2025 OCR A-LEVEL LAW H418/01 The Legal System and Criminal Law Question Paper & Mark Scheme
(Merged) June 2025 [VERIFIED]
© OCR 2025 OCR is an exempt
[603/0706/7] DC Charity Turn over
(PQ) 354755/3
, 2
SECTION A
The legal system
Answer Question 1 or Question 2. Then answer Question 3 or Question 4.
Answer Question 1 or Question 2.
1 Describe the different sources of funding for civil cases. [8]
2 Explain the community sentences available to an adult offender. [8]
Answer Question 3 or Question 4.
3 Discuss the disadvantages of the judiciary. [12]
4 Discuss the benefits of using the civil courts to solve a dispute. [12]
© OCR 2025 H418/01 Jun25
, 3
SECTION B
Criminal law
Choose Part 1 or Part 2.
Part 1
Answer the three questions.
The first two questions are about the scenarios. The scenarios are not related.
Heidi and Casey have been married for ten years when Heidi tells Casey she is divorcing him and going
to live with another man. Casey is very upset and decides to get his revenge on Heidi. He goes to a
hardware shop planning to buy some acid to throw at Heidi. While standing at the checkout with the
acid, he notices a CCTV camera and realises he is being filmed. He leaves quickly without buying the
acid. He asks his friend, Felix, a chemistry teacher, to get some acid for him. Casey tells him he needs
it to unblock a drain. Felix can see that Casey is very upset and he is suspicious about why he wants
the acid. He gives Casey a bottle of harmless liquid instead. Casey goes to Heidi’s work and when she
exits the building, he throws the contents of the bottle over her. Heidi is unharmed.
Beth is over eight months pregnant and is due to give birth in two weeks’ time. Her sister, Jane, is very
jealous of Beth because of the attention she is getting from their family. One day, Jane is helping Beth
to look for a new flat. When they are both standing on the staircase, Jane pushes Beth from behind.
Beth falls to the bottom of the stairs and is seriously injured. She is taken to hospital. While in surgery,
Beth gives birth prematurely to a baby boy. The surgeons are unable to save Beth, and she dies during
the operation due to her injuries. The baby is breathing independently but is in a critical condition. He
is quickly taken to another operating theatre on a trolley by a hospital porter. However, the porter is
going so fast that the trolley crashes into a patient. The baby falls to the floor and dies instantly.
5 Advise whether Casey is criminally liable for any attempted crimes.
Do not discuss the specific crimes. [20]
6 Advise whether Jane has the required actus reus for the murder of Beth and of the baby.
Do not discuss the mens rea of murder. [20]
Essay question on criminal law
7* ‘The current law relating to assault occasioning actual bodily harm, charged under s47 Offences
Against the Person Act 1861 is easily criticised and needs to be reformed urgently.’
Discuss the extent to which this statement is accurate. [20]
© OCR 2025 H418/01 Jun25 Turn over
, 4
Part 2
Answer the three questions.
The first two questions are about the scenarios. The scenarios are not related.
Amos is waiting in a fish and chip shop when he notices that Ben, the owner, has left the cash till
open. He decides to steal some money from the till and goes behind the counter. However, as he
approaches the cash till, Ben returns from the storeroom and sees Amos behind the counter. Amos
panics and runs out of the shop. Ben shouts after Amos, “Don’t you come back in here! You’re
banned!” Later, Amos realises that he has left his wallet on the counter of the fish and chip shop. He
goes back and as he can’t see Ben, goes inside. He cannot see his wallet, but in front of the counter
is a fridge. He decides he will take a bottle of water from the fridge and leave without paying for it.
However, when he tries to open the fridge he finds that it is locked.
Rishi’s hobby is playing video games. He wants to buy the latest instalment of his favourite game, but
he has no money to pay for it. He decides to steal a copy from a video games shop. Rishi is nervous
about stealing the game so drinks several beers to overcome his fears. Rishi does not realise how
strong the beer is. He goes into the shop and puts a copy of the video game under his shirt before
walking out without paying. Felix works in the shop. He suffers badly with anxiety. His doctor has
prescribed a sedative drug to help with the anxiety. On this occasion, the drug has had an unusual
side effect which makes Felix feel confused and angry. When he sees Rishi walk out the shop without
paying for the video game, he chases after him. Felix punches Rishi and knocks him to the ground,
breaking his pelvis. Felix cannot remember anything about the incident.
8 Advise whether Amos is criminally liable for burglary. [20]
9 Advise whether Rishi and Felix can avoid liability for any offences using the defence of intoxication.
Do not discuss the specific crimes. [20]
Essay question on criminal law
10* ‘The current law relating to assault occasioning actual bodily harm, charged under s47 Offences
Against the Person Act 1861 is easily criticised and needs to be reformed urgently.’
