IRAC案例分析方法.docx

IRAC案例分析方法.docx

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IRAC案例分析方法

IRAC案例分析方法（总6页）

TheSectionsofanIRAC

[edit]Issue

TheIRACstartswithastatementoftheissueorquestionathand.IntheissuesectionofanIRACitisimportanttostateexactlywhatthequestionoflawis.

[edit]Rules

TherulessectionofanIRACfollowsthestatementoftheissueathand.TherulesectionofanIRACisthestatementoftherulespertinentindecidingtheissuestated.Rulesinacommonlawjurisdictionderivefromcourtcaseprecedentandstatute.Theinformationincludedintherulessectiondependsheavilyonthespecificityofthequestionathand.Ifthequestionstatesaspecificjurisdictionthenitispropertoincluderulesspecifictothatjurisdiction.Anotherdistinctionoftenmadeintherulesectionisacleardelineationofrulesthatareinholdingandrulesthatareobiterdicta.Thishelpsmakeacorrectlegalanalysisoftheissueathand.Therulessectionneedstobealegalsummaryofalltherulesusedintheanalysisandisoftenwritteninamannerwhichparaphrasesorotherwiseanalyticallycondensesinformationintoapplicablerules.

[edit]Application/Analysis

Theapplication/analysissectionofanIRACappliestherulesdevelopedintherulessectiontothespecificfactsoftheissueathand.ThissectionusesonlytherulesstatedintherulessectionoftheIRACandusuallyutilizesalltherulesstatedincludingexceptionsasisrequiredbytheanalysis.Itisimportantinthissectiontoapplytherulestothefactsofthecaseandexplainorarguewhyaparticularruleappliesordoesnotapplyinthecasepresented.Theapplication/analysissectionisthemostimportantsectionofanIRACbecauseitdevelopstheanswertotheissueathand.

[edit]Conclusion

TheconclusionsectionofanIRACdirectlyanswersthequestionpresentedintheissuesectionoftheIRAC.ItisimportantforthemethodologyoftheIRACthattheconclusionsectionoftheIRACnotintroduceanynewrulesoranalysis.Thissectionrestatestheissueandprovidesthefinalanswer.

[edit]Criticism

IRAChasmanyproponentsandopponents.ThemainargumentsoftheproponentsoftheIRACmethodologysayitreduceslegalreasoningtotheapplicationofaformulathathelpsorganizethelegalanalysis.Sinceanorganizedlegalanalysisiseasiertofollowandreduceserrorsinreasoning,therefore,theproponentsarguethattheIRACisaveryusefultool.TheopponentsoftheIRACfallintotwocategories.

ThefirstcategoryarethosewhoobjecttousinganIRACbecauseofitsstrictandunwieldyformat.MostofthesecriticsofferanalternativeversionoftheIRACsuchasMIRAT,IDAR,CREAC,TREACC,CRuPAC,ISAACandILAC.EachnewiterationissupposedtocurethedefectsoftheIRACandoffermoreorlessfreedomdependingupontheformat.AverygoodexampleofsuchanalternativeformatistheCREACwhichissaidtooffermoreclarityandcongruity.Theyarguethisbasedupontherepetitionoftheconclusioninthebeginningandtheendwhichissaidtoleavenodoubtastothefinalanswerandoffercongruitytotheoverallreasoning.Italsohasanexplanationoftherulessectionwhichhelpsdelineaterulesintostatingtherulesandexplainingtherulesforfurtherclarity.

ThesecondcategoryofcriticsoftheIRACsaythatittendstoleadtooverwriting,andoversimplifyingthecomplexityofproperlegalanalysis.Thisgroupbelievesthatagoodlegalanalysisconsistsofathoughtful,careful,wellresearchedessaythatiswritteninaformatmostamiabletothewriter.Theimportanceofanopenformatamiabletothewriterissupposedtoletthelegalreasonersconcentrateonexpressingtheirargumenttothebestoftheirabilitiesinsteadofconcentratingonadheringtoastrictformatthatreducesthisfocus.

[edit]AnExampleIRAC

AgenericIRAConalawschoolexamwouldconsistofananswertoaquestion.ThefollowingexampledemonstratesagenericIRACasananswertoaquestion.

PersonAwalksintoagrocerystoreandpicksupaloafofbread.Hethenstuffsthebreadbeneathhisjacket.Asecurityattendantseeshimandfollowshimtothecashregister.PersonApassesthroughwithoutstoppingtopayforanything.Thesecurityattendantstopshimatthegate.HedetainspersonAwhileheinterrogateshim.PersonAisunresponsiveanduncooperativeandinfactdownrighthostiletothechargesbeingleveledathimbythesecurityattendant.PersonAisheldforaperiodoftwohoursattheendofwhichitisfoundthathehadactuallyputtheloafofbreadbackandwasnotstealing.PersonAsuesthegrocerystoreforfalseimprisonment.WouldpersonAprevailincourt?

Issue

TheissuehereiswhetherpersonAcouldprevailincourtbyallegingthathewasfalselyimprisoned.

