Sources of Scots Law and intro to Agency Flashcards
when was the Scottish parliament created?
11/9/97 THE REFERENDUM
The Scotland Act 1998 ‘ There shall be a Scottish Parliament
What does the act deal with?
Election of the parliament
Its powers
Appointment and powers of a first minister and Scottish executive
The relationship between Scottish and UK parliament
Is the Scottish parliament a completely independent body?
no it is not!
It is not a sovereign Parliament an it has territorial limits- legislation for Scotland
it can only legislate
Delegated by the UK parliament
Does Westminster have overriding power over the Scottish parliament?
yes!
Westminster given powers and responsibilities to the Scottish parliament;
However certain powers are retained by the UK parliament (reserved matters)
Westminster is the supreme law making authority
therefore… the UK parliament has overriding powers.
True or False: The Scottish parliament can pass laws within agriculture, forestry, and fisheries. (devolved powers)
TRUE
The Scottish parliament can pass laws in the following areas:
Housing Justice Local Government and local government elections Social work Sport Tourism Health and social services economic development education and training culture and creative industries Transport (excluding some)
Westminster will still continue to make laws for Scotland in many important areas, these matters are ________ to the UK parliament
matters are reserved to the UK parliament
What Act lists matters that are reserved by the UK parliament?
Schedule 5 of the Scotland Act 1998
Is the majority of business law related to the schedule 5 reserved matters?
YES!
The majority of it
there are some differences on certain matters
Schedule 5 of the Scotland Act 1998; matters reserved to the UK Parliament
Broadcasting Costitution Consumer protection Defence and Security Employment Equal opportunities Energy
Economic and monetary policy inclusing currency and interest rates foreign policy immigration social security telecomunications trade and industry
Do the acts of the Scottish parliament have a) higher or b) lower status than the acts of Westminster?
LOWER!
What are the Acts of the Scottish Parliament known as?
secondary/delegated legislation
- due to their lower status
The Sewel motion
Scotland must see consent from Westminster to pass laws in Scotland; Westminster will introduce a bill/Act which covers the whole of the UK, not just Scotland who asked for the bill.
Scotland Act 2016
What must Westminster have before they can legislate a delegated Matters?
Parliaments Expressed Approval
Scotland Act 2016
Gives Sewel motion a statutory foundation which means that Westminster will have to have the expressed approval of the Scottish parliament before it can legislate the delegated matters.
Benefits of the Sewel Motion
It saves the Scottish Parliament time
opportunity to avoid certain issues/ not to legislate on certain issues
How many Chambers does the Scottish Parliament have?
ONE CHAMBER!!
The Scottish Parliament Bills consist of: The government executive Bill Committee Bill Members Bill Name the types of Bills in Westminster.
Westminster:
Government Bill
Member’s Bill
Westminster: (the process of the bill)
The Bill must pass through The House of…
The house of Commons AND the house of Lords
The Scottish parliament:
The Bill must pass through…
only one chamber;
The Westminster Committee system is a) more powerful or b) less powerful than the Scottish parliament?
a) Less powerful
Why? Because the Scottish parliament committee can introduce a new bill. Westminster committees do not have that power
Individuals have more chance at introducing new bills to which Parliament?
The Scottish parliament, there is more chance of success!
Scottish Parliament
Public Bill applies to whom?
The society as a whole
Scottish Parliament:
A private Bill applies to whom?
applies to a small group of people/ particular organization/ body
Scottish parliament:
For a Bill to become an Act of Parliament who must it go through?
The Scottish Parliament
AND
Have a Royal Assent
How many stages are there in the Scottish Parliament for passing a bill?
3 Stages
Scottish Parliament: Public and Private Bill STAGE ONE
What is the difference between public and private first stage of passing a bill?
If it is a private bill a decision is to be made whether it should proceed as a Private Bill or whether it should change to a Public Bill.
Consideration of the Bill’s General principles takes place with both Public and Private!!
Public and Private Bill; STAGE 2…
within the private bill, what is the second stage known as?
Considerations of the details of the Bill
Known as the consideration stage
Stage 3/final stage (Private Bill)
Final consideration of the Bill and a decision is made whether or not to pass or reject it
Once the bill has been accepted by Parliament it must be seen by…
Royal Assent
Delegated Legislation (subordinate/secondary legislation)
ways in which the laws can be introduced very quickly without having to get it through the whole legislative process.
