Law & Society

1. Law & Society Commerce Syllabus Core Part 2.1

2. Agenda • The legal framework • Reasons for laws • The legal system • Court structure • Juries • Areas of law • Classifying laws • How laws are made • Common • Statute • Constitutions • Relationship of laws to values, morals & ethics • How laws are changed • Using the legal system • Accessing the law • Cost • Time • Procedures • Language • Issues of fairness facing the law

3. (A) Learning The Lingo • Anarchy • Burden of Proof • Case • Fundamental rights • Indictable Offences • Judge • Jury • Legally Binding Decision • Natural Justice • Presumption Of Innocence • Summary Offences

4. The Lingo Explained • Anarchy • When there is no law or government, people are free to do as they please and society is unable to function • Burden of Proof • The legal principle that the prosecution must prove that the accused is guilty of the crime • Case • A proceeding in a court of law. • Fundamental rights • Those rights to which every human is entitled

5. Lingo (cont) • Indictable Offences • Serious offences that require a full trial with a jury. Examples are armed robbery, murder and serious drug offences • Judge • A highly trained legal professional who presides over District, Supreme and High Courts. The judge’s role is to advise the jury and pass the sentence • Jury • A group of people chosen randomly from the community to determine the guilt or non-guilt of the accused in serious criminal law matters

6. Lingo (cont) • Legally Binding Decision • An order that is given by a court and must be followed. • Natural Justice • The right to be treated fairly in legal matters • Presumption Of Innocence • The belief that a party accused of a crime is innocent unless it is proven that the party has committed the crime. • Summary Offences • Less serious crimes that are dealt with by the Local Court. An example is shoplifting

7. The Legal Framework Reasons for laws The legal system Court structure Juries

8. Reasons for Laws

9. (A)Why Do We Need Laws? What would society look like without laws? Research Activity Watch the video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zY9BmU_ECwI Read the article “Egyptians Defiant as Military Does Little to Quash Protests “ NYT 29/01/2011 Find one other current article on the revolution in Egypt. Name 3 consequences of the collapse of law in Egypt http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2011/02/03/world/middleeast/20110203-tahrir-square-protest-diagram.html?ref=middleeast&nl=todaysheadlines&emc=tha2#panel/3

10. What's The Difference? Rules Laws Applies to all of the people all of the time Give way to the right at a round about Don’t trespass on others property Don’t download music on a pay for play site without paying for it • Applies to some of the people some of the time, and can be quite specific • Don’t stay up late on a school night • Wash your hands after you’ve used the toilet • Don’t wear blue and green colours together (blue and green should never be seen)

11. (A) At Gilroy we have rules and regulations Create a table: Column 1 heading: Gilroy rules and regulations Column 2 heading: Established Laws in Society In pairs compare at least 4 Gilroy rules to Law in Australia

12. The Legal System

13. Who Are The Players? State = in NSW is the Local, District & Supreme Courts Federal = For all of Australian states and territories is the High Court, Federal Court And Family Courts Of Australia

14. Who Does What! • Local Court • E.g. Waverley Local Court • District • E.g. Parramatta District Court • Supreme Courts • E.g. Supreme Court of NSW • High Court Of Australia • Federal Court Of Australia • Family Court Of Australia