Bar Manual ([2003/2004 ed.])

Thorough preparation is the vital first step to winning a case.

This manual sets out practical advice on how to discover the relevant law and how to manage the facts in order to present a convincing case.

Efficient legal research is an essential skill for the barrister.

The important aspects of legal research, such as identifying "key words", ensuring research is up to date, and using both hard copy and computer databases are fully explained.

This part of the manual has been fully revised to address the current availability of electronic research resources and to provide practical advice on efficient, reliable and up-to-date research.Another necessary skill in the preparation of a successful case is that of fact management.

A legal action arises from a set of facts which must be mastered by the barrister before a solution can be proposed.

Fact management skills are explained within the manual by using the systematic C.A.P. approach: Stage 1, understand the CONTEXT; Stage 2, ANALYZE the issues and evidence; Stage 3, PRESENT the argument.

The manual uses realistic sets of papers which demonstrate this step-by-step approach for effective preparation of both civil and criminal cases.