The Student Room Group

R v Ireland, Burstow (1997)

"The decision of the house of lords in R v Ireland, Burstow (1997) has at least clarified some points about the provisions of the Offences Against the Persons Act 1861, but that does not alter the need for wholesale reform of the non-fatal offences." Discuss

I honestly have no idea as to where i should start?

This case established that assault can occur by uttering words over the phone and how the phone calls could create the fear of immediate harm.

I need help on the srtucture of the essay and the points that i should address.
Reply 1
They've basically given you your structure.

1* Discussion of Ireland and Burstow and the subsequent HoL decision and implications.
2* How and what this decision clarified in regard to the OAPA.
3* Despite the implications of 1), the ever-existing problems that exist within the OAPA and the need for reform.

By the way, Ireland and Burstow are two different cases in their original context but were addressed jointly by the HoL so you'll need to look again at the individual facts of each case.
I also wouldn't limit your discussion to Common Assault, these cases had far-reaching implications beyond one offence.
Reply 2
Thank you - that really gives me some starting points for the essay.
Any other suggestions are still welcome