Law and legal systems Flashcards
What law are we looking at ?
English Law
What are the two types of Law?
Public Law and Private law (civil law)
What are the tree areas of public law?
Constitutional law
Administrative law
Criminal law
What does constitutional law cover?
Main institutions of the goverment and their relationships with each other
What does administrative law cover?
Citizens and goverment
What is criminal law?
Management of behavior
What does private law cover?
Relationships between legal persons ie buisnesses and individuals
What are the two sides of a civil case, what is the burden of proof and who does it lie with?
Claimant and defendant
Burden of proof lies with the claimant
Balance of probabilities
What are the two sides of a criminal case, what is the burden of proof and who does it lie with?
Prosecution and defense
Prosecution
Beyond all reasonable doubt
What are the other characteristic of english law?
900 years old
little codification
no constitution
judge made law
independent judiciary - free from political interference
What is the rule of law?
The principles of law - similar to constitution
Reasonably certain and predictable
treat people equally
fair hearing by an impartial tribunal
right of access to courts
What are the two main sources of law?
Legislation, Acts of Parliament or Statues
Case law or judicial precedent
What dos parliament consist of?
House of commons
House of lords
Monarch
What are the steps of Parliament creating a new law?
- Green Paper being published
- White paper - firmed up
- Bill - draft
- Bill introduced in Parliament - House of commons
- 1st and second reading
- Committee stage
- Report Stage
- Third Reading
- Repeat in house of Lords
- Receives Royal Assent
How can the law be tidied up?
Codifying act or consolidating act
What does the law commision do?
Modernizes law and consolidates and revises statute law
What are enabling act and there purpose?
Getting law through parliament is lengthy so there are parent acts that can delegate.
Called delegated or subordinate legislation and have the same legal force as primary legislation.
What are the three most important forms of delegated/subordinate legislation?
Statutory instruments - power given to ministers
Orders in council - power conferred on privy council
Bye-Laws - power given too local council
What is the main interpretation aid used by judges?
Interpretation Act 1978