CLAT legal reasoning has around 25% sectional weightage. It is therefore one of the most important sections of CLAT 2024. As per the new CLAT exam pattern, 35-39 questions are asked based on the passages given on the CLAT question paper. CLAT legal reasoning syllabus comprises legal terminologies, rules and principles, important laws, and legal current affairs. Check CLAT Previous Year Question Papers

This article discusses the complete preparation tips, tricks, and strategies for the CLAT Legal Reasoning section that will help candidates score well in the exam.

CLAT 2024 Legal Reasoning Syllabus

CLAT 2024 Legal Reasoning syllabus comprises passage-based questions. Around 4-5 passages, each of 450 words followed by legal comprehension-based questions are asked in the CLAT exam.

The detailed CLAT Legal Reasoning syllabus is given below.

CLAT 2024 Legal Reasoning Preparation Tips and Strategies

CLAT Legal Reasoning section tests candidates' knowledge of legal rules and principles and their awareness of contemporary legal issues and judgments. For the Legal Reasoning section of CLAT 2024 candidates should focus on improving their reading skills and keeping themselves updated with the contemporary legal happenings of the country.

Below are a few CLAT preparation tips for Legal Reasoning that will help candidates score better:

• Start studying the legal maxims, terminologies, and basic laws from standard books.
• Put more focus on topics like the Constitution of India, Penal Law, Law of Contracts, Family Law, Public International Law, etc.
• Read the Newspaper, especially its editorial section regularly, as this would keep you updated on the latest legal issues and judgments. The Hindu or The Indian Express is recommended.
• If you come across any new word, look for its meaning in the books or online and keep a note of it.
• Reading the newspaper will also increase your reading speed which will help you with your time management while writing CLAT 2024.
• Practice the previous year’s question paper and sample papers as this will help you be familiar with the CLAT question paper and also improve your problem-solving speed and accuracy.

Best Books for CLAT Legal Reasoning Preparation

Candidates can refer to the below-mentioned books for CLAT Legal Reasoning preparation:

• Legal Awareness and Legal Aptitude by AP Bhardwaj
• Universal’s CLAT Guide
• LexisNexis Law Books
• Bare Acts of Indian Constitution
• Newspapers- The Hindu, The Indian Express

How to Attempt CLAT 2024 Legal Reasoning Questions?

The Legal Reasoning section as per the new CLAT exam pattern is quite lengthy. It thus becomes necessary for candidates to prepare themselves with proper strategies to complete the exam within the allotted time. Candidates can refer to some of the tips mentioned below to attempt the questions of the CLAT Legal Reasoning section easily.

• Read the given passage carefully and try to identify the core legal laws or principles it talks about.
• Move to the questions now, and first attempt the straightforward ones. These questions will assess the student's ability to present the most suitable argument or conclusion in relation to the legal topic covered in the passage.
• Another type of question is focused on legal reasoning. Here, students are given hypothetical circumstances and are required to decide the case using the legal principles outlined in the passage.
• More than one set of incidents or principles may be present in a passage. Carefully determine the principle that the particular question most closely relates to.
• When answering the questions, keep in mind the author's viewpoints and do not conflate them with your own.
• If a question is taking a long time to answer, leave it and answer the other questions. After having completed the other questions, return to the unaswered question.

CLAT 2024 Legal Reasoning Questions

Given below are legal reasoning questions from the CLAT Question Paper of 2023 for your reference.

Passage 1: Parliament passed the Criminal Procedure (Identification) Act, 2022 (the “Act”) in March 2022. The legislation enables police and central investigating agencies to collect, store and analyse the measurements of arrested persons. Until rules are notified, an Act cannot be implemented or come into force. On September 19, 2022, the Ministry of Home Affairs (the “MHA”) notified the rules (the “Rules”) under the Act. The Act empowers a Magistrate to direct any person to give measurements to the police, which till now was reserved for convicts and those involved in heinous crimes. It also enables police personnel of the rank of Head Constable or above to take measurements of any person who resists or refuses to give measurements when ordered to do so by a Magistrate. As per the Rules, “measurements” mean finger-impressions, palm-print, footprint, photographs, iris and retina scan, physical, biological samples and their analysis, behavioural attributes including signatures, and handwriting. Though it has not been specified, analysis of biological samples could also include DNA profiling. However, the Rules state that measurements of those detained under preventive Sections of the Code of Criminal Procedure (“CrPC”) shall not be taken unless such person is at that time charged or under arrest in connection with any other offence punishable under any other law. Measurements can also be taken under the Rules if a person has been ordered to give security for his good behaviour for maintaining peace under Section 117 of the CrPC for a proceeding under that Section. [Extracted, with edits and revisions, from “Explained | Rules for identifying criminals”, by Vijaita Singh, The Hindu]

