Common Law Basics Quiz

Common Law Overview

• Common law is a legal system derived from court decisions rather than written statutes.
• Also known as case law or judge-made law, it evolves through judicial rulings.

Stare Decisis

• Latin term meaning "to stand by things decided."
• Courts adhere to precedents established in earlier cases, forming a body of law for future cases.

Classification of Law

• Types of law include:
  • Private Law vs. Public Law
  • Civil Law vs. Criminal Law
  • Civil Law vs. Common Law
  • Municipal Law vs. International Law
  • Substantive Law vs. Adjectival Law
  • Customary Law vs. Non-Customary Law

Substantive Law

• Defines legal rights and obligations across various legal fields.
• Addresses issues like contract validity and elements of criminal offenses.
• Includes areas such as constitutional law, administrative law, contract law, criminal law, and tort law.

Distinguishing a Case

• A legal term indicating a court's decision that a precedent does not apply due to differing facts.
• Allows courts to navigate unique situations by differentiating them from past rulings.

Ratio Decidendi

• Latin phrase meaning "the reason for the decision."
• Refers to the legal principle that underpins a court's judgment and serves as the basis for future rulings.

Obiter Dicta

• Non-essential comments made by judges during a case.
• While potentially insightful, they do not carry the same weight as the ratio decidendi.

Judicial Precedent

• Practice of relying on previous case decisions when resolving new, similar cases.
• Ensures consistency in legal interpretations and rulings.

Per Incuriam

• Refers to decisions reached without considering relevant statutes or case laws.
• Represents a failure to acknowledge binding precedents, impacting the integrity of the judgment.

Statutes of General Application

• English laws effective as of January 1, 1900, applied by the courts.
• Designed to ensure legal consistency across jurisdictions.

Legal Maxims

• Audi alteram partem: Let the other side be heard.
• Actus non facit reum nisi mens sit rea: An act does not make one guilty unless there is a guilty intention.
• Volenti non fit injuria: No injury can be inflicted on a willing person.
• Ubi jus ibi remedium: There is no wrong without a remedy.
• Pacta sunt servanda: Agreements must be followed.
• Caveat emptor: Let the purchaser beware; buyers are responsible for the quality of goods.
• Prima facie: A matter appears to be based in sufficient evidence to be considered true.
• Quicquid plantatur solo, solo cedit: Whatever is affixed to the soil belongs to the soil.
• Ignorantia judicis est calamitas innocentis: The ignorance of the judge is the misfortune of the innocent.
• Juria novit curia: The court knows the law.
• Affirmati Non Neganti Incumbit Probatio: The burden of proof lies with the person who asserts, not the one who denies.

Hierarchy of Courts

• Supreme Court:

  • Requires 15 years post-call for judges.
  • Consists of a chief judge and up to 21 judges.
  • Has original jurisdiction on important state and federal issues.

• Court of Appeal:

  • Requires 12 years post-call, featuring a president and no less than 49 justices.
  • Manages appeals from various lower courts, with original jurisdiction on election petitions.

• Federal High Court:

  • Requires 10 years post-call, addressing various federal legal matters.

• Additional courts and their specified jurisdictions provide a structured legal system.

Test your knowledge on the fundamental concepts of common law, including the principles of stare decisis and the classification of law. This quiz explores the differences between private and public law, as well as civil and criminal law. Enhance your understanding of how judicial decisions shape the legal landscape.