Where the Law Comes From - Source
How would you explain or describe common law, stare decisis and the use of precedence in the United States? What do you think about the power of the courts under this system? What are the pros and cons (good and bad) aspects of this type of legal system?
Law comes from constitution, statutes, regulations, cases, common law principles. For example, common law is derived from the customs and judicial decisions in English and the federal government, which is not belong to legislate. The word “common” applies to all the men, places and all the kind’s land. The common law has diversity, universality and limitations. For example, the common law legal systems in America are originated in medieval England, which is developed from the common law tradition. The common laws are used to solve common kinds of disputes, and it is not only for the nobles but also for the common men. Law is supreme and it has unified courts. Everyone has the responsibility to follow the law, even rulers. A common law system is a legal system, which is trial of jury and follow with the principle of stare decisis.
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The common law adhered to using the precedent of previous cases as sources of law to trial of the current cases. Under the stare decisis, if the situation of the case is similar to the decided cases, the same court or lower courts have to follow the same jurisdiction of the precedent. Otherwise, the court has the rights to modify, extend and refuse to apply the cases. For example, if there is no precedent as a reference to the current dispute, the court has the right and obligation to enact laws to create a precedent. Furthermore, a court cannot overturn precedent in addition to a compelling reason. The use of precedence in the United States helps the courts to solve the case more efficiently and particularly analyzed similar
The legal system does not follow a precedent instead it deals with each case on the individual level. It
The doctrine states that courts are bound by decisions held in earlier cases. However, I agree with the reasoning in Johnson, a court should be allowed to correct the effects of a prior court ruling if the ruling was badly reasoned and has a negative impact on society. The criminal justice system, which includes the courts, was established to control crime and enforce punishments on those who violated the law. Stare decisis should not apply to a court correcting a prior court decision, which consequences resulted in contradicting the establishment of the criminal justice
Elizabeth Tilley Howland Scholarship Award Essay Catharine Knowles 2017 In government, precedence is key. Without the historic case of Roe v. Wade, each state would have different laws in regards to a woman 's choice. McCulloch v. Maryland handed down a decision based on the implied powers of the federal government. Marbury v. Madison set forth the precedent of Judicial Review, which now allows the supreme court to rule a law unconstitutional.
The American Legal System The American legal system has been influenced by many historical rulers and laws. Three that have influenced the American legal system the most are Roman laws, moral laws and Hammurabi’s code in my opinion. One legal system that influenced the American legal system are Roman laws. I picked Roman law because it said that law has been defined as the “Art of social control”; a system of rules regulating the conduct of man.
There are four sources of American law, constitutional, administrative, statutory and common law (including case law). The most important law. The United States and most Commonwealth countries have inherited the common law tradition of English law. For example, U.S. courts inherit the principle of "follow the precedents. " A handful of the important English statutes that were practiced in the War of Independence were copied by the states in the United States almost invariably.
Many countries over the years have adopted different was to enforce law. Countries like Canada and France uses different forms of legal tradition, which are common and civil tradition. These law encompasses during different eras, for instance common law tradition was derived from England during the time of the Middle ages, which was applied within British colonies. The civil tradition was utilized throughout continental Europe during the empowerment of Spain and Portugal. Common law is based on precedent and civil law use a comprehensive system.
The relationship between the law and society affects everyone and everything. How the law is written and how it is acted upon in society are two different things. It is imperative, therefore, that we as citizens pay attention to and understand the importance of the relationship between the law and society as it affects both our own lives and the lives of those around us. We engage in and witness the power of the law and society everyday. The law is personal, however, the law is also discretionary depending on where you look.
Specialized Courts Specialized courts are commonly known as the problem-solving courts that promote positive reinforcement, support behavior modification, decrease victimization, and reduce recidivism. Examples of specialized courts include drug court and mental health courts. A community might benefit from establishing a specialized court such as a drug court because it follows a comprehensive model that concentrates on reducing criminal actions through treatment and rehabilitation services with the focus being on substance abuse addiction and identifying the cause without jeopardizing public safety and due process (Specialized Courts, 2013).
The four major legal families of law are Civil Law, Common Law, Socialist Law, and Sacred Law. Today, most nations follow either Civil Law or Common Law. Sometimes, countries mix civil and common law and use a little of both. Some countries that follow Civil Law are China, Japan, Germany, France, and Spain. The countries that follow Common Law are North America, the United Kingdom, and other Commonwealth countries around the world.
LAW1600 Legal Research & Writing Tutorial 1 1. Discuss the potential ramifications of not having a system of courts. The law is required to protect finances, assets, the environments, businesses and personal safety. Without a system of courts and a government people are not held accountable for actions that negatively affect others in the community.
The law is meant to provide justice to people. So the main advantages of the common law system is that it is consistent, adaptive, equal and independent. Consistency is achieved through the precedent as the base for the decisions, not the personal attitudes of the judges. The parties, involved in the process, are expecting that their case would be decided as the similar one, it creates certainty in getting equal justice and stability. Precedents are usually developed in the higher courts by the senior
Introduction Civil Justice System The civil justice system exists in order to enable individuals, businesses, and local and central government to vindicate, and where necessary, enforce their civil legal rights and obligations, whether those rights are private or public. It ensures that the rights and protection of citizens are called for. The rule of law dictates that government should not abuse their powers as per AV Dicey’s concept of the rule of law. In addition, the civil courts endorse economic activity, allowing contracts to be made between strangers because rights are taken care of in the courts if they are breached.
In the article entitled ‘Determining the Ratio Decidendi of the Case’ by Arthur L. Goodhart, I underwent a roller coaster-like journey on exploring the science behind the nature of a precedent in English law. Goodhart started with the attempt to explain the full meaning of ratio decidendi in the simplest terms. He referred to Sir John Salmond’s definition in which I have interpreted ratio decidendi as the principle of law that is found in a court decision and possesses the authority to be binding. Ratio decidendi should be distinguished from a judicial decision, as the latter is a wider concept and contains the ratio decidendi, whereas the former is a principle that carries the force of law. In another reference, Professor John Chipman Gray
Material Sources: Material sources of law includes: • Historical Sources: Suppose no statutes exist, then court refers to common law or case law. The principles or set of rules framed traditionally in an unauthorized or in an unofficial way, but are adopted and endorsed as rules, and decisions are made on them as well. Such sources are outlined as COMMON LAW OF EQUITY. The essential characteristic of common law is that it ascends as precedent. When the parties have disagreement on the law, then court looks for previous rulings and precedents on it.
Law is present in our daily life and in everything we do. We cannot think a second without law. Whatever we can see around us everything is connected with the law. Sometimes we can see it and sometimes we cannot see but feel it. Law is not just a thing to obey for yourself but making a peaceful society.