Legal studies

• Some characteristics of rules are that they are set to a particular community, less powerful.
• A law is applied to everyone, more powerful than rules and enforced by police and the government.
• Aboriginal law was passed down from generations and is a legal system based on rituals and customs.
• Terra nullius means 'land belonging to no one'.
• When the British landed, they believed that Aboriginals had no law
• Three levels of government: Federal, state, and local.
• The leader of federal government is Prime minister - to become this you need to be elected by house of representatives
• Head of government is Premier and head of state is Governor.
• All state governments but QLD, NT, ACT have 2 houses of parliment
• Head of local government is called a mayor - can only make rules on local issues
• Three different types of legislative power: exclusive, concurrent and residual
• Examples of exclusive powers include defense, currency, copyright, immigration and airports
• Examples of concurrent powers include hospitals, transport, education, main roads and waterways
• Examples of residual powers include police, schools, public transport, prisons, agriculture and ambulance
• Most laws in Australia are made by the federal and state government
• The four main roles of laws are establishing boundaries, freedom, protection and resolving disputes.
• Laws are different in every country
• In Australia, the method of trial used is called the adversarial system. This means two opposing sides will present their arguments to an independent umpire; a judge or a magistrate.
• Laws that are written down beforehand are called statute law, or Acts

  of Parliament.
• Common law are laws made by judges
• Precedent means that judges will make the same decisions in cases that are similar
• The laws created by parliament have the highest status and must be obeyed by all people. Parliament makes most laws
• Each parliament has a constitution, which is a document that outlines the powers of the parliament and any restrictions to its law-making authority.
• Private law deals with how

  individuals interact with other individuals as well as the rights and duties people have towards each other.
• Public law is concerned with regulating people’s behaviour within society as a whole and protects the freedom of individuals.
• If some people are unable to access the law, then they are

  discriminated against and consequently denied justice.