Introduction to Law
By Zohra Arbabzada
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Table of Contents
Concepts and categories of law .................................................................................................... 4
Nature and concepts of law ................................................................................................................ 4
Common law legal system versus civil law legal system .................................................................... 4
Australian legal system ....................................................................................................................... 4
English legal history ..................................................................................................................... 6
The dark ages ...................................................................................................................................... 6
William the conqueror ........................................................................................................................ 6
Henry the 2nd ....................................................................................................................................... 6
Development of law and the court system......................................................................................... 6
Development of government.............................................................................................................. 7
English Law in Australia & Australian independence ..................................................................... 9
Arrival of the English ........................................................................................................................... 9
Application of English law ................................................................................................................... 9
What exactly does that mean? ........................................................................................................... 9
Legal system in the early colony ......................................................................................................... 9
Governor as government .................................................................................................................... 9
Move from military to civil system of government .......................................................................... 10
New South Wales Act 1823............................................................................................................... 10
Australian Courts Act 1828 ............................................................................................................... 10
19th Century Constitutions Acts ........................................................................................................ 10
Colonial Laws Validity Act 1865 ........................................................................................................ 10
Appeals to England ........................................................................................................................... 11
Federation ......................................................................................................................................... 11
Australian Constitution ..................................................................................................................... 11
Statute of Westminster Adoption Act 1942 (Cth)............................................................................. 11
Independent court system ................................................................................................................ 11
Australia Acts 1986 ........................................................................................................................... 12
What role does English law play today? ........................................................................................... 12
Indigenous legal tradition........................................................................................................... 13
Definition of aboriginal ..................................................................................................................... 13
History ............................................................................................................................................... 13
Indigenous legal tradition ................................................................................................................. 13
Initial impacts .................................................................................................................................... 13
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Indigenous Australians and legal traditions................................................................................. 14
Who are Indigenous Australians? ..................................................................................................... 14
British response to Indigenous Australians ...................................................................................... 14
Aboriginal response to British arrival................................................................................................ 14
White Australia’s response to Aboriginal Australians ...................................................................... 14
Summary of law’s response to Indigenous Australians .................................................................... 15
Legislation ................................................................................................................................. 16
Role of parliament in making law ..................................................................................................... 16
Types of statutes ............................................................................................................................... 16
Making an Act of Parliament ............................................................................................................ 16
Duration of Statutes.......................................................................................................................... 17
Commencement............................................................................................................................ 17
Ending ........................................................................................................................................... 17
Amendment of Statutes .................................................................................................................... 17
Delegated legislation ........................................................................................................................ 17
Statutory interpretation.................................................................................................................... 17
Literal approach ............................................................................................................................ 18
Golden rule ................................................................................................................................... 18
Mischief rule ................................................................................................................................. 18
Modern approach ......................................................................................................................... 18
Use of extrinsic materials.............................................................................................................. 19
Statutory interpretation problem solving method ....................................................................... 19
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Concepts and categories of law
Nature and concepts of law
What is law?
What does law do?
Where does law come from?
What people are involved in it?
Natural Law Theory
Legal Positivism
Critical Legal Theory
o Feminist Legal Theory
o Race Theory
o Postmodernism
Jurisprudence
Common Law Systems
o North America
o Australia
o England
Civil Law Systems
o South America
o Central America
o Greenland
o Europe
o Asia
Customary Law
o Mongolia
Muslim Law
o Middle East
Common law legal system versus civil law legal system
Both part of Western legal tradition
Arose due to historical circumstances
Civil law system based in Roman codes, dominant in European countries
Common law system developed in England, dominant in countries colonised by England
Common law development v codes
Adversarial v Inquisitorial
Australian legal system
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English legal history
The dark ages
Isolated rural communities
Local customary law
Lack of unity re law
Trial by ordeal
William the conqueror
Duke of Normandy (Norman Conquest in 1066)
Centralisation of power
Feudal system of tenures and sub-tenures
King’s Justice: Curia Regis, Court of Exchequer
Henry the 2nd
He reigned between 1154 – 1189
Replaced the requirement of land-holders having to provide knights with monetary taxes
Took control over church courts, centralised power from local courts
Appointed Thomas Becket as Archbishop of Canterbury in 1162
Becket fled to Rome, returned in 1170 and was murdered
System of royal courts: King’s Bench, Court of Common Pleas, and the Court of Exchequer
By 1176, annual rounds by itinerant justices to dispense justice, used local ‘juries’ applying
local customs, principle of stare decisis arose over time for certainty and predictability
Assize of Clarendon in 1166
Jury of Presentment
1176 Assize of Northampton
Jury of Recognition – possession of land
Introduction of writ system
Result was a centralised system of administration of justice
Development of law and the court system
King’s Bench and Court of Common Pleas administered common law under the writ system
Court of Chancery part of Court of Exchequer – issued writs
Expansion in the number of writs
Statute of Westminster in 1285 – forbade the issuing of new writs
‘No writ – no remedy’
Chancellor used conscience to grant a remedy outside available writs
Remedies in courts = damages; remedies by Chancellor = injunction, specific performance
16th Century equity courts more popular than common law courts
Equity also seen as superior to common law
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Friction between common law and equity courts
Sir Thomas More – Chancellor from 1529 – not a church man, ‘lay’ conscience
Lord Ellesmere – Chancellor from 1615 – injunction to stop defendant proceeding in
common law court
Sir Edward Coke, Chief Justice of King’s Bench releases prisoners held for breach of
Ellesmere’s injunctions
King James – royal decree that equity supremacy over common law
Equitable principles crystallised over time – more settled but less flexible
19th Century – backlogs in courts, frustration with split system
1873-5 Judicature Acts combined the procedure for common law and equity
High Court created with combined jurisdiction over common law and equity
Five divisions – Chancery, Queen’s Bench, Common Pleas, Probate, and Divorce & Admiralty
– and a Court of Appeal
Writ system replaced with Statement of Claim
Barristers and solicitor roles developed
Development of government
Magna Carta of 1215 – limitations on the power of the monarch – due process of law, need
consent of Curia Regis (General Council) to raise taxes
Provisions of Oxford 1258
Provisions of Westminster 1259 – committee of barons to advise the king
Henry III repudiates Provisions of Westminster provokes civil war
Simon de Montfort triumphs, introduces ‘parly’/conference concept
Edward overthrows Simon de Montfort but keeps ‘parly’ idea
1295 Model Parliament
14th Century – can petition parliament for new law – bill process, assent by King
War of the Roses 1453 to 1485 – barons in Houses of Lancaster and York
Henry VII won, ruled through parliament
Henry VIII got parliament to annul marriage which Pope had refused
Reformation Parliament 1529 – 1536: king head of church and state
Courts declared Kings could not make law except through Parliament
James I resisted, claimed divine right to rule
1621 Protestation of Declaration – government through elected parliament
Charles I presented with Petition of Right 1628
No parliament called between 1629 to 1640
1642-6 Civil War; Oliver Cromwell won
Charles I tried for treason (Rump Parliament) and executed 1649
Interregnum 1649 - 1660
Period of the Protectorate
Oliver Cromwell = Lord Protector
Autocratic, tyrannical style: ‘power corrupts – absolute power corrupts absolutely’
1660 Charles II restored but subject to will of parliament
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