Chapter 1 - English Legal System Flashcards
Define Law?
The principles and regulations established in a community by some authority and applicable to its people.
In form of legislation or of custom and polices
Types of law?
- Common law and equity
- Private law and public law
- Criminal law and civil law
what is common law?
- developed from local customs
- introduced the system of precedent
- rigid and inflexible
what is the remedy for common law?
damages
What was developed after common law?
Equity
what is equity?
- developed as a petition by a party who felt the common law had led to injustice
- more flexible
what is the remedies for equity law?
injunctions and specific performance
What are the 2 distinct areas of law that operate?
private and public
what are the categories within public law?
criminal law, constitutional law, admin law, social welfare law
what are the categories within private law?
law between individuals
- criminal law, constitutional law, family law, land law
what is criminal law?
relates to conduct of which the state disapproves and which it seeks to control
what is the purpose of criminal law?
the enforcement of particular forms of behaviour by the state, which acts to ensure compliance
In criminal law where is the case brought?
by the state in the name of the crown
Criminal case will be reported as Regina v… where Regina means the latin for ‘queen’
what is the burden of proof for criminal law?
on the prosecution
what is the standard of proof for criminal law?
guilt must be shown beyond reasonable doubt
what is the object of criminal law?
to regulate society by the threat of punishment
what is civil law?
a form of private law and involves the relationship between individuals citizens
what is the purpose of civil law?
to settle disputes between individuals and to provide remedies
in civil law the case is brought by who?
the claimant, who is seeking a remedy. The case will be referred to by the names of the parties involves in the dispute
what is the burden of proof for civil law?
on the claimant
what is the standard of proof for civil law?
liability must be shown on the balance of probabilities (lower standard of proof)
What is the object of civil law?
usually financial compensation to put the claimant in the position they would have been in had the wrong not occurred