ch 3- legal foundations Flashcards
social cohesion
term used to describe the willingness of members of a society to cooperate with each other in order to survive and prosper
rule of law
the principle that everyone in society is bound by law and must obey the law and that laws should be clear and fair so people are willing and able to obey them
what are the 5 core areas of social cohesion
a sense of belonging
a sense of worth
social justice and quite
political participation
acceptance/rejection
parliament
a formal assembly of representatives of the people that is elected by the people and gathers to make laws
the role of laws in protecting social cohesion
they establish a framework in which people live, set boundaries, and allow individuals to make choices on how they live, upholding the rule of law
give an example of how laws protect social cohesion
some laws specify what we must do like pay for goods or services and some specify what we must not do like steal.
what is the responsibility of individuals in social cohesion
laws enable social cohesion and protect the rights of individuals responsibilities to ensure they are aware of the laws and abide by them. they are also expected to respect human rights alongside assisting the police with investigations where they can
give an example of how individuals can help with social cohesion
if someone opens a business, theyre expected to familiarise themselves with laws about business like registering a business and paying taxes
legal system
the legal system is a set of methods and institutions that makes, administers and enforces the law
role of the legal system in maintaining social cohesion
applying the law and enforcing it are two of the roles of the legal system that help to achieve social cohesion and protect human rights. the legal system helps to enforce the law, ensuring that rights are upheld and that society functions effectively.
give an example of how the legal system maintains social cohesion
a law in victoria states that a person who sells goods to another person guarantees that the goods are of an acceptable quality.
what are the 3 principles of justice
fairness, equality and access
civil dispute
a disagreement between two or more individuals or groups where one of the individuals makes a legal claim against the other
fairness
fairness means all people can participate in the justice system and its processes should be impartial and open
human rights charter
the charter of human rights and responsibilities act 2006, its main purpose is to protet and promote human rights.
what are the 3 main features of fairness
impartial processes, open processes and participation
what is an impartial process
all personnel involved in the legal system must be impartial and independent, they mustn’t show bias towards anyone and the case must be decided based on facts and law not what a person thinks about a party in a case. the requirement to be impartial then extends to the need to ensure that there is no suspcision that a person may be biased
apprehended biases
situations where a fair minded observer may reasonably believe that the person hearing or deciding a case might not be impartial
open processes
transparency during the process meaning that these processes can be scrutinised by the community and reported in the media, but can sometimes be private when needed
give an example where a case doesnt have open processes
in a criminal case, sometimes the courtroom may be closed to the public to protect young witnesses such as children
participation
all people should be able to participate in a case
what are some ways that participation can be achieved in cases
the person defending a case must know the facts that are raised against them, so all relevant evididence must be disclosed
the person defending teh case must have time and facilities to prepare a defence, and can present it in court if they so choose
opportunity to engage a lawyer, interpreter if needed
case should be heard in a timely manner, without unreasonable delay
equality
all people engaging with the justice system and its processes should be treated in the same way. if the same treatment creates disparity, adequate measures should be implemented to allow all to engage with the justice system without disparity.
give an example of where you would treat someone differently to ensure equality
a party to a case who has a mental impairment, and who doesn’t understand the legal system as well as the other party, may need more assistance than the other party, to understand court processes.
what are some measures to be implemented to make sure someone is treated equally, without discrimination
person who is representeted, may need more assistance from the judge/magistrate to understand processes.
may need an interpretor
breaks during a trial incase if they are unwell or have disabilities or mental health issues
access
all people should be able to engage with the justice system and its processes on an informed basis
give some examples of how the legal system should make it possible for people to use legal procedures
access the institutions that make decisions about cases as well as being able to have contact with bodies and institutions that provide legal advice, education, info and assisstance and being able to be informed about cases. technological access as well
victoria legal aid
a government agency that provides free legal advice to all members of the community and low cost or no cost legal representation to some poeple who cannot afford a lawyer
lawyer
a general term used to describe someone who has bene trained in the law and is qualified to give legal advice
what must an effective law be?
RECKS
reflects values of society
enforceable
clear and understood
known
stable
why must laws reflect society’s values
if it is in line with society’s current values, then members of society are inclined to follow the law, meaning that laws need to change when society’s values change. police and other bodies must also be willing to enforce it.
give an example of how a law reflects society’s values
in 2021, a legislation was passed to establish rules about when ones criminal history becomes spent. many advocated for the change, suggesting that ones criminal history can become unfair for those who have reformed
why must laws be enforceable
if people break the law, it must be possible to catch, punish or sue them as if not, people may be less inclined to follow the law
give an example of an effective law
in victoria its an offence to cause damage to public property. it is likely to be effective as it requires the behaviour to occur in public, meaning that the behaviour is more likely to be visible to those in society, and the cops can enforce the laws
why must a law be known
if people don’t know about the law, they cannot follow it. this goes both ways, meaning that its the responsibility of individuals to find out what the law is on a matter affecting them as the ignorance of the law is no excuse. however, law makes must also keep the public informed of any new laws passed.
give an example of how the government can make the laws known
in 2021, laws were introduced in victoria setting minimum standards that properties must meet if they’re to be rented. to ensure that people were aware, it was widely publicised on social media sites, newspapers and websites