2.1.8 Purpose of Legal Research

Following the widely used three-fold classification:1. Discovery of new law (expository research) — unearthing rules that exist but have not been articulated; restating the scattered law on a topic in a coherent form.2. Description and commentary (non-expository/descriptive research) — analysing statutes and cases to explain what the law is, point out internal inconsistencies, and predict future decisions.3. Suggestion for reform (critical/welfare research) — examining law against social needs and proposing changes; the research of law-reform bodies, PIL petitions and academic critics.Add to these the professional purposes: advising a client, drafting pleadings, preparing arguments, and deciding cases — all of which require research as their first step.