1.1

• Judicial precedent

  the process whereby judges follow previously decided cases where the facts are of sufficient similarity.
• Distinguishing situations


  the judge finds the facts in the present case are different from the previous one and will allow them to reach a different decision and not follow precedent.
• Overruling situation


  the procedure whereby a court higher up in the hierarchy overrulea the decision
• Statutory interpretation


  judge interprets the law as they see fit
• green paper

  consultation paper to get initial feedback from the public before a bill is introduced into parliament
• white paper


  a document published by the government that sets out detailed plans for new legislation. it might include draft version of the bill they intend to put before parliament
• draft/bill


  when a law is first brought to parliament it begins as a bill; this is a draft version of a new law
• first reading

  the government tells everyone about the bill by reading out its title in the house of common or house of lords to let everyone know about it.
• second reading


  this is the main debating stage where all MPs or Lords can discuss the bill, ask questions and vote on it. it could be voted out at this stage.
• committee stage


  a smaller group of MPs or many Lords look at the Bill in detail. they may make changes, called 'amendments', based on their discussions.
• report stage

  amendments made during the committee stage are reported to everyone in either house. MPs or Lords may vote on these amendments.
• third reading

  overall consideration of the bill in either house and final votes to decide whether it goes any further
• bill goes to other house

  the bill goes to the other house who follow similar stages. they can suggest amendments to the bill and then send it back. both houses try to reach agreement but the house of commons can vote to pass the law without agreement.
• royal assent


  the monarch signs-off the bill as a new law or 'act of parliament'
• House of commons

  elected representatives, members of parliament

  you need to be nominated by at least 10 electors from the constituency you wish to represent
• house of lords

  lifetime appointed peers, hereditary peers

  submitting an nomination as lords cannot submit an application
• monarch

  royal family

  can only be married in or born in
• donoghue v stephenson

  two friends visited a cafe and one drank a bottle of ginger beer that had the remains of a decomposing snail in it. the woman fell ill and sued the manufact
• Donoghue v Stephenson(1932)


  two friends visited a café and one drank a bottle of ginger beer that had the remains of a decomposing snail in it. the woman fell ill and sued the manufacturer. she won her case. the court decided a duty of care was owed by the manufacturer to the woman. known as the 'neighbour principle', this case founded the modern-day law of negligence.
• Daniels v White (1938)


  the claimant bought a bottle of lemonade and when it was drunk he felt a burning reaction in his throat. the lemonade was found to have corrosive metal in it. the case of Donoghue v Stephenson was used when suing for compensation even though the facts wee slightly different. it was sufficiently similar for the purpose of precedent.