/feitelike agtergrond
- U word aangemoedig om afdeling 3 2 van die Skryfgids te raadpleeg. Dit handel spesifiek oor die ‘agtergrond’ of ‘identifisering van die wesenlike feite’ ter voorbereiding van u TSO.
- Alhoewel dit belangrik is om die wesenlike feite chronologies, deeglik en oortuigend uiteen te sit, word u aangemoedig om hierdie afdeling so kort as moontlik te hou – stel slegs die feite wat vir die argumente wat u aanvoer relevant is.
- Waar nodig, kan u kruisverwys na tersaaklike paragrawe in die gevallestudie as, byvoorbeeld, die ‘feitestelling’ (en betrokke paragraaf nommers) bv. Para 14 van die feitestelling.
- U moet verkieslik nie meer as een (1) van die tien (10) bladsye wat aan u vir die opdrag toegestaan is, gebruik om die (i) feite/feitelike agtergrond; (ii) hoof regskwessies/vrae; (iii) toepaslike regsraamwerk; en (iv) ‘n kort oorsig van die struktuur u hoofde van betoog uiteen te sit nie.
3 Substantiewe v prosedurele aspekte
- U word aangemoedig om op die substantiewe aspekte van u TSO te fokus. Alhoewel die prosedurele aspekte van hoofde van betoog in die praktyk tersaaklike en belangrik is, verteenwoordig dit nie die fokus/doel van hierdie TSO nie.
- Die TSO is daarop gemik om u vermoë om die voorgeskrewe materiaal krities te lees, verstaan, en op ‘n area van grondwetlike menseregtereg toe te pas.
- Met ander woorde, u kan – byvoorbeeld – aanvaar dat die partye in die gevallestudie locus standi het en u hoef nie kwessies wat verband hou met kostes of verdere regshulp ens. aan te spreek nie.
- Verder hoef u ook nie die remedies wat aangevra word te motiveer nie. Fokus eerder op die regsargumente en ondersteunende feite om die partye se remedies te regverdig.
4 Bronne en verwysings
- U moet op die bronne wat vir doeleindes van die TSO voorgeskryf is, fokus. Daar word nie van u vereis om omvangryke onafhanklike navorsing vir die TSO te doen nie. Raadpleeg asseblief afdelings 2.2 en 5 van die Riglyne.
- U word aangemoedig om nie die wetgewing en konsep wetgewing wat vir doeleindes van die TSO voorgeskryf is, te verontagsaam nie.
- Indien u na ‘n algemeen aanvaarde historiese of wetenskaplike feit wil verwys, maak seker dat die bronverwysing korrek is. Raadpleeg asseblief bladsye 66-98 van die Skryfgids.
- U word daaraan herinner dat die tegniese aspekte van u TSO 40% van u finale punt uitmaak. Wees asseblief konsekwent wat die tegniese aspekte van u TSO betref.
- Voorbeelde van hoe om na die Behuisingskode te verwys, kan in beide die Riglyne en Skryfgids (sien afdeling 3 11 2) gevind word. Watter benadering u ook al verkies, gebruik dit asseblief konsekwent.
5 Afsprake met die skryfkonsultante
- U word daaraan herinner dat u slegs twee (2) afsprake per module met ‘n skryfkonsultant kan maak.
- Maak asseblief seker dat u voorbereid by u afspraak opdaag, met ‘n stel vrae wat u gedurende die konsultasie wil bespreek.
- Bring asseblief ‘n uitgedrukte afskrif van die opdrag saam met u na die konsultasie.
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