LEGALBREIFONCASES

Problem4Group4:
I.

WiththeaidoftheCriminalProcedureCodeanddecidedcasesdiscusstherules
andguidelinesapplicabletobailbondandbailpendingappeal.

II.

YouarethestatecounselassignedbytheDirectorofProsecutionstoKeelaLaw
courts.Inanumberofcriminalcasesyouprosecute,accusedpersonscomplain
thatafterbeingarrestedonsuspicionofcommissionofcriminaloffences,theyare
heldinpolicecustodyforlongandnotarraignedincourtwithintwentyfour(24)
hoursofbeingarrested.Prepareadetailedlegalbriefbasedoncaselawsetting
out reasons orsituations justifyingthe nonarraignment ofaccusedpersons in
courtwithin24hrsofbeingarrested.

Memo
TO:DirectorOfpublicProsecutions
FROM:LincolnOonge,MilkahKamanja,MaryMugwe(SC)
RE:ClaimbyaccusedpersonsinKeelaonbreachoffundamentalrightsarticle49(f)
DATE:September30,2016
QUESTIONPRESENTED
UnderKenyanlaw,aretherejustifiablereasonsthatadelaycanbelegitimatelyallowed
inthepresentationofanaccusedpersoninacourtoflaw.Arerightsunderarticle49(f)
absolute,oraretheylimitablewithintheconfinesoftheconstitution.
SHORTANSWER

Yes,wheretherearejustifiablereasons,rightsundertheconstitutionarelimitable,the
lawmustbereadcomprehensivelyandnotinisolationandmustbeappliedaccordingly.

FACTS
Accusedpersonswerearrestedonsuspicionofcommissionofcriminaloffences.
Subsequentlyafteradmissiontopolicecustodytherehappenedtobeadelayin
theirarraignmentincourt.Theaccusedpersonshavepresentedacomplaintbased
onthedelay.
DISCUSSION
ItisenshrinedintheconstitutioninArticle49(f)whichstates;
Anarrestedpersonhastheright;
i.

Tobebroughtbeforecourtassoonasreasonablypossible,butnotlaterthan

ii.

twentyfourhoursafterbeingarrested;or
Tobebroughtbeforecourtassoonasreasonablypossible,butnotlaterthanifthe
twentyfourhoursendsoutsideordinarycourthours,oronadaythatisnotan
ordinarycourtday,theendofthenextcourtday;

Itisthereforeacknowledgeablethattheserightsarefundamental.Thisprovisionhowever
allows,first,forthedelaysininstanceswherearrestsaremadeoutsideordinarycourt
hours.Furtherinvestigationsmayneedtobeconductedonwhetherthiswasthecase,but
itisclearlyoutlinedthattherearespecificcircumstanceswhereacourtwouldinthe
courseofproceedingsallowforadelayinthepresentationofanaccusedpersonoutside
ofthe24hrlimit.
Article24oftheconstitutionfurtherallowsforthelimitationofrights
(1)ArightorfundamentalfreedomintheBillofRightsshallnotbelimitedexceptby
law,andthenonlytotheextentthatthelimitationisreasonableandjustifiableinanopen
anddemocraticsocietybasedonhumandignity,equalityandfreedom,takinginto
accountallrelevantfactors,including

(a)thenatureoftherightorfundamentalfreedom;
(b)theimportanceofthepurposeofthelimitation;
(c)thenatureandextentofthelimitation;
(d)theneedtoensurethattheenjoymentofrightsandfundamentalfreedomsbyany
individualdoesnotprejudicetherightsandfundamentalfreedomsofothers;and
(e)therelationbetweenthelimitationanditspurposeandwhetherthereareless
restrictivemeanstoachievethepurpose.
Thiswouldmeanthattheserightsundercertaincircumstancescouldbelimitedby
legislationorwherethereisjustifiablecausetolimitthemorwheretherewere
unavoidablecircumstancesthatresultedinthebreachofthoserights.Therehasbeen
precedenceinsupportofthis.

CONCLUSION
Onthesefacts,thecourtwillprobablyfindthattheclaimanthasfailedtostateacauseof
actionforbreachofcontractbecausetheaddidnotconstituteanofferbutmerelyan
invitationtonegotiate.
1)Thequestionpresentedstatesthequestion(s)thememoistoaddress:howdoesthe
relevantlawapplytothekeyfactsoftheresearchproblem?Thequestionshouldbe
sufficientlynarrowandshouldbeobjective.
2)Generally,includethenameofthejurisdictioninvolved,e.g.,NewYork,theSecond
Circuit,etc.
3)The Question Presented is usually one sentence. It often begins: "Whether...." or
"Does...."Here,thewriterhaschosen"did."Althoughquestionsareusuallyframedso
thattheycanbeansweredyesorno(orprobablyyesorprobablyno),sometimesthey
cannot(suchas"UnderNewYorklaw,hasaretailermadeabindingofferwhen...?").