Discuss the extent to which this statement is accurate. [20]
END OF QUESTION PAPER
© OCR 2025 H418/01 Jun25
(Merged) June 2025 [VERIFIED]
© OCR 2025 OCR is an exempt
[603/0706/7] DC Charity Turn over
(PQ) 354755/3
, 2
SECTION A
The legal system
Answer Question 1 or Question 2. Then answer Question 3 or Question 4.
Answer Question 1 or Question 2.
1 Describe the different sources of funding for civil cases. [8]
2 Explain the community sentences available to an adult offender. [8]
Answer Question 3 or Question 4.
3 Discuss the disadvantages of the judiciary. [12]
4 Discuss the benefits of using the civil courts to solve a dispute. [12]
© OCR 2025 H418/01 Jun25
, 3
SECTION B
Criminal law
Choose Part 1 or Part 2.
Part 1
Answer the three questions.
The first two questions are about the scenarios. The scenarios are not related.
Heidi and Casey have been married for ten years when Heidi tells Casey she is divorcing him and going
to live with another man. Casey is very upset and decides to get his revenge on Heidi. He goes to a
hardware shop planning to buy some acid to throw at Heidi. While standing at the checkout with the
acid, he notices a CCTV camera and realises he is being filmed. He leaves quickly without buying the
acid. He asks his friend, Felix, a chemistry teacher, to get some acid for him. Casey tells him he needs
it to unblock a drain. Felix can see that Casey is very upset and he is suspicious about why he wants
the acid. He gives Casey a bottle of harmless liquid instead. Casey goes to Heidi’s work and when she
exits the building, he throws the contents of the bottle over her. Heidi is unharmed.
Beth is over eight months pregnant and is due to give birth in two weeks’ time. Her sister, Jane, is very
jealous of Beth because of the attention she is getting from their family. One day, Jane is helping Beth
to look for a new flat. When they are both standing on the staircase, Jane pushes Beth from behind.
Beth falls to the bottom of the stairs and is seriously injured. She is taken to hospital. While in surgery,
Beth gives birth prematurely to a baby boy. The surgeons are unable to save Beth, and she dies during
the operation due to her injuries. The baby is breathing independently but is in a critical condition. He
is quickly taken to another operating theatre on a trolley by a hospital porter. However, the porter is
going so fast that the trolley crashes into a patient. The baby falls to the floor and dies instantly.
5 Advise whether Casey is criminally liable for any attempted crimes.
Do not discuss the specific crimes. [20]
6 Advise whether Jane has the required actus reus for the murder of Beth and of the baby.
Do not discuss the mens rea of murder. [20]
Essay question on criminal law
7* ‘The current law relating to assault occasioning actual bodily harm, charged under s47 Offences
Against the Person Act 1861 is easily criticised and needs to be reformed urgently.’
Discuss the extent to which this statement is accurate. [20]
© OCR 2025 H418/01 Jun25 Turn over
, 4
Part 2
Answer the three questions.
The first two questions are about the scenarios. The scenarios are not related.
Amos is waiting in a fish and chip shop when he notices that Ben, the owner, has left the cash till
open. He decides to steal some money from the till and goes behind the counter. However, as he
approaches the cash till, Ben returns from the storeroom and sees Amos behind the counter. Amos
panics and runs out of the shop. Ben shouts after Amos, “Don’t you come back in here! You’re
banned!” Later, Amos realises that he has left his wallet on the counter of the fish and chip shop. He
goes back and as he can’t see Ben, goes inside. He cannot see his wallet, but in front of the counter
is a fridge. He decides he will take a bottle of water from the fridge and leave without paying for it.
However, when he tries to open the fridge he finds that it is locked.
Rishi’s hobby is playing video games. He wants to buy the latest instalment of his favourite game, but
he has no money to pay for it. He decides to steal a copy from a video games shop. Rishi is nervous
about stealing the game so drinks several beers to overcome his fears. Rishi does not realise how
strong the beer is. He goes into the shop and puts a copy of the video game under his shirt before
walking out without paying. Felix works in the shop. He suffers badly with anxiety. His doctor has
prescribed a sedative drug to help with the anxiety. On this occasion, the drug has had an unusual
side effect which makes Felix feel confused and angry. When he sees Rishi walk out the shop without
paying for the video game, he chases after him. Felix punches Rishi and knocks him to the ground,
breaking his pelvis. Felix cannot remember anything about the incident.
8 Advise whether Amos is criminally liable for burglary. [20]
9 Advise whether Rishi and Felix can avoid liability for any offences using the defence of intoxication.
Do not discuss the specific crimes. [20]
Essay question on criminal law
10* ‘The current law relating to assault occasioning actual bodily harm, charged under s47 Offences
Against the Person Act 1861 is easily criticised and needs to be reformed urgently.’
Discuss the extent to which this statement is accurate. [20]
END OF QUESTION PAPER
© OCR 2025 H418/01 Jun25
