IRAC — Issue, Rule, Application, Conclusion — is the foundational analytical framework for UK law essays and problem questions. Understanding what each section requires is straightforward. Executing the Application section at the standard your marker expects is where most students fall short. This guide addresses both.
Issue — identifying what is actually in dispute
The Issue section requires you to identify the specific legal question that needs to be resolved. Not the general area of law, not the topic of the essay, but the precise legal issue. In a problem question, this means reading the scenario carefully and identifying the legal event: is there a contract? Has a tort been committed? Is there a valid defence? A weak Issue section states the subject matter ('This question concerns negligence'). A strong one identifies the dispute ('The central issue is whether D owed a duty of care to C as a third party, and whether that duty was breached under the Caparo three-stage test').
Rule — stating the law precisely
The Rule section states the relevant legal rules — the statute, the common law principle, or the test established by case law. You must cite your authority correctly in OSCOLA format. Cases are italicised: Donoghue v Stevenson [1932] AC 562. Statutes are not italicised: Occupiers' Liability Act 1957, s 2. The Rule section should be concise. You are not writing a textbook explanation of the law. You are identifying the specific rule that applies to the specific issue you have identified. One to three sentences per rule is usually sufficient.
Application — where marks are won and lost
Application is the most important section and the most commonly underdeveloped. This is where you apply the legal rule to the specific facts of the problem. The most common error is repeating the rule rather than applying it. Compare these: Weak: 'Under the neighbour principle, a duty of care exists where harm is foreseeable.' This restates the rule. Strong: 'D's failure to inspect the tyre before the journey satisfies the foreseeability limb of the Caparo test: a reasonable person in D's position would have anticipated that an uninspected tyre on a motorway journey presented a foreseeable risk of harm to other road users, including C.' This applies the rule to these facts.
Conclusion — direct and unambiguous
The Conclusion section gives a direct answer to the Issue. Not a summary of everything you've said, not a 'on the one hand, on the other hand' hedge. A direct answer: 'D is likely to be found liable in negligence.' or 'The contract is voidable for misrepresentation under s 2(1) of the Misrepresentation Act 1967.' UK law markers reward intellectual confidence. They are not looking for certainty — law is rarely certain — but they are looking for a reasoned conclusion that directly engages with the issue.
Applying IRAC to an essay rather than a problem question
In essay questions ('Critically evaluate...', 'To what extent...', 'Discuss...'), IRAC maps onto argument structure rather than legal analysis. The Issue becomes your thesis — the debatable claim your essay will defend. The Rule becomes your doctrinal foundation — the legal framework or academic debate you are engaging with. The Application becomes your critical analysis — where you test the framework against evidence, counterarguments, and your own reasoning. The Conclusion answers the question you were asked, directly.