Presentation Transcript

1. Definition for Monday October 13 1. Law 2. Statutory Law 3. Penal Code 4. Case Law 5. Common Law 6. Rule of Law 7. Jurisprudence
2. Begin Monday Oct 13 Chapter 4 Pre-Test
3. A law is a rule of conduct, generally found enacted in the form of a statute, that proscribes or mandates certain forms of behavior. Laws channel human behavior while they simultaneously constrain it, and they empower individuals while contributing to public order. Law *
4. Laws maintain order in society. Laws regulate human interaction. Laws enforce moral beliefs. Laws define the economic environment. Laws enhance predictability. Laws support the powerful. Laws promote orderly social change. Laws sustain individual rights. Laws redress wrongs. Laws identify wrongdoers. Laws mandate punishment and retribution. What Do Laws Do?
5. Laws are found in statutory provisions and constitutional enactments, as well as hundreds of years of rulings by courts at all levels. Statutory law is the written or codified law: the “law on the books,” as enacted by a government body or agency having the power to make laws. The written form of criminal law is called the penal code. Where are our laws?
6. Courts interpret the statutory laws. Case law—law that results from judicial decisions. Judicial precedent Built on legal reasoning and past interpretations of statutory law Guides decision making, especially in the courts. Common law—the traditional body of unwritten historical precedents created from everyday social customs, rules, and practices, which may be supported by judicial decisions. Interpreting Statutory Law*
7. The rule of law holds that an orderly society must be governed by established principles and known codes that are applied uniformly and fairly to all of its members. Also known as the Supremacy of Law The Rule of Law A cornerstone of our Western way of life.