ISC Class 11 Syllabus 2027 Legal Studies

ISC YEAR 2027

INDIAN SCHOOL CERTIFICATE
EXAMINATION

LEGAL STUDIES
(881)

February 2025
____________________________________________________________________________________________

© Copyright, Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations
All rights reserved. The copyright to this publication and any part thereof solely vests in the Council for the Indian
School Certificate Examinations. This publication and no part thereof may be reproduced, transmitted, distributed or
stored in any manner whatsoever, without the prior written approval of the Council for the Indian School Certificate
Examinations.

Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE)

MISSION STATEMENT

The Council for the Indian School Certificate
Examinations is committed to serving the nation's
children, through high quality educational
endeavours, empowering them to contribute towards
a humane, just and pluralistic society, promoting
introspective living, by creating exciting learning
opportunities, with a commitment to excellence.

ETHOS OF CISCE

Trust and fair play.
Minimum monitoring.
Allowing schools to evolve their own niche.
Catering to the needs of the children.
Giving freedom to experiment with new ideas
and practices.
Diversity and plurality - the basic strength for
evolution of ideas.
Schools to motivate pupils towards the
cultivation of:
Excellence - The Indian and Global
experience.
Values - Spiritual and cultural - to be the bedrock
of the educational experience.
Schools to have an 'Indian Ethos', strong roots in
the national psyche and be sensitive to national
aspirations.

LEGAL STUDIES (881)

Aims:
1. To understand the evolution of the Indian legal 7. To understand the practical principles of
system, including its historical development law, such as Rule of Law, justice
and influences, and its current structure. principles, and the differentiation between
2. To comprehend the applicability of justice, criminal and civil cases.
equity, and good conscience in the context of 8. To gain knowledge of the key concepts of
the Indian legal framework, especially within property, contract, and tort law, with a
the Common Law system. focus on their relevance to everyday legal
3. To explore various legal systems such as matters.
Common Law, Civil Law, and their 9. To develop an understanding of contract
distinctions, with a focus on their relevance to law, including contract formation, terms
Indian law. and conditions, and the discharge of
4. To analyse the core principles of the Indian contracts.
Constitution, including Fundamental Rights, 10. To explore the rights and duties of
Separation of Powers, and the structure and individuals and the various categories of
functioning of courts. liability, which form the foundation of
5. To grasp the concept of precedent in judicial legal understanding.
decision-making, understanding its importance 11. To create awareness of the role of legal
in the interpretation of laws and the functioning services authorities, focusing on how they
of the judiciary. promote access to justice as per Article
6. To examine the legislative process in India, 39A of the Constitution.
including the role of statutory interpretation and 12. To familiarise with modes of dispute
the basic principles underlying it. resolution, evaluating their merits,
efficacy, and application in different legal
contexts.

1

CLASS XI
There will be two papers in the subject: and Precedents;
Paper I - Theory: 3 hours ……70 marks (iv) Dynamics of the Law bringing changes in
Society and the Society forcing Law to
Paper II- Project Work: ……30 marks change.

