What is Public Law?
Public law is a field of law that covers the government’s relationship with the citizens it oversees and it also considers the relationships between citizens that might have an effect on society. If the government makes a questionable decision on the rights of the individuals in society, or does not act within the law, this is where a specialist lawyer in public law might step in.
Public law can involve:
- constitutional law
- criminal law
- tax law
- human rights law
- procedural law
As a public lawyer, you will have to cover a broad range of legal sectors that coincide with your work. Cases challenging a government decision can be initiated by a citizen who is unsatisfied with the authority or who asks the court for judicial review, which will oversee, evaluate and rule on the citizen’s claim.
Public law tends to be a compulsory module at university and you can go on to study it in an LLM, at master’s level. You can then go on to qualify in the sector and practice as a lawyer. Public law can also be referred to as ‘Administrative Law’ at a professional level.
What Does the Day of a Public Lawyer Look Like?
On a day-to-day basis, a public lawyer might have to:
- Attend meetings with clients
- Work on any on-going matters
- Research and understand government policies or decisions and their respective overseeing laws
- Review previous rulings in the public law sector and compare them to your matter
- Reach out and work with experts in public policies relating to your matter
- Investigate and evaluate evidence that might be crucial to your case
- Compare your papers with previous rulings in the UK courts
- Meet with barristers to discuss and plan a matter that is going to trial
- Attend hearings in court before a judge or jury