Chapter 1 notes
What is Law?
 Definition – Rules and
regulations made and
enforced by government to
regulate people’s conduct.
 Laws generally reflect and
promote a society’s values
and our legal system
protects basic human
rights.
 Our legal system is
influenced by society’s
traditional ideas of right
and wrong
Why do we have laws?
 Without them there
would confusion or
disorder
 They prevent people
from taking advantage
of one another
 Societies recognize the
need to regulate people’s
conduct
Goals of Legal Systems
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Protecting basic human
rights
Promoting fairness
Helping resolve conflicts
Promoting order and
stability
Promoting desirable
social and economic
behavior
Representing the will of
the majority
Protecting the rights of
minorities
 Laws can be based on moral, economic, political, or
social values.
Economic Values
 Deal with the
accumulation,
preservation, use, and
distribution of wealth.
 Ex. Requiring citizens to
pay taxes
 Ex. Companies may deduct
the cost of advertising from
their income tax
 Ex. Owners may sue
trespassers for entering
their property
Moral Values
 Ex. Prostitution is illegal
 Ex. Repayment of Japanese internment camp survivors
Political Values
 Reflect the relationship
between government and
the individuals
 Ex. 18 year olds have the
right to vote
 Ex. Use of mail in ballots
Social Values
 Concern issues that are
important to society.
 Ex. Free public schools
 Girls have the right to
the same sports
opportunities as boys
 18 year olds can join the
military w/out parental
permission
 Many laws combine moral, economic, political, and
social values.
Human Rights
 Rights we get simply for being human.
 We get these rights as soon as we are born until we die.
Universal Declaration of Human
Rights
 Statement of basic human
rights and standards for
government that has been
agreed to by almost every
country in the world.
 Proclaims that all people
have the right to liberty,
education, political and
religious freedom, and
economic well-being.
 Bans torture and says that
all people have the right to
participate in the
government process.
Civil Court v. Criminal Court
 Civil action – a
noncriminal lawsuit,
brought to enforce a
right or redress a law
 Civil Law – All law that
does not involve
criminal matters such as
tort and contract law.
Civil law usually deals
with the private rights of
individuals, groups, or
business.
 A civil case is brought by
the plaintiff—the person
or company harmed—
Civil Court v. Criminal Court
 Criminal law – The
branch of law dealing
with crimes and their
punishments
 Crime- An act or failure
to act that violates a law
and for which a
government has set a
penalty. (usually fine,
jail, or probation)
 Government brings case
against a defendant, the
person accused of
committing the crime
Misdemeanors
Less serious crimes that
carry a prison term of one
year or less. (Simple
assault, minor theft, etc)
Felonies
 More serious crimes that
carry a prison sentence of
more than one year.
(Murder, robbery, etc.)
 Thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!