PAPER - I (THEORY) – 70 Marks 3. Law of Civil Procedure and Consumer
Protection Act
1. Basic features of the Indian Constitution &
the Constitutional Courts Jurisdiction & Hierarchy of Civil Courts; Res
subjudice and Res judicata; Consumer Protection
The Constitution of India – Meaning and Act.
features; Preamble; Differences between
(i) Civil Procedural Law
Administrative Law & Constitution Law
(a) How to choose the proper Court -
(i) Constitution-Meaning & Functions Territorial, Pecuniary and Subject-
(ii) Salient Features of the Constitution of India matter jurisdictions.
(a) Modern Constitution (b) Hierarchy of Civil Courts.
(b) Lengthiest written Constitution (c) Res subjudice and Res judicata
(c) Preamble to the Constitution (ii) Connotations of ‘Consumer’ and his Rights
(d) Fundamental Rights; Directive under the Consumer Protection Act, 1986 &
Principles of State Policy; Fundamental 2019. Offences and Penalties (Sections 89-
Duties 91)
(e) Constitutional Provision for Amendment
4. Intellectual Property Laws
of the Constitution of India
(f) Schedules to the Constitution Intellectual Property Rights, Global scenario and
(g) Adult Suffrage the importance of Intellectual Property,
(h) Single Citizenship Legislation - Connotations of The Copyright Act,
(i) Independent Judiciary 1957, Entitlements under Copyright Act 1957;
(j) Emergency Provision The Trademarks Act, 1999; Significance of
Trademarks, The Patent Act, 1970; Non-
(k) Federal in form Unitary in character
patentable Inventions, The Geographical
(l) Separation of Power benefits & defects. Indications of Goods (Registration and
(iii) Preamble to the Indian constitution – Protection) Act, 1999; International Aspect of the
Importance of the Preamble; Amendability & protection of Geographical Indications.
Justiciability of Preamble
(iv) Differences between Administrative Law & (i) Intellectual Property Rights – definition, The
Constitution Law Agreement on Trade-related aspects of
Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS)-
2. Law and Jurisprudence objectives and features, The World
Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)-
Meaning of the term Law and Jurisprudence, objectives and features.
Schools of thought- Natural, Historical, (ii) The Copyright Act, 1957- Connotations of
Positivist, Realist and Sociological; Sources of Copyright- Idea-Expression Dichotomy;
law Definition (Sections 13 & 14); Criteria for
(i) Understanding the term Law and the protection, Authorship and ownership,
province of Jurisprudence- Science of Law; Duration of Copyright.
(ii) Understanding the connotations of Law (iii) The Trademark Act, 1999 - What is a
through different perspectives- Schools of Trademark? Prerequisites for a Trademark,
Law: Natural, Historical, Positivist, Realist Importance of protecting Trademarks,
and Sociological; Duration of Trademark.
(iii) Main Sources of Law - Customs, Legislation

2

(iv) Patent Act, 1970- Definition and Patentable & Non-bailable Offences; First Information
Subject matter (Novelty, Inventive Step, Report (FIR), Zero FIR, Complaint; Arrest.
Industrial Application), Non-patentable (i) Concept of Crime; Object of Criminal Law;
Inventions, Duration of Patent rights. (ii) Substantive Criminal Law & Criminal
(v) Geographical Indication (GI) of Goods - Procedural Law- Meaning & differences
Understanding from the perspective of (iii) Main systems of Criminal Justice
International Intellectual Property Rights Administration System - Adversarial system
regime; The Geographical Indications of and Inquisitorial system: their essence and
Goods (Registration and protection) Act, differences.
1999; Definition, Conditions required to (iv) Evolution of Criminal Justice System of
obtain GI, Duration, who can apply and who India – From Ancient to Present;
is an Authorised User. (v) Rationale behind enacting BNSS;
(vi) Important Procedures under BNSS-
5. Family Law and Marriage under Hindu Law Information of a cognizable offence can be
Understanding Marriage and its Legal sent electronically, Progress Report to the
Implications; Hindu Law and Legal Framework; Victim, Search and Seizure by Police,
Conditions for a Valid Hindu Marriage Void and Report of the Police Officer on completion
Voidable Marriage; Concept of Divorce; of investigation (Chargesheet/Challan)
Restitution of Conjugal Rights and Judicial (vii) Hierarchy & Classes of Criminal Courts:
Separation; Maintenance in marriage from Magistrate’s Court to the Supreme
Court;
(i) Connotations of marriage
(viii) Cognizable offence and non-Cognizable
(ii) Ceremonies and rituals associated with offence- Meaning & differences;
marriage (ix) FIR (Section 173) and Complaint (Section
(iii) Schools of Hindu Law; 223) – Meaning and to whom it is made;
(iv) Application of Hindu Marriage Act, 1955- Zero FIR
Who qualifies as a Hindu under section 3; (x) Arrest-How is arrest made (section 43),
(v) Essential conditions for a valid Hindu Entitlements of an Arrested person, Legal
marriage aid to accused at State expense in certain
(vi) Void Marriage & Voidable Marriage - cases [Section 341(1)]
Meaning and Differences
7. Legal Framework for Cybersecurity and
(vii) Concept of Restitution of Conjugal Rights
Protection in India
and Judicial Separation.
(viii) Concept of Divorce - three main theories: Introduction to Cyber Laws and Cybersecurity;
Fault, Irretrievable Breakdown and Mutual Necessity of Cyber Laws; Cyber Safety and
Consent. Security; Cyber Crime-Meaning & Categories;
(ix) Legal provisions for maintenance in Cyber Laws in India; The Information
husband-wife relationships under Sections 24 Technology (IT) Act, 2000; Emerging Issues in
and 25 of the Hindu Marriage Act. Cybersecurity
(i) Importance of cyber laws and security in the
6. The Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita digital era.
(BNSS), 2023 (ii) Need for regulation in cyber space;
Substantive and Procedural/Adjective Law; The (iii) Meaning of Cyber safety and Security;
most prevalent Criminal Justice Administration (iv) Definition and categories of cyber-crime
Systems in the World- Adversarial and (Child pornography or child sexually
Inquisitorial; Evolution of Criminal Justice abusive material (CSAM);
System of India; Rationale behind enacting (v) Specific types of Cyber Crimes (Meaning
BNSS; Important Procedures under BNSS; only):
Hierarchy of Criminal Courts in India; Cyberbullying;
Cognizable & Non-cognizable Offences, Bailable Cyberstalking;
Cyber grooming;

