How much do you know about the legal system of England and Wales?

Legal System of England and Wales:

• English law is a common law legal system comprising criminal and civil law, with separate courts and procedures.

• Welsh academics and politicians have called for a separate Welsh justice system.

• The most authoritative law is statutory legislation comprising Acts of Parliament, regulations, and by-laws.

• Common law is made by sitting judges who apply both statutory law and established principles derived from earlier decisions.

• Equity is the other historic source of judge-made law, concerned mainly with trusts and equitable remedies.

• Murder remains a common law crime rather than a statutory offence.

• Scotland and Northern Ireland have separate legal systems outside English law.

• International treaties have effect in English law only when adopted and ratified by Act of Parliament.

• Criminal law is the law of crime and punishment, while civil law is concerned with tort, contract, families, companies, etc.

• Common law is the judge-made law of the King's Bench, while equity is the judge-made law of the (now-defunct) Court of Chancery.

• Public law governs relationships between individuals and the state, while private law encompasses relationships between private individuals and other private entities.

• The customary laws of Wales within the Kingdom of England were abolished by King Henry VIII's Laws in Wales Acts, which brought Wales into legal conformity with England.The Legal System of Wales and its Devolution

• Any legislation passed by the devolved parliament in Wales must adhere to the Government of Wales Act 2006, legislation of the British Parliament, or to any Order in Council given under the authority of the 2006 Act.

• Any reference to England in legislation between 1746 and 1967 is deemed to include Wales, while any application to Wales must be expressed under the Welsh Language Act 1967.

• Wales has some political autonomy via the National Assembly for Wales, which gained its power to pass primary legislation under the Government of Wales Act 2006.

• The legal system administered through civil and criminal courts is unified throughout England and Wales.

• Northern Ireland did not cease to be a distinct jurisdiction when its legislature was suspended, unlike Wales.

• The Welsh Language Act 1993 put the Welsh language on an equal footing with the English language in Wales with regard to the public sector.

• Welsh may also be spoken in Welsh courts.

• The four sources of English law (common law, equity, statutes, and European Union law) all apply in Wales.

• The Welsh Government is responsible for justice policy, including the provision of courts and tribunals, while the Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales is responsible for the administration of justice.

• The Wales Act 2017 gives the Welsh Assembly more powers, including over areas such as energy and transport.

• The devolved government in Wales has the power to create Welsh laws and to decide how the Welsh legal system operates.

• The legal system in Wales is unique, as it combines elements of the English legal system with the traditions of Welsh law.