Law And Society

Question 1

What is common law

Answer 1

System law based on the previous decisions of judges or precedents

Question 2

What is precedent

Answer 2

A previous legal decision that serves as a rule or pattern in future cases.

Question 3

4 main roles of law?

Answer 3

1. Establish boundaries of acceptable behaviour and determine what actions will not be tolerated.
2. Protection from the actions of others as well as our own behaviour
3. Freedom to do many things by telling society what people can do
4. Resolving disputes in order to stop people from taking law into their own hands

Question 4

What is criminal law?

Answer 4

Is a crime that involves behaviour that in unacceptable deserving prosecution, conviction or punishment. E.g. Homicide, murder, sexual assault.

Question 5

What the four main types of torts?

Answer 5

Negligence- where a person fails to take reasonable care and as a result injures another person
Defamation- where a person injured another person reputation
Nuisance- where a person causes unreasonable interference with another persons right to quiet enjoyment of their property
Trespass- where a person interferes with another person, or that persons property rights.

Question 6

Advantages of the Jury system

Answer 6

Advantages:

1. The final decision is made by more than one person
2. There is a widespread acceptance of the jury system
3. Juries are independent and impartial decision makers who are not controlled by the government

Question 7

Disadvantages of the Jury system?

Answer 7

1. Ordinary people may not understand complex legal techniques
2. Juries can be persuaded by clever lawyers
3. Jurors could be biased and may be influenced by their own personal prejudices

Question 8

What is private law?

Answer 8

Deals with disputes between private citizens

Question 9

What is public law?

Answer 9

Deals with disputes that affect the community

Question 10

Define family law?

Answer 10

Regulates family relationships

Question 11

What is criminal law?

Answer 11

Are needed to keep communities safe from harm

Question 12

What is constitutional law?

Answer 12

This set of laws deal with the get of rules by which a county is governed

Question 13

What is administrative law?

Answer 13

Deals with the decisions and powers of the government departments

Question 14

What is contract law?

Answer 14

This set of laws is concerned with legal agreements between two or more people

Question 15

What is industrial law?

Answer 15

This law is concerned with the rights and obligations of employers

Question 16

What is property law?

Answer 16

This law recognises two bread types of property:real property (land and building)

Question 17

What is tort law?

Answer 17

The law deals with situations where one person intrudes the rights of another.

Question 18

How does a bill become law?

Answer 18

1. A bill (proposed law) is introduced to parliament
2. Reasons for the introduction of the bill are give
3. The bill is considered in detail and may be debated
4. Bill is voted on
5. Bill is sent to other house for review
6. If the house accepts the bill, the governor-general signs it.
7. The bill becomes an act of parliament
8. Act becomes law