Common law

A LEVELA LEVEL LAWENGLISH LEGAL SYSTEMPRINCIPLES AND SOURCES OF ENGLISH LAW

History

Anglo-Saxon times

local courts decided disputes

Norman Conquest (1066)

more organised court system

  • Norman kings thought that:
    If they controlled the legal system,
    then rule of the country would be easier

William the Conqueror

  • Curia Regis (King's Court)
    central court

  • appointed own judges

  • encouraged nobles who had disputes to apply
    to let king / judges decide them

Henry II (1154 - 1189)

  • Curia Regis (King's Court)
    central court

  • circuit courts

    • judges were sent to major towns

      • decide cases

      • dispense justice in king's name

  • Judges

    • decide cases according to
      local customs / old Anglo-Saxon laws

    • return to Westminster in London

    • discuss with other judges

      • laws / customs used

      • decision made

    • select best customs

      • all judges use best customs

      • best customs used throughout country

  • Effect

    • law more common across whole country

Now

  • basis of English law

  • unwritten law

    • developed from customs & judicial decisions

  • distinguish between common law & statute law

    • common law

      • developed by judicial decisions

      • never defined in any Act of Parliament

    • statutory law / statue law

      • created by statute

      • defined in Act of Parliament

  • judges can create law, only when

    • relevant case comes before judges, or

    • they can only rule on the point in that case

    • that case becomes the law for future cases

    • effect:

      • judicial decision cannot

        • make wide-ranging change to law

        • set penalties

      • statute law make change & set penalties

歷史

盎格魯-撒克遜時期

本地法庭解決爭議

諾曼征服 (1066)

有組織嘅法庭系統

  • 諾曼國王們認為:
    只要能夠控制法律系統，
    就能更容易治理國家

征服者威廉

  • 國王法庭
    中央法庭

  • 親自任命法官

  • 鼓勵有爭議嘅貴族們申請，
    等國王或者法官就爭議作出裁決

亨利二世 (1154 - 1189)

  • 國王法庭
    中央法庭

  • 巡迴法庭

    • 法官被派到主要城鎮

      • 就案件作出裁決

      • 以國王嘅名義伸張正義

  • 法官

    • 根據本地嘅習慣或者舊嘅盎格魯-撒克遜法律
      就案件作出嘅裁決

    • 返返去倫敦西敏寺

    • 同其他法官討論有關

      • 用過嘅法律或者用過嘅習慣

      • 作出過嘅裁決

    • 選擇最好嘅習俗

      • 法官會用呢啲最好嘅習慣

      • 呢啲最好嘅習俗喺全國通用

  • 效果

    • 法律喺全國更加通用 (即係普通法)

現在

  • 普通法係英美法律嘅根基

  • 不成文法

    • 由習慣同埋司法判決

  • 普通法同成文法嘅分別

    • 普通法

      • 源自司法判決

      • 從來未喺議會定義過

    • 成文法

      • 源自法律條文

      • 由議會定義

  • 法官只有喺以下其中一種情況下，先可以制定法律

    • 相關案件擺喺法官面前，或者

    • 只能夠就相關案件嘅問題作出裁決

    • 相關案件就會成為未來案件嘅法律

    • 效果:

      • 司法判決唔能夠

        • 對法律作出大嘅改變

        • 訂立罰則

      • 成文法改變法律同埋訂立罰則