Commerce Law, society and political involvement

• Absolute majority


  Half the number of formal votes received in an election plus one
• Access

  Equal opportunity for all people to make use of the legal system
• Adversarial system

  system in which two opposing parties present their arguments to a magistrate or judge
• Anarchy 


  Disorder or confusion due to the absence of government or laws
• Appeal

  An application for a legal decision to be reviewed in a higher court
• Bail 


  To release an accused person who is awaiting trial
• Balance of power 


  The power an individual or party has by holding the casting vote
• Balance of probabilities 


  The standard of proof in civil trials
• Ballot paper 


  A piece of paper in which a voter records his or her vote
• Beyond reasonable doubt


  The standard of proof required in a criminal trial
• Cabinet

  The group of select government ministers that meet regularly to decide major issues of government
• Coalition 


  A government that becomes possible because two or more parties agree to work together and hence gain the majority of votes
• Committal hearing


  A hearing in local court to decide whether there is enough evidence to put a person on trial for an indictable (serious) offense
• Common law 


  A system of law based on the previous decisions of judges or precedents
• Constitution 


  A document that outlines the powers of the parliament
• Constitutional monarchy


  A form of government in which non-elected monarchs act as the head of the state. There are usually constitutional limits on their power
• Court 


  A place where people can resolve disputes relating to law
• Defendant


  The party in a criminal or civil trial against whom an action has been brought
• Democracy


  A system of government where political power lies with the people
• Discriminate


  To treat someone less favorably or differently because of his or her personal characteristics such as gender, ethnicity or religion
• Dorothy Dixer


  A rehearsed question asked of a government minister by a back bencher of their own political party
• Double dissolution


  A decision made by the head of state to dissolve both houses of parliament
• Federation


  The colonies (now states) agreed to join together to form Australia
• Federal parliament


  The house of representatives and the senate
• Formal vote


  A vote that has been correctly marked on a ballot paper in accordance with the rules
• hierarchy 


  A grading system based on the order of importance
• House of representatives

  The lower house of federal parliament sometimes called the people's house
• Hung parliament

  A situation where no political party has a majority of elected members in parliament
• Independent


  A candidate or member of parliament who is not a member of a political party
• Indictable offence


  A serious criminal offence
• Judge

  A court official who has the power to make decisions on matter brought before a court of law
• Judiciary

  The system of courts that interprets and applies the law in a country
• Jury


  A group of people either 12 or 6 selected to hear the evidence in a court case
• Kinship


  Traditional indigenous rules that outline the correct ways of living
• Laws


  A set of legal rules
• Lobby


  To attempt to enlist popular and political support for some particular cause
• Magistrate


  A court official who hears the cases in the lowest court of law
• Non-parole


  A set period of time a prisoner must serve before they can get out on the promise of good behaviour
• Parole


  To release a prisoner on the promise of good behaviour
• Minority government

  A political party that does not have a majority of overall seats in parliament but have still formed a government