3

Online job fraud; 3. Using contemporary examples, investigate the
Online sextortion; legal rights and duties of consumers and the
Phishing; Vishing; Smishing; effectiveness of the law in achieving justice for
Credit card fraud or debit card fraud; consumers. To support your research, cite
Impersonation and identity theft. pertinent case studies.
(vi) Key provisions and objectives of the IT Act, 4. Research the following case studies and submit
2000 your findings:
(vii) Artificial Intelligence, blockchain, and future (i) Star India (P) Ltd. V. Piyush Agarwal & Ors,
challenges in cybersecurity C.S. (O.S.) No. 2722/2012, Del HC
PAPER II (PROJECT WORK)–30 MARKS (ii) Super Cassettes Industries Limited V.
YouTube & Google
In keeping with the significance of doing project
work and gaining a hands-on understanding of 5. Present a comparative analysis on the following:
various contemporary issues, candidates are expected Generic Medicines Vs. Patented Medicines
to undertake two studies of 15 Marks each. 6. Make a presentation on Types of Trademarks.
Topics for the studies should be chosen from within Your presentation should contain:
the overall syllabus as there is ample scope for (i) Meaning & importance of Trademarks
diversity. Candidates should synthesise information (ii) Types of Trademarks that can be registered in
from a range of sources, including cases, legislation, India with illustrations.
the media and international instruments, to support a
(iii) Any five trademarks in which it is impossible
legal argument. Topics should extend areas of
to tell the difference between the goods and
individual or group interests from any chapter
the trademark.
covered in Theory, after understanding the legal
functions, practices and institutions. (iv) Make a logo for a business that does ethical
hacking.
List of suggested studies for Project Work:
7. Write an essay on ‘India- Pakistan tug of war over
1. Make a presentation on ‘Structure of Judiciary in GI tag for Basmati Rice’.
India’. The presentation should contain the
following: 8. Critically analyse the Theories of Punishment.
(i) Hierarchy of Courts in India Write an essay with relevant case studies on any
one from the following topics:
(ii) Establishment of the Supreme Court, High
Courts & Subordinate Courts-Jurisdiction (i) Social Media and Cyber Laws in India,
(ii) E-commerce and Cyber Laws in India,
(iii) Concept of Single Bench, Division Bench,
(iii) Intellectual Property Rights and Cyber Laws
full bench and Constitutional bench
in India, and
2. Would there be a different viewpoint if the (iv) Cyber Forensics and its Legal Aspects in India
ensuing cases were determined today? (Any one
to be discussed) OR
(i) Kesavananda Bharati Case Write a paper on "The Jurisdictional Issues In
(ii) Golaknath Case Cyberspace-Indian & International Perspective"
(iii) AK Gopalan case
(iv) SR Bommai case

4

GUIDELINES FOR TEACHERS: 5. The students should be guided on doing the
research and looking at different types of evidence.
1. It must be emphasized that the process of doing the
project is as important as the final project. 6. Books and suitable reference material could be
suggested by the teachers and made available to
2. Once the project/projects are chosen, there should
the students.
be a process of brainstorming to encourage
students to make out a draft/structure for the 7. Internet sites could be suggested, but care must be
project before embarking on research. taken in selecting, using and citing these sites.
3. During the brainstorming/discussion, the teacher 8. Students must be cautioned against plagiarism and
should discuss the assessment criteria with the be penalized for the same.
students. 9. Marks must be awarded for content and originality
4. The teacher should discuss the draft with the and not for decorative elements and
student with regard to the central question and the embellishments.
type of sources to be used. 10. Projects must be the original work of the student.

5