Year 8 - Citizenship
How are laws made? Criminal vs civil law
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 explain how laws are made in England and describe the difference between criminal and civil law.
Key Notes
- Most laws in England are made by Parliament. Parliament is also known as the legislature.
- A proposal for a new law is called a Bill. A Bill must pass through many stages before it can become a law.
- There are two main categories of law in England: criminal and civil.
Vocabulary To Learn
- law: rules, usually made by Parliament, that are used to order the way in which a society behaves
- Parliament: the body that makes laws in the UK; it is made up of the House of Commons, House of Lords and the monarch (queen or king)
- civil law: law that deals with disputes between individuals or groups
- criminal law: law that deals with individuals who break the law and seeks to punish an offence (because the offender has broken laws that Parliament has stated we must obey)
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- Criminal law is only for very serious crimes, like murder or robbery.
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Explain the lesson in two key points.
Most laws in England are made by Parliament. Parliament is also known as the legislature. A proposal for a new law is called a Bill. A Bill must pass through many stages before it can become a law.
2. What does this key word mean in this lesson? 'law'
rules, usually made by Parliament, that are used to order the way in which a society behaves.
3. Correct this common mistake.
Mistake: Criminal law is only for very serious crimes, like murder or robbery. Correction: Whilst criminal law deals with serious crimes like murder and robbery, it also covers a wide range of other offenses, such as theft and vandalism. Criminal law is used when someone's actions harm society, no matter how big or small the crime is.
More Lessons In This Unit
Browse all guides in the Year 8 Citizenship guide library.