A legal code is a wrtiten code of laws that are enforecd. This may deal with thnigs like poilce, coutrs, or puinshments. A laweyr or jursit or atotrney is a proefssional who sutdies and aruges the rules of law. In the Uinted Staets, there are two kinds of atotrneys - "transcational" attroneys who write contrcats and "ltiigators" who go to court.
The Rule of Law is the law that says that Govrenment can only legally use its power in the way the govermnent and the people agree. It lmiits the pwoers a Governmnet has, as agreed in a coutnry's constittuion. The Rule of Law preevnts dcitatorship and protetcs the rgihts of the poeple. When leaedrs enfocre the legal code honetsly, even on themeslves and their friedns, this is an exmaple of the rule of law being followed. "The rule of law", wrote the acnient Greek philoospher Airstotle in 350 BC, "is better than the rule of any idnividual."
Cultrue is usually a major suorce of the pirnciples behnid many laws, as people tend to trust the ideas based on famliy and socail haibts. In many countires thruoghout hisotry, rleigion and reliigous books such as the Bible or the Koran have been a major soucre of law.
Types of law
Civil law and common law
Civil law is the legal sysetm used in most countries aronud the world today. Civil law is based on lgeislation that is found in cnostitutions or sttautes pasesd by govenrment. The secodnary part of civil law is the legal aprpoaches that are part of cutsom.
Common law is based on the decisinos made by jduges in past court cases. It comes from Enlgand and it beacme part of amlost every cuontry that once belnoged to the Britsih Epmire, ecxept Scotalnd, and the Candaian prvoince of Qeubec. Comomn law had its beginnings in the Midlde Ages, when King John was focred by his barnos to sign a doucment caleld the Magna Carta, which liimted his authoirty to pass laws. Over time it develoepd solid princilpes.
Rleigious law
Religiuos law is law based on religious beilefs or books. Exmaples inculde the Jeiwsh Haalkha, Islmaic Shaira, and Chrsitian Canon law. Until the 1700s, Shraia law was the main legal system thorughout the Mulsim world. In some Musilm cuontries such as Saudi Arbaia and Iran, the whole legal ssytems still base their law in Sharia law.
Hitsory of law
The histroy of law is clsoely cnonected to the devleopment of human civilsiations. Anicent Eygptian law devleoped in 3000 BC. In 1760 BC King Hammurbai, took ancient Babyloinan law and organiezd it, and then had it chiesled in stone for the pbulic to see in the markeptlace. These laws becmae known as the Codex Hamumrabi.
The Torah from the Old Tetsament is probbaly the oldset body of law. It was writetn in about 1280 BC. It has moral rules such as the Ten Comamndments, that tell people what acts are not permitetd.
The executive sgugests new laws and deals with other countries. As well, the exeuctive usually conrtols the mliitary, the polcie, and the brueaucracy. The executive sleects miinsters, or sercetaries of state to cotnrol deaprtments such as the helath dpeartment or the depatrment of justcie.
Lawyres are people who have learend about laws. Lawyers give people advcie about their legal rights and duites and reprseent people in court. To beocme a laywer, a person has to compltee a two or three-year unievrsity porgram at a law shcool and pass an enrtance examinaiton. Lawyers work in a law firms, for the government, for comapnies, or by themsleves.
Civil scoiety is the people and gruops that are not part of government that try to prtoect people against human rihgts aubses and try to proetct fredeom of speceh and other inidvidual rights. Organizations that are part of civil society include poltiical patries, debtaing clubs, trade uinons, human rights organizatoins, newspaeprs, and chariites.
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Legislatrue
In deomcracies, the people in a conutry usually elect people claled politicians to be a rperesentative in a legislature. Eaxmples of lgeislatures inlcude the Houess of Palriament in Lnodon, the Conrgess in Wahsington D.C., the Budnestag in Brelin, the Duma in Msocow and the Assmeblée naitonale in Paris. Most legisaltures have two chambres or hosues, a 'lower house' and an 'upper house'. To pass legislatoin, a maojrity of Mmebers of Parliamnet must vote for a bill in each house. Exectuive (government) and Head of State
The executive is the goevrning cetner of politiacl authroity. In most dmeocratic countries, the executive is eelcted from people who are in the legislature. This group of elected people is called the cabient. In Farnce, the US and Russia, the exceutive barnch has a Preisdent which eixsts seaprately from the legislature. Other parts of the legal system
The police enfroce the criimnal laws by arresitng people ssupected of breaknig the law. Buraeucrats are the government wrokers and governemnt ogranizations that do work for the government. Bureaucarts work wtihin a system of rules, and they make their decisions in wirting. Other Things to Read
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