 It is illegal to intentionally burp in church in Nevada. (Section Disturbing Religious Meetings)  Training a bear to wrestle is a felony in Alabama, and you lose the bear. (Section 13A-12-5 Unlawful Bear Exploitation)  In Tennessee it is illegal to hunt birds from an airplane. (Section Hunting from Aircraft, Watercraft or Motor Vehicles Unlawful)

Business Law

 Consider the evolution / history of law.  Explain the need for laws.  Compare the different sources of law.

 Laws are enforceable rules of conduct in a society which reflect the culture and circumstances of the time.  Laws may be grouped into an organized form or document called a code.

 Law clarifies acceptable and unacceptable behavior according to the values relevant to that country.  Law has the power to punish people for acting inappropriately.

 Hammurabi Law Code  4,000 years old  Sections on criminal, property, family, and labor law  Roman Civil Law  Emperor Justinian I of the 6 th century collected all laws created by previous emperors  English Common Law  Model for law systems worldwide  49 of 50 states adhere to English Common Law standards

 Common Law  Statutory Law  Administrative Law  Case Law  Constitutional Law

 Set of laws made by courts which provide a series of consistent rules that later courts must follow  Courts follow precedent – they use prior cases as a guide for deciding similar cases.  Common law traces back to the early days of England’s history…

In the early days of England’s history, the king tried to centralize the English court system. Judges traveled around the country deciding cases. Because there was no written law, judges made decisions based on the customs and traditions of the people. Judges shared their decisions with one another so that the same laws would be applied everywhere in the country. This practice formed the basis of common law.

 A statute is a law passed by a government body (legislature) that has been made for the purpose of creating laws.  A statute declares law on an issue and orders people to do (or not do) something.  Example: People must pay taxes & wear seatbelts … murder is a crime …

The origin of civil law (statutory law) can be traced back to the Roman Empire during the 6 th century when Emperor Justinian I called for the collection of all the different laws created by previous Roman emperors. This is the basis of the civil law system that is prevalent in Europe and the state of Louisiana.

 You may not pee in your back yard in San Luis Obispo, California… unless you have a good high fence. (Section Urination in Public)  In Galveston, Texas, playing frisbee on a beach is illegal. (Section Playing ball, etc., on beach)  By Alaskan law, the entire state rarely has emergencies. (Section State policy)

 Describe the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of the legal system.  Compare the different sources of law.

 Body of rules created by government agencies  Legislatures (statutory law) do not have knowledge in every field, nor do they have time to oversee all activities.  Legislatures give the power to regulate certain activities to administrative agencies.

 Departments of the government that are formed to carry out certain laws  Able to make & enforce rules directly related to their assigned area of responsibility  Example: Federal Communications Commission (FCC )

 Also known as court-made law, court decisions, or judge-made law  Courts make laws in three ways…  Common law tradition  Interpreting statutes  Judicial review

 Decisions made by the highest court of a state are the law of that state  Precedence must be followed by other courts in the state  Decisions continue to be law until they are changed by statute or a new court decision

 Courts may be required to interpret statutes.  When a statute is confusing, the court must figure out what the statute means.  A judge can only interpret a statute if it is part of a case.

 Courts can decide if laws conflict with the Constitution.  The Supreme Court of the United States has the last word on whether a statute conflicts with the Constitution.

 A constitution is a country’s formal document that spells out the principles by which its government operates.  In our country, the most basic law is the U.S. Constitution.

 Describes the three branches of the government and their roles  Outlines a system of checks and balances between the three branches  Sets up the limits within which the federal and state governments may pass laws  Sets down the rights of the people

The United States Government

 L EGISLATIVE  Congress (House of Reps. & Senate)  Makes law  E XECUTIVE  President & Vice President  Administers / enforces law  J UDICIAL  Supreme Court  Interprets law