The Hurdle

Is Latin necessary? Few students seem to think so, and many lawyers agree with them. Latin I is of no more assistance to a lawyer than sixth form Latin; for those phrases in the law which remain in Latin are few and far between, most are well known, and the number of students who will need Latin for wider purposes are few. Moreover, much of the course consists in studying the two set books (in many cases from cribs parrot fashion). The further plea that Latin encourages preciseness o"f mind fails because Latin is studied in that fashion. One of the essentials for a lawyer is the ability to think clearly, analyse the thoughts of others and express his own. The study of Logic or Mathematics would be more inducive to preciseness of mind, and Logic would indeed be best as a basis for the development of the reasoning method.

A variety of subjects are studied once Latin is mastered and the resulting combinations are usually pot pourris of subjects which provide a most disjointed cultural background. Some study of other subjects is wise for Commerce, Science and Law but why the Law Faculty should be the only faculty compelled to postpone a career for the present doubtful benefits is not at all clear.