CHAPTER 2

• Act of Parliament: A law made by parliament; a bill that has passed through parliament and has received royal assent (also known as a statute).
• Australian Constitution: A set of rules and principles that guide the way Australia is governed.
• Bill: A proposed law that has been presented to parliament to become law.
• Civil law: An area of law that defines the rights and responsibilities of individuals, groups and organisations in society and regulates private disputes.
• Common law: Law made by judges through decisions made in cases.
• Constitutional monarchy: A system of government in which a monarch is the head of state and a constitution sets out the powers of the parliament.
• Criminal law: An area of law that defines behaviours and conduct that are prohibited and outlines sanctions for people who commit them.
• Federation: The union of sovereign states that gave up some of their powers to a central authority to form Australia.
• Government: The ruling authority with power to govern, formed by the political party or parties that holds the majority in the lower house in each parliament.
• High Court: The ultimate court of appeal in Australia and the court with the authority to hear and determine disputes arising under the Australian Constitution.
• Opposition: The political party that holds the second-largest number of seats (after the government) in the lower house.
• Parliament: A formal assembly of representatives of the people that is elected by the people and gathers to make laws.
• Remedy: Any order made by a court (or tribunal) designed to address a civil wrong or breach.
• Rule of law: The principle that everyone in society is bound by law and must obey the law, and that laws should be fair and clear, so people are willing and able to obey them.
• Sanction: A penalty imposed by a court on a person guilty of a criminal offence.
• Secondary legislation: Rules and regulations made by secondary authorities (e.g. local councils, government departments and statutory authorities) that are given the power to do so by the parliament.
• Statute: A law made by parliament; a bill that has passed through parliament and has received royal assent (also known as legislation or an Act of Parliament).
• Westminster system: A parliamentary system of government that developed in Britain and upon which Australia’s parliamentary system is modelled.