Good point, and well presented. Differing views here, as we love on pprune. Having recently passed law for the second time (the first expired) I can see where all the combatants here are going. Yes, it is very important to have the full picture. Indeed, more than saving you from a prosecution, it could even save your life knowing things like two aircraft meeting head on, both turn right for instance. But will knowing what colour an AIP admin ammendment is really save your bacon at 5000' with it all going Pete Tongue quickly?
There needs to be an element of common sense here, and not just the posters on this thread, but as far as the regulators who set the exams. For my money, the exam should be in two parts. The stuff that you need to know in the air straight away, differing types of airspace, what to do approaching cloud in relation to your licence priveleges and so-on. The second part should then be "book-in" Knowing what colours the circulars are really isn't important in the air, but could be very important on the ground in the planning phase of a flight. But let's be sensible here, if you want to know that you will ask if you are in the breifing roon wont you?
However, as usual in aviation, everything is done for a reason, and normally a good one at that. If there is a book called law, and exam of the same title, don't learn to just pass the exam, learn the whole subject and learn it well. Remember just one thing about this activity. It is bloody dangerous, it must be my insurance company say so. But seriously, this is the only mode of transport EVER, where you cannot stop if it goes pear shaped. There is no hard shoulder in the sky, if it goes wrong you need to know how to put it right, and quick, and that becomes the foundation of what makes a great pilot, the skill of airmanship, something that is as much an attitude as a skill, and cannot be taught without input from the individual. If you have the attitude of not wanting to know the subject and scrape through the exams, then you will apply that to your flying, and I don't really want to share the skies on that basis thanks all the same.
Yes the exam structure could be better, and yes, elements of it are hard to fathom as to why are they asking about that? But it is there, someone more qualified than I am may be able to answer that, but work within the spirit of the rules and not to the letter of them.
Finally remember a few old sayings... (lots of them in flying isn't there?)
Learn by the mistakes of others, you wont live long enough to make them all yourself.
The old and bold pilots one
And every time you remove something of safety you add danger!
And don't forget this, it is quite literally carved in stone outside the CAA at Gatwick, "Safety is no accident"
Nuff said