Every Act passed by the Scottish parliament is a _____ legislation
Delegated, secondary, subordinate Legislation
Statutory instruments;
‘Delegate power to the government minister to make a new law’
The Parent Act;
No need to consult with the parliament
Name the benefits of the Parent Act;
Time saving/ parliament can focus on more important matters
BENEFIT: The first Minister provides a report about the operation of new rules
What Act is this benefit from?
The parent Act
The Act must stay within the power given by the Parent Act; why is this Act criticised?
quite a number of new legislation were introduced without appropriate debate around the legislation.
The court of session can make laws which regulate the \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ of business in all the Scottish Civil courts Fill in the blank and; Which Act is this: Acts of Adjournal Parent Act Acts of Sedernut
CONDUCT
Acts of Sedernut
The Acts of Adjournal organises the business and procedures of the High court of Justiciary and the lower Scottish criminal courts.
Who can introduce these Acts?
The high court of Judiciary
By-Laws;
A Parent Act gives law-making powers to an inferior body.
Acts Passed by the Scottish Parliament
licencing acts give powers to inferior bodies such as local councils to make legislations
true or false
true
By-Laws; what is an example of an inferior body that a parent act gives law making powers to?
Local Council
By-Laws are created by who?
Lower level bodies
Delegated legislation is less time consuming and can be used to respond rapidly in emergencies to come up with legislations
it can be mended rapidly.
Benefit
COMMON LAW: INSTITUTIONAL WRITINGS
Judicial precedent (Case Law) is also known as
stare decisis
The practice of following previous Judicial Decisions is known as the…
Judicial Prededent
A previous Judicial Decision is formed of two parts:
The ratio decidendi and the…
Obiter dicta
The Ratio Decidendi
The actual legal rule established by the court case
The Ratio Decidendi is often a long explanation
True or False
False; it is only a few sentences
Statements or Examples provided by the judge
a) Obiter Dicta or b) The Ratio Decidendi
a) Obiter Dicta
Obiter Dicta
explanation provided by the judge is not part of the judgement. Why?
They are not binding on future cases but merely persuasive.
In case law The Ratio Decidendi is important in case law; the law that most often should be followed, except in some cases;
Judicial Precedent
Binding Precedents
Persuasive Precedents
The courts STATUS is going to have an impact on whether the decisions are binding precedents or
Persuasive precedents or disregarded.
Decisions of superior higher courts will have to be followed; binding precedents
Reason for Common law (Judicial Precedent (case Law));
Designed to provide consistency in the law and decision making.
the rules applied; interpretation of statutory provisions
The literal rule;
the words used in the legislation are given their everyday, ordinary or lit….
literal meanig
The rules applied; interpretation of statutory provisions
the golden rule; the judge applies the law literally, but in a way that avoids the creation of…
absurdities or injustices
Rules; interpretation of statutory provisions;
The judge ignores the wording in the legislation and instead examines what mischief the statute was supposed to cure
The mischief Rule
The purposive Rule; the words of the statute are interpreted in their ordinary, literal, and grammatical sense, as well as with reference to the context and purpose of the legislation
ordinary, literal and grammatical sense
the context and purpose of the legislation
A word should be constructed in its context (look at the statute as a whole to discover the meaning of a word in it)
what rule is this?
The contextual Rule
Who is referred to for guidance when there is no Statute or Legal Precedent on a point of law?
The “writings” of influential Scottish Lawyers between; 1655 and 1829
modern writings are not the law
COMMON LAW; Customs
Practices handed down over many generations
Must be well established and continue to be enforced
very rare these days
can be overruled by superior forms of law (Acts of Parliament, other legislation)
SCOTTISH LEGAL SYSTEM
has its own system of courts…
these existed before the treaty of England and for most parts have developed separately from the other jurisdiction in the UK
what are the types of laws in the Scottish legal system?
Common-Law; contract law, agency, and criminal law; most important
Statute law or legislation
Private and Public Law
Criminal and Civil Law
Name the type of law
The resolution of legal disputes between private individuals or organizations…
one having suffered loss as a result of the others wrongful behaviour
Civil Law
Civil Law is the dispute between persons (legal persons), private individuals or organizations
Give 3 examples:
Family Law Company Law Partnership Law Banking and Finance sale of goods and services Consumer Law Personal Injury Claims Trust Divorce
what are a legal person/ legal personality
a natural legal person or artificial person
give examples of both natural and artificial persons;
Artificially created by the law; limited company
natural; an individual
Criminal Law;
The prosecution of those individuals who threaten the ____ of society
Security
Criminal Law is between the person and the…
The State