4)Theauthorofthismemohasbeencarefulnottouselanguagethatassumestheanswer
tothelegalquestionitraises.Here,sincethequestionpresentedisdesignedtohighlight
whetherthefactsindicatethataformalcontractofferhasbeenmade,youwouldnotuse
theterm"offer"inframingthequestion,i.e.,youwouldnotwrite"Didanadvertising
circulardescribingmerchandiseconstituteanofferwhenitofferedthemerchandisefor
salestartingatadesignateddateandtime?"becausethatformulationofthequestion
assumesalegalconclusionthattheconductatissuemeetstherequirementsofanoffer.
Rather,reserveyourlegalconclusions(here,whetherornottheadvertisementconstituted
aformaloffer)fortheshortanswersection.
5)Here,notehowthewriterhasconstructedthequestioninthismemotoalertthereader
tothefollowingfacts:descriptionofmerchandiseinanadvertisingcircular,statementin
circularthatitemisa"manufacturerscloseout,"statementincircularindicatingthatthe
earlyshopperwillberewarded.
Althoughthe"questionpresented"sectionisshort,itmust(i)provideaconcisereference
tothelegalclaimandrelevantdoctrineand(ii)incorporatethemostlegallysignificant
factsofyourcase.Acompleteandwellbalancedquestionpresentedisincisiveit
immediatelygetstotheheartofthelegalquestionanditorientsthereadertothe
factualcontext.
Youmaynotbesurewhichfactsaremostlegallysignificantwhenyoufirststartwriting
thememo.Yourthinkingmaybecomeclearerandbetterorganizedasthewriting
proceeds.Youwouldascertainwhichfactsarelegallysignificantbyreferringtothe
factualcriteria(basedonelementsorfactors)inthelegalauthorityrelevanttothe
questione.g.,statutesorcaselaw.Forthisreason,manypeopledonotwritethefinal
versionofthequestionpresented(ortheshortanswer)untiltheyhavealmostcompleted
the"discussion"sectionofthememo.
6)Theshortanswercontainsaclearanswertothequestion(i.e.,aprediction)andan
explanationofthatanswer.Thebalanceddescriptionoflawandfactthatyouprovidein
the question presented should be mirrored in the short answer.

Theshortanswerservestwofunctions:
(i)itprovideshurriedreaderswithanaccessible,bottomlinepredictionaswellasthe
coreoftherelevantlawandfacts;and(ii)itprovidesthemorethoroughreaderswithan
outlineordigestofyoursubsequentdiscussionsection.Theshortanswershouldfunction
asaroadmaptohelpreadersfeelorientedwhentheymoveontothediscussion.
7)Begin the short answer with your conclusion: yes, no, probably yes, etc., if the
questioncanbeansweredthatway.Thengiveabrief(usuallynomorethanfourorfive
sentenceslong)selfcontainedexplanationofthereasonsforyourconclusion,applying
theruletothefactsofyourcase.Asageneralrule,includenocitations.
8)Thefactssectioncontainsallthefactualpremisesuponwhichyoursubsequentlegal
analysisisbased.Certainly,allthefactscitedintheapplicationsection(The"A"in
IRACorCRRACC)ofyourdiscussionshouldbepresentedaspartofthestorytoldinthe
facts

section.

Bearinmindthatthebusylawtrainedreaderwillvalueconcisenessinthissection,sotry
topresentonlythosefactsthatarelegallysignificantorthatarenecessarytomakethe
problemclear.Atthesametime,bearinmindthattheofficememoshouldbeastand
alonedocumentthatcanfullyinformanycolleagueinyourlawofficewhomayreadit;
therefore,thefactssectionshouldalwayscontainafullandcoherentrecitationofthe
relevant facts,whether or not the principal reader ofthe memo already knows them
(unless,ofcourse,youwereinstructedtodootherwise).
9)Itishelpfultothereadertopresentthefactsaccordingtosomeorganizationalscheme.
Inthismemo,thewriterhasaddressedtheheartoftheincidenttheadvertisement,the
saleofthecoats,thearrivaloftheunhappyshopperinchronologicalorderinthefirst
paragraph;asecondparagraphcollectsrelevantbackgroundinformationabouttheclient.
Inyourownmemo,youcanrecountthefactscompletelychronologically,youcanputthe
mostimportantincidentsorfactsfirst,oryoucanclusterthefactsintodiscretetopicsif
the facts are complex and if this is the easiest way to understand them. Choose the

