Whether it was mercy or murder isn't more than an academic question.

It was an academic question at the moment, however.

Whether she would in fact have opened the door and tried to jump out of a moving vehicle proved to be an academic question.

And this is far from being simply an academic question.

My heart raced a little at the thought, though there was no sign that this would ever be more than an academic question.

So this is not at all an academic question.

But at least some better academic questions are being asked.

People can disagree on the answer to that academic question.

It was a more than academic question, under the circumstances.

Have you got a moment to answer a couple of academic questions for me?