Year 8 - Citizenship
Can citizens change laws?
What is the law and how is it changed?
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This pupil-friendly study guide includes a unit summary, clear notes, common mistakes, and quick questions with answers.
Unit Summary
In this unit, pupils explore what the law is and how criminal and civil laws are made. They examine what role citizens can have in changing the law and consider how the justice system should apply to young people.
Lesson Summary
You will learn to describe methods citizens use to influence lawmakers and provide an example of how a citizen has changed the law.
Key Notes
- In the UK laws are made by Parliament, also known as the legislature. Parliament is made of three parts.
- MPs debate and vote on proposed laws called Bills. A Bill must receive at least 50% support from MPs to become an Act.
- Citizens can influence lawmakers through methods like petitions, surveys, lobbying and media.
- PC Wardell is an example of a citizen who helped change the law, through the Animal Welfare (Service Animals) Act 2018.
Vocabulary To Learn
- citizen: a person who was born in a particular country and has certain rights or has been given certain rights because of having lived there
- law: rules, usually made by Parliament, that are used to order the way in which a society behaves
- lawmaker: a person who helps create, debate and decide on new laws; in the UK, lawmakers are MPs (Members of Parliament) and members of the House of Lords
- Parliament: the body that makes laws in the UK, it is made up of the House of Commons, House of Lords and the monarch
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- Citizens have no power to influence the law in the UK.
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Explain the lesson in two key points.
In the UK laws are made by Parliament, also known as the legislature. Parliament is made of three parts. MPs debate and vote on proposed laws called Bills. A Bill must receive at least 50% support from MPs to become an Act.
2. What does this key word mean in this lesson? 'citizen'
a person who was born in a particular country and has certain rights or has been given certain rights because of having lived there.
3. Correct this common mistake.
Mistake: Citizens have no power to influence the law in the UK. Correction: Citizens in the UK do have the power to influence the law. They can use methods like online petitions, surveys, lobbying politicians and working with the media or charities to bring attention to issues and encourage lawmakers to make changes.
More Lessons In This Unit
Browse all guides in the Year 8 Citizenship guide library.