Ques: Bhargesh is arrested by the police on April 11, 2022, on suspicion of having committed a series of minor thefts. During their investigation, the police find some fingerprints at the crime scenes, and on April 12, 2022, they tell Bhargesh that he must provide his finger-impressions to them so that they can check whether they match the fingerprints from the crime scenes. When Bhargesh refuses, the police tell him that he has no choice but to provide his measurements, as the Act had been passed by Parliament the previous month. Was Bhargesh bound to provide his finger-impressions under the Act?

(A) No, since Bhargesh had only been arrested, and not convicted.

(B) Yes, since Bhargesh was under arrest.

(C) No, since the Rules had not yet been notified.

(D) Yes, since finger-impressions are included within the definition of “measurements” under the Act.

Ques. Bhargesh is later released by the police because they are unable to find enough evidence to make a strong case against him. On October 5, 2022, the police receive a complaint alleging that Bhargesh had beaten up his neighbour and caused the neighbour severe injuries. They ask the local Magistrate to issue an order directing Bhargesh to provide the police his blood samples, so that they can match them against some blood stains that were found on the neighbour’s clothes. The Magistrate issues the order, but Bhargesh refuses to provide the blood samples. Is Bhargesh bound to provide his blood samples to the police under the Act?

(A) Yes, since the crime that Bhargesh was accused of was very serious.

(B) Yes, since the Magistrate had passed an order directing him to do so.

(C) Yes, since Bhargesh had already been arrested in connection with another crime in the past.

(D) Yes, since the police needed the blood samples to verify Bhargesh’s involvement in the crime.

Ques: On October 15, 2022, the police detain Bhargesh under a preventive Section of the CrPC, since they believe that he had plans to disturb the public peace during a festival day. They then tell Bhargesh that he must provide his measurements to them for their records. Bhargesh refuses again. Is Bhargesh bound to provide his photographs to the police under the Act?

(A) No, since he was not charged or under arrest in connection with any other offence at the time.

(B) No, since that would violate Bhargesh’s right to privacy.

(C) Yes, since the police had detained Bhargesh under a preventive Section of the CrPC.

(D) Yes, since there was a high likelihood that Bhargesh would disturb the public peace on a festival day

Ques. Two days later, the police obtain an order from the Magistrate directing Bhargesh to provide them his photographs. As Bhargesh continues to refuse to provide his photographs, a regular police constable forces him to stand still and takes his photographs. Bhargesh files a case in court, claiming that the constable’s actions violate the Act. Will he succeed?

(A) Yes, since Bhargesh had been detained under a preventive section of the CrPC.

(B) Yes, since only police personnel of the rank of Head Constable or above can take measurements of any person who resists or refuses to give measurements when ordered to do so by a Magistrate.

(C) No, the Magistrate had issued an order directing him to provide his photographs to the police.

(D) No, since the police constable was only performing his duty.

Ques. The police release Bhargesh, but to ensure that he does not disturb the public peace, they ask the Magistrate to issue an order under Section 117 of the CrPC, directing Bhargesh to provide a security of ` 1,00,000/- for his good behaviour and to ensure he maintains the peace, which the Magistrate refuses. The police now tell Bhargesh he must provide them his iris and retina scans. Is Bhargesh required to do so?

(A) No, since a person against whom an order has been issued under Section 117 of the CrPC cannot be made to give their measurements to the police.

(B) Yes, since a person against whom an order has been issued under Section 117 of the CrPC can be made to give their measurements to the police.

(C) Yes, since Bhargesh had been detained under other preventive sections of the CrPC in the past.

