Legal studies

• Legal processes and practices used in Australia today are based on the model developed in England
• Contemporary Australian law has evolved from both common law and statute law
• Common law refers to laws created in court by decisions made by judges
• Statute law refers to laws made by parliament
• In legal cases, an impartial judge (and sometimes a jury) listens to the evidence presented by both parties
• The judge then makes a decision as to which side has proved their case and disproved the other side's case
• The adversarial system of trial

  The word ‘adversary' means 'opponent'. In a trial the two sides of the case try to prove their version of the facts and disprove the version of the other side. The defendant in a criminal trial does not have to prove

  anything, as he or she is assumed to be innocent until proven guilty. However, most people accused of a crime will retain the services of a legal team to show how the prosecution's case is flawed.