Laws

Purpose of Laws Laws are sets of rules that allow people to live together Laws: –Keep the peace and prevent violence. –Set punishments (to discourage potential criminals). –Set rules for resolving disagreements about: Money Property Contracts

Purpose of Laws Laws should be : –Fair –Reasonable –Understandable –Enforceable

History of Law Code of Hammurabi –Law for an ancient Middle Eastern Empire –First known system of written law –Very harsh –Comparable to the Ten Commandments Basic aspects of the Ten Commandments are found in our system of law

History of Law Roman Law –Earliest Roman codes were in 450 B.C. –Laws came from the Roman Senate and Roman judges –Emperor Justinian helped to consolidate, or simplify, the many confusing Roman Laws. –Roman law affected: The Roman Catholic Church Europe of the Middle Ages The French Empire (under Napoleon)

History of Law English Law: –Most influential on American Law –Common Law: law based on court decisions –Precedents: legal opinions that become part of common law. –Statutory Law: acts passed by Parliament