Legal musings

My eyes slide to the pile of papers haphazardly strewn all over the desk, then to the files, books and folders scattered on the carpet. One laptop sits casually, charger plugged in. The other sits on the desk, an ample distraction if ever necessary.

Duress involves the illegitimate pressure exerted on a victim, and the pressure must have coerced the victim into undertaking a contractual obligation. A mortgage can be registered...but would charging a high interest rate be deemed "oppressive" under the CCCFA? A contract perhaps can be cancelled, but your client would want a remedy. Or an order for specific performance. Why not have both? What if your client is a rapist and seeks you to defend him? Seek to ensure that the trial judge has given the appropriate directions; and would you want to plea? Ah ah, perhaps you have conspired - conspired to murder instead. Are you insane? Do you want to plead insanity as a defence? Of course you can, but the consequences can be dire. If you venture into the realm of Public Law, perhaps you may be looking for a judicial review. Illegitimacy. Natural justice. Unreasonableness. Look to the statute, look to the law - for the statute is absolute, as is Parliament. Sovereignty. Crown. 

The journey has been far more challenging than I have thought it to be. 

With more than a thousand pages of of readings and several hundreds of cases and probably hundreds of statutes, all I can ask myself silently was: what have I done?

It is inevitable. I chose this path. I will not back out.

The path of a second year law student is well-known, at least in this university, to be the most back-breaking one of all. All first years go through the elimination process specifically for this purpose - if you are not good enough, it would be well better if you chose not to attempt second year at all.

They make you do the evil deed - compulsory papers. Property, Contract, Criminal, Public.

My eyes glance to the certificates on my wall; the awards I have achieved. I think back about the trophies gathering dust back home, my vague memories of CHS and everything in between.

The past me would have admired my current self...probably.

Respectable.

Hardworking.

Plundering through texts like some sort of freaking scholar.

I want to do so much.

There are differences - each field of law appeals to people in different ways. My friends love Contract. Some hate it. Some find Criminal difficult; some find Property appealing. I hate Property. I dislike Contract. I am good at Public, I am relatively decent in Criminal.

"You were born to be a Crown Prosecutor."

Could I be one?

I am so used to deferring the hard decisions - think about them later, I say.

I said that two years ago.

Now the time has come.

To choose. To delve. To explore.

I wanted to do International Law. Work in the United Nations. Be some advocate or some shit writing up policies. Maybe work for the government in areas of national policy. Maybe my other Arts degree of Politics will be of some use. I miss them. I can't wait to get into my Politics papers again. But maybe I could work for the Crown...be a Crown Prosecutor. Instead of defending criminals, I punish them.

Justice.

How nice, to be a sword of justice.

But it is not. The Court is a playing field of legal terms and legal arguments, and it is far different from what everyone imagines it to be.

Delivering my plea in mitigation was one of those challenging experiences. I dressed up smartly, lawyer-in-training-ish, stood in the District Court, and looked at the acting judge in the eye. Then, taking a deep breath, I began.

"As it pleases the Court, Counsel's name is Ms. Lim."

I participated in the mooting competition.

"Your Honour, it is the appellant's contention that Article 45 should be included in the contract. As the case of Interfoto v Stilletto Picture Library states..."

Now as the end of the year draws near, I am faced with terrible decisions, mounting stress, and more hard decisions. I am faced with the little hurdles of life, and they make everything seem so much harder.

I'm waiting for the breakthrough. But I realize that can't come without hard work.

Steer the wheel, Anne.

You have to see this job to the end. 

And when it comes, you will fall and pick yourself up for another new day. 

I wouldn't do it by myself, though.

I will have the person who means the most to me by my side.