1. Br. Mahyuddin Daud Department of Laws CFS IIUM
LEGAL RESEARCH
Br. Mahyuddin Daud
Department of Laws
CFS IIUM

2. Introduction
Research skills plays an important role towards development of legal skills
Legal profession requires professionals to be familiar with research:
Lawyers (prosecutors, defense counsel etc.) - research as part and parcel of the case & argument formulation processes.
Judges – to know which laws applicable – settlement of court cases

3. Definitions
In ordinary meaning, research means an act of searching into a matter carefully and closely
Academic world : research means a systematic study or investigation of existing facts or knowledge related to any matter undertaken with the object of finding some truth or reality
Legal research (LR) : any systematic study of legal rules, principles, concepts, theories, doctrines, decided cases, legal institutions, legal issues or questions.

4. Objectives of Legal Research
To ascertain the nature, purpose and policy-objectives of legal rules and principles and determine their current relevance, adequacy or efficacy
E.g. laws designed for the benefit of farmers or fishermen, protection of children, minimise environmental polution
To identify the weakness of an existing law or defects in a particular area of law

5. To examine the nature and composition of legal institutions, objectives behind its establishment, efficacy of its working, its success or failure, and examine what changes are necessary
To compare legal provisions, principles existing in a particular legal system with a view to suggest new facts, or proposing solution to a problem

6. To study the causes that led to the adoptation of a particular law, principle or legal institution
To discover new facts, or verify old facts, or extend knowledge

7. Does LR always involve solving problems?
LR deals with some kind of problem or issue that is somewhat related to law
Issues like:
Whether there was a breach of contract?
Rights of women when husband embraces other religion
Whether euthanasia should be legal?
Not necessary that LR will always involve problem solving
Sometimes, LR is done without any problems at hand
to trace development of consumer law
To see the adequacy of present consumer protection law

8. Types of Legal Studies Descriptive and exploratory Explanatory
Analytical and critical
Historical
Comparative
*assignment – group yourselves and take one type and study them. You then will have to teach your colleagues on what you have read in this part

9. Types of Legal Research
Library
Online

10. Finding material in a law library
A law library may be described as the ‘lawyer’s workshop’ or laboratory
A researcher seeking to find law or law related information must be familiar with law library and where materials such as statutes, cases, textbooks are placed
Excellent lawyers, academics, researchers, judges spend great deal of time reading books in libraries

11. Materials in the law library
Law textbooks
Journals
Law reports
Legislations
Digests
Case citators
Legal Encyclopedias
Law dictionaries
Assignment : You are to visit your law library and try to identify these materials. Present your findings to the class.

12. Online research LexisNexis Malaysia CLJlaw.com Westlaw
Note : please bring your laptop at the class because I will show to you some websites to conduct law research.