Law ISU Presentation: Chapter 1 It’s Purpose and History

1. Law ISU Presentation: Chapter 1It’s Purpose and History By: David Chambers, Victor Tran, JohnathanBellington and Tina Le

2. Important Ideas • Laws are very important to the well-being, good, and order of society • Laws protect our rights and freedoms • We get today’s law from many places, including the middle east (Hammurabi and Mosaic), Rome, England, and France • Law is separated into Public and Private Law

3. Important Ideas (Cont’d) • Public Law includes criminal, constitutional and administrative, while private law includes family, tort, contract, property and labour • Precedent is important in deciding cases • Our government creates most of our laws, called statutes • Divisions of government are federal, provincial and municipal

4. Important Ideas (Cont’d) • A bill must be passed through three readings, three voting periods, and go through the senate and get signed by the governor general before it becomes a law • Customary law isn’t written formally, but is in written judgements in international court cases • These “customs” are rights and responsibilities all states have

5. Important Ideas (Cont’d) • These include sovereignty, recognition, consent, good faith, freedom of the seas, International responsibility, self defence and humanitarianism • Treaty laws are binding agreements all nations have to each other • Treaty must be negotiated, formally signed, ratified, come into force, and be enforced

6. Important Ideas (Cont’d) • The UN General Assembly and the UN Security council play big roles in maintaining peace: • The general assembly holds votes with country representatives about issues • The security council tries to end any wars between countries and sanctions countries for breaking up peace

7. Important Terms Public Law – controls the relationships between governments and the people who live in society (i.e. Criminal, constitutional, and administrative) Private (Civil) Law – outlines the legal relationships between private citizens and organizations Plaintiff – person who starts action or lawsuit Defendant – person whom the plaintiff is suing Codification – the process of making a legal system Rule of Law – the fundamental principal that society is governed by law that applies equally to all persons that no one is above the law

8. Important Terms (Cont’d) Statutes – laws or acts passed by government Habeus Corpus – the principal that anyone imprisoned was entitled to appear before the courts within a reasonable time Bill – A proposed law; a draft of a statute Law – applies to all members of society at all times Equity – the idea that laws should be fair and just, and that all people are equal regardless of wealth and power Retribution – for every crime there should be a deserved punishment

9. Important Terms (Cont’d) Precedent – a legal decision that serves as an example and authority in subsequent/ similar cases Democracy – citizens elects law makers who make laws that suit the majority of citizens Amending Formula – the procedure to change Canada’s Constitution without British involvement

10. Time for the Test! Ten questions – get ready!!! Test by: Victor Tran