Rules

MostjurisdictionsintheUnitedStatesallowrecoveryforfalseimprisonment.Thecourtslookattwoelementsindeterminingwhetherapersonhasbeenfalselyimprisoned,namelyjustcauseandauthority.Inlookingattheelementofjustcause,courtsfurtheranalyzetwofactors:

reasonablesuspicionandtheenvironmentinwhichtheactionstakeplace.

Ifapersonsuspectsthatheisbeingdeprivedofpropertylegallyattachedtohimandhecanshowthathissuspicionsarereasonablethenheissaidtohaveareasonablesuspicion.Courtsalsolookatwhethertheactivityinquestiontookplaceinanenvironmentwherestealingiscommon.Crowdedpublicplacesandshopsareconsideredtobemorejustifiableplaceswhereapersoncouldhavejustcauseforreasonablesuspicionincomparisontoprivatepropertyorsparselypopulatedareas.

Inlookingattheotherelementofauthority,thecourtstendtofavorpeopledirectlychargedwithhandlingsecurity

aspeoplewiththeauthoritytodetainapersonincomparisontoprivateindividuals.Thecourtshavemadeexceptionsinthefavorofthepersonconductingthedetentionifheisashopkeeper.Thisspecialprivilegeiscalledtheshopkeeper'sprivilege.Ingeneraltheelementofauthorityisusuallyseenasonepartofatwopartlegaljustificationforlegallyjustifiabledetention.Forexampleincasesinvolvingdetentionbyanofficerofthelaw,courtshaveruledthattheofficerhastohavebothjustcauseandauthority.Authorityinitselfisnotenough.Thesamereasoningappliestoalldetainingindividuals.Exceptionsaremadeinthecasewhereapersonofauthorityhastoconductaninvestigationwithjustcauseandcourtsusuallygrantareasonableamountoftimeindetentionforthispurpose.Herethereasonableamountoftimeapersoncanbekeptindetentionisdirectlyrelatedtothecircumstancesunderwhichthedetentiontakesplace.

Application/Analysis

PersonAwasconductinghisactivityinacrowdedplacethathappenedtobeagrocerystore.Hewasfurtherdetainedbyasecurityattendant.Thesecurityattendanthadseenhimpickupaloafofbreadandwalkpastthecashregisterwithoutpaying.Thesecurityattendantdetainedhimuntilhediscoveredthatnothefthadtakenplace.PersonAwassubsequentlyreleaseduponthisdeterminationoffact.

Acourtlookingatthesefactswouldtrytoapplythetwoelementsoffalseimprisonment.Thefirstelementoffalseimprisonmentisjustcause.Thefirstfactorofjustcauseisreasonablesuspicion.ThesecurityattendantsawpersonApickupaloafofbreadandstuffitbeneathhisjacket.Thisisanuncommonactionasmostgroceryshopcustomersusuallydonothideproduceundertheirpersonalbelongings.Thesecurityattendant,therefore,hasreasonablesuspicionbecauseareasonablepersoninhisplacewouldhavealsoconsideredthisactiontobesuspicious.PersonAfurtherwalksbythecashregisterwithoutpaying.ThesecurityattendanthasalreadyseenpersonAhidingthebreadunderhisjacketandhonestlybelievesthatpersonAisstillinpossessionoftheloafofbread.Areasonablepersoninthesecurityattendant'ssteadwouldarguablyacttostoppersonA.Thus,thisseemstosatisfythefirstfactorofthe

elementofjustcause,reasonablesuspicion.

Thesecondfactoroftheelementofjustcauseistheenvironment.Theactivitytakesplaceinagrocerystore.Agrocerystoreisusuallyaplacewhereshopliftersandotherthievesoperateregularly.Thisreducestheburdenofjustcauseplacedonthepersonperformingthedetention.Thesecurityattendanthastobeunusuallyvigilantandsuspiciousofaperson'smotivebecauseofhislocation.Thisthenseemstosatisfythesecondfactoroftheelementofjustcause,environment.

Thesecondelementoffalseimprisonmentisauthority.ThepersonperformingthedetentionofAisthesecurityattendantofthegrocerystore.Heisthepersonchargedwithsecuringthegrocerystoreanditsproperty.ThesecurityattendantseespersonAputtheloafofbreadunderneathhiscoatandwalkthroughthecheckoutwithoutpaying.Thesecurityattendantnowhastoactbecausehehasbeenchargedwiththesecurityofthestoreandhehasjustcause.ThesecurityattendantperformstheinvestigationafterheputspersonAindetentionandittakestwohours.TwohoursmightseemlikeanunreasonableamountoftimebutgiventhefactthatpersonAwasunresponsiveanduncooperativeitseemstobereasonable.ItalsoseemsasifthesecurityattendantwasdoinghisduediligenceashereleasespersonAassoonasthefactsareestablishedanditisshownthatpersonAwasnotstealingtheloafofbread.

Finallywehavetolookatthefactthatsincetheactivitytookplaceinagrocerystore,theshopkeeper'sprivilegeappliesdirectlytothesecurityattendantinchargeofsecuringthestoreanditsproperty.Thisprivilegegivesthesecurityattendantextraleewayindetainingpeopleinwhomhehasreasonablesuspicion.Mostcourtswouldleanheavilytowardsthesho