(D) No, since the Magistrate had not issued the order

Passage 2: Consumers are people who buy and use goods or services. Consumers have a right to file a complaint for any of the services or goods used by them under Consumer Protection Law. Under Consumer Protection Law, a ‘consumer’ means: Person buying and using goods and services: A consumer includes any person who buys goods and services, as well as anyone who uses them. For instance, a person who watches a movie after buying a movie ticket is a consumer and similarly, a person who uses a gift voucher gifted from someone else is also a consumer. Person using goods for self-employment, and not for commercial purposes: The consumer protection law does not apply to people who use goods and services for commercial purposes. However, there are some exceptions to this. For example, people who use goods for self-employment are considered as consumers. For example, artists who buy art supplies for their work or beauticians who buy beauty products are consumers. Person using online facilities: A consumer also includes any person who buys or hires goods or services online. For example, if you order from an online clothes website, you are a consumer. People facing issues related to food: Consumers also include people who may be facing issues related to food items, such as adulteration, poor quality, lack of service, etc. For instance, issues related to food can cover problems across a wide range of products, starting from water that goes into the production of items like juices as well as the sale of animals like chicken, mutton etc. that are expressly intended for human consumption. [Extracted, with edits and revisions, from “Who is a Consumer?”, Nyaaya India]

Ques: Clint Leone Morricone Ltd. (“CLML”) is a factory manufacturing bicycles. For the purpose of documentation and record keeping, it purchased a laptop from Pacer. However, within a month of the purchase, the laptop crashed and there was a motherboard failure. Despite a warranty, Pacer failed to replace the motherboard. Which of the following statements is correct?

(A) Purchase of electronic items do not fall within the purview of consumer law.

(B) CLML is a consumer since it has bought a good for a price.

(C) CLML is not a consumer since it has purchased the laptop for commercial purpose.

(D) A company is not a person and so, cannot be a consumer.

Ques: Sita Das has been working as a freelance journalist. She writes columns and news-reports for various newspapers and news-portals and is paid on the basis of each column and report. For the purpose of her writing work, she purchases a Pacer laptop. However, within a month of the purchase, the laptop crashed and there was a motherboard failure. Which of the following statements is correct?

(A) Since she is using the laptop for the purpose of writing paid columns and news reports, Sita Das cannot be a consumer.

(B) Purchase of goods does not fall within the purview of Consumer Protection Law. (C) Since she is using the laptop for the purpose of earning her livelihood, she will be a consumer.

(D) None of the above

Ques: Kalpavruksha Charitable Trust runs a hospital. The hospital charges a fee from its patients. The fee is however 30% less than the commercial rates for all services and medical devices sold to patients. The hospital purchased a pacemaker from St. Rude’s — a globally reputed manufacturer of pacemakers, to be resold to and used by patients. Which of the following statements is correct?

(A) The hospital is a charitable hospital and therefore, it is a consumer with respect to the pacemakers purchased from St. Rude’s.

(B) The hospital resells the pacemakers to patients and therefore cannot be considered as a consumer with respect to the pacemakers purchased from St. Rude’s.

(C) The hospital resells the pacemakers at a discounted rate and therefore can be considered a consumer with respect to the pacemakers purchased from St. Rude’s. (D) Sale of medical devices is not covered by Consumer Protection Law.

Ques: Fitzit is an online platform that provides physiotherapy and other ancillary medical services. Amit Ghosh booked a physiotherapist on Fitzit for three months by paying an amount of ` 25,000. Fitzit guaranteed the availability of qualified physiotherapists for the duration. However, Fitzit failed to provide a qualified physiotherapist and the persons who were sent for the first two visits had no training or certification in the field. Amit Ghosh seeks to proceed against Fitzit under Consumer Protection Law. Which of the following statements can be correctly inferred?

(A) Since online services are not covered by Consumer Protection Law, Amit Ghosh cannot be considered a consumer.

(B) Since services are not covered by Consumer Protection Law, Amit Ghosh cannot be considered a consumer.

(C) Since online services are covered by Consumer Protection Law, Amit Ghosh shall be considered a consumer.

(D) Since medical services are not covered by Consumer Protection Law, Amit Ghosh cannot be considered a consumer.

Ques: Jitesh Shah purchased from BreatheEasy, a company selling respiratory devices, a nebuliser device for his son, Jignesh Shah, for use for clearing his nasal passages. The nebulizer was however defective and led to severe respiratory distress for Jignesh. Jignesh is considering filing a complaint against BreatheEasy under the Consumer Protection Law. Which of the following statements can be correctly inferred?

(A) Since Jignesh Shah did not purchase the device from BreatheEasy, he cannot be considered a consumer with respect to BreathEasy.

(B) Since Jignesh Shah is a user of the device, he can be considered a consumer. (C) Sale of medical devices are not covered by Consumer Protection Law.

(D) None of the above