Analyzing Public Policy in Law Cases

1. What is a PPR? PPR stands for Principle, Policy, and Rule. - see definitions and Sisson case - http://profj.us/sisson.htm

2. What is the purpose of the PPR? This is another way to look at cases, codes, and hypothetical cases. The idea was originated by Prof. Charles Linnan, a USC Law School Professor in an exercise in Legal Writing. see his exercise.

3. What is a principle? . A "principle" is a standard that should be observed, not because it will advance or secure an economic, political, or social situation deemed desireable, but because it is a requirement of justice or fairness or some other dimension of morality. For example, "no person may profit by his own wrong" is a principle.

4. What is a policy? A "policy" is a standard that sets out a goal to be reached, generally an improvement on some economic, political, or social feature of the community (though some goals are negative, in that they stipulate that some present feature is to be protected from adverse change). For example, the idea that automobile accidents should be decreased is a policy.

5. What is a rule? A "rule" is a standard that is applied in an all or nothing fashion to dictate outcomes under a particular set of circumstances. For example, "the maximum legal speed on interstate highways is fifty-five miles per hour" states a rule.