organizationalschemethatyouthinkwillmakethefactsmostclearandmemorabletothe
reader.
10)Inyourfactsection,besuretospecifywhatlegalclaimsarebeingconsideredorare
beingbrought,andbesuretodescribeanylegalproceedingsthathavealreadytaken
place.
11)Identifyyourclientandbrieflydescribeyourclientsgoalorproblem.
12)Sincememowritingispredictivewriting,youshouldtrytomaintainanobjectiveand
impartialtoneasyourecountthefacts.Thisisnottosaythatyoushouldomitfactsthat
haveanemotionalimpact.Rather,thefactssectionofanofficememoshouldnotbe
written in a tone that conveys a preference for a particular theory of the case, that
implicitly advocates for one side in the dispute, or that telegraphs any of the legal
conclusionstobedrawninthediscussionsection.Sinceyouarenotadvocatingforany
side,yououghtnotcolororcharacterizethefactsasyouwouldifyouwerewritinga
brief.Also,donotcommentuponthefactsinthefactssectionordiscusshowthelaw
willapplytothem.
13)Theumbrellasectionofthediscussionintroducesorprefacesyourfirstsectionofin
depth legal analysis; for example, it restates the key facts and issue presented, and
introducestheoverarchinglegalrule.Notehowthewriteralertsthereadertothekey
point of the doctrine, that general advertisements are treated in law as invitations to
negotiate,notoffers.
14)Therulestatementsynthesizeskeyelementsofthecasesrelevanttotheissuein
yourcaseintoageneralstatementoftherule.Toproduceanaccurateandwellcrafted
rulestatement,youmusthaveagoodunderstandingoftheexistinglegalauthorityon
whichyourrulestatementisbased.
15)Notehowthewriterpullstogetherkeycasesthatcomprisetherule,thenidentifiesthe
standardofinquirybywhichcourtsapplytherule.
16)Iftherulestatementservesasthethesissentenceforalongerdiscussionaboutalegal
rule that has developed overtimein aseries ofcases,therule proofserves as your
explanation

and

elaboration

of

that

thesis

sentence.

Noteasyoureadthissectionhowthewriterfleshesoutthefacts,holding,andreasoning
oftheSchenectadyStoveCo.andLovettcases,focusingonfactsthataresimilartothe
Lomancase.
17)A goodapplicationsection weaves the cases into your facts. Language from the
casesshouldbeprominentandwovenintoyourdiscussionofthesefacts.Intherule
proofyoudiscusscasestosupporttherulestatement.Intheapplicationsection,you
mightdrawanalogiesorcontrastsbetweenthecasesdiscussedintheruleproofandyour
factsasawaytoreachyourconclusion.
18)Notehowthewriterfocusesonthespecificsofthelanguageoftheadvertisement.
19)NotehowthewriterdrawsadirectcomparisontosimilarfactsintheLovettcase.
20)The use of acounterargumentis a good way to convey that the existing legal
authorityisnotclear,unequivocal,orunifiedwhenappliedtofactslikeyours.Itmaybe
thecasethatyoucannotpredictwithcertaintytheoutcomeofyourcase,givenyourfacts.
21)Note here how the writer points to the absence of limiting language in the
advertisement to support an argument that a shopper would be led to believe that
appearingattheappointedtimewassufficienttoqualifyforthereducedpriceitem.
22)Inalonger,morecomplexdiscussion,includehereashortstatementofyourposition
on the question or issue explored in a given IRAC (or CRRACC) unit
yourconclusionforthatunit.
23)Theoverallconclusioncontainsasummaryofthemainpointsofyouranalysis.In
yourapplicationsectionyoumayhavestruggledwithareasofuncertaintyinthelegal
doctrine and/or competing policy rationales. You may have also grappled with a
seeminglycontradictoryassortmentoffacts:someseemtofitintotherequirementsofthe
rule; others suggest that the rule is not satisfied. You may have weighed arguments
againstcounterarguments.Afteryouhavedoneallthis,youmusttakeapositionand
makeastatementabouthowthecourtwillapplythelaw.Giventhemorefullyfleshed
out short answer, the writer here has opted for a brief restatement of the ultimate
conclusion.

24)Asalegalwriter,ithelpstohaveanassortmentofqualifierstoacknowledgehow
certainoruncertainyouareoftheactualjudicialoutcome.Yourconclusioncanconvey
thatyouarecompletelyconfidentthecourtwillruleasyoupredictorthat,giventhestate
ofthelegalauthority,theoutcomeisreallyatossupandcouldgoeitherway.Oryoucan
conveyanylevelofconfidenceinbetween.Keepinmindthatthereaderwillbejudging
yourcredibilityasalegalthinkerbasedon(amongotherthings)thecongruityofyour
tonewiththedataathand.