Reasons for Laws and Political Involvement Quiz

Study Notes

Rules exist to create and maintain order in society, and every country has its own laws that vary according to its beliefs, attitudes, and culture.

Laws are made by federal and state parliaments, and they regulate most aspects of life.
Laws control the behavior of crowds, such as banning crowd surfing at concerts or the Mexican wave at cricket events.

Many laws regulate daily activities, and they are enforced by courts.
The court system operates under a hierarchy, with higher courts dealing with more serious matters and lower courts dealing with less serious ones.

The court system has a hierarchy, with higher courts dealing with more serious matters and lower courts dealing with less serious ones.
Each court has jurisdiction over specific legal matters and becomes "expert" in dealing with a particular area of law.
In criminal cases, higher courts deal with serious crimes, and in civil cases, higher courts hear cases that affect many people or involve large sums of money.
Individuals can appeal decisions to higher courts if they are unhappy with the ruling.

The Drug Court tries to provide long-term solutions for offenders with drug addiction and encourages them to become free of substance abuse.
The court has a program with stages, including assessment, detoxification, and personalized plans to help offenders complete the program.
Offenders have to take regular drug tests and make regular court visits to report on their progress.

All parties attending court must follow court etiquette and behave in an appropriate manner.
Rules of court etiquette include standing when the magistrate or judge enters the courtroom, bowing or nodding to the magistrate or judge, and dressing appropriately.

Each state and territory has its own parliament, which makes laws applicable to that state or territory.
The New South Wales Parliament, situated in Macquarie Street, Sydney, makes laws that are applicable to New South Wales only.
Parliament delegates some of its law-making power to local councils, which look after areas in which people live.

Laws made by parliament are also called Acts, statutes, and legislation.
Parliament is the supreme law-making authority and can make laws on whatever it likes, change laws when it wants to, and pass an Act to overcome the effects of precedent.

Each parliament has a constitution, which outlines the powers of the parliament and any restrictions to its law-making authority.
The Australian Constitution limits the powers of the Federal Parliament and is concerned with the powers and authority of parliament, the rights of each citizen, and the powers between the federal and state governments.

Contract law is concerned with legal agreements between two or more people and deals with breaches of contract.
Family law regulates family relationships, including marriage, de facto relationships, divorce, custody, and other aspects involving family members.
Criminal law is needed to keep the community safe from harm, provide for an orderly society, and provide a way of dealing with a crime when it occurs.
Industrial law is concerned with the rights and obligations of employers and employees, including resolving industrial disputes, workers' compensation, occupational health and safety, and discrimination in the workforce.
Property law recognizes two broad types of property: real property (land and buildings) and personal property (goods and services we purchase), and provides regulations about the sale, leasing, and hiring of property.