The IRAC framework explained
A walkthrough of Issue, Rule, Application, Conclusion — the structure most South African law schools expect from problem questions and case notes.
The IRAC framework explained
IRAC is the standard skeleton for answering legal problem questions. Most South African law schools expect it (sometimes calling it FIRAC or MIRAT, but the core is the same). This article gives you a short version — enough to pass, with pointers to go deeper.
What IRAC stands for
- Issue — What is the legal question the facts raise?
- Rule — What authority governs that question? (statute, case, principle)
- Application — How does the rule apply to these specific facts?
- Conclusion — What is the answer to the issue, given the application?
The common failure mode for students is spending 80% of the answer on Rule and 10% on Application. Examiners want the reverse.
A one-paragraph example
Issue. Whether a contract for the sale of immovable property, communicated by email without a handwritten signature, complies with the Alienation of Land Act 68 of 1981.
Rule. Section 2(1) of the Act requires the sale of land to be contained in a written deed signed by the parties. The Electronic Communications and Transactions Act 25 of 2002 recognises advanced electronic signatures as meeting signature requirements, but specifically excludes certain transactions — including the sale of land under the 1981 Act.
Application. Here the parties exchanged emails with typed names as signatures. These are not advanced electronic signatures. Even if they were, the ECT Act's exclusion of land sales means section 2(1) is not satisfied.
Conclusion. The contract is void for non-compliance with section 2(1).
Notice how every sentence of the Application is tied to a specific fact or a specific element of the rule. That's the move examiners are looking for.
Content coming soon
More detail on multi-issue questions, how to handle alternative arguments, and how IRAC differs from the traditional SA opinion-writing structure.