Summary
Law first year summary
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the topics are discussed with examples and sometimes with links in case of some harder topics
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[Type here]Constitutional law
Purpose of constitutional (public law)
3 types of rules
Redefining the state (boundaries, anthem, flag)
Recognition of rights of the citizens of that state
Attribution (& limitation) of power to the state institutions
Public law compromises
= constitutional-, administrative-, tax-, and criminal law
The struggle for power
To what extend is the interference of the authorities desirable?
Social contract -> starting point for organizing states in most European countries
= Social contract theory says that people live together in society in accordance with an
agreement that establishes moral and political rules of behaviour.
Constitutional law: regulates the distribution amongst
state institutions
Trias politica
Judiciary = rechterlijke macht
Parlement = wetgevende macht
Executive government = uitvoerende macht
Language of CL
State structure
= the way the power is distributed amongst the entities of the state
Unitary state vs federation
Federation
= unites federated areas that are self-governing within the boundaries set by the federation
Certain level of autonomy in legislation & government
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Provinces, regions, cities, states
Often: constitutional court
strong central government. each level of governments has its own democratic
legitimacy, its own fiscal resources, and its own legislative and administrative
powers.
defence, monetary policy and foreign policy are usually performed by the federal
level.
Unitary state
= the legislative, executive & judicial branch are centrally focused and have the exclusive
power to ultimately deal with the adoption, execution & interpretation of law
= France, Italy, Japan…
Confederal government
An association of independent states
The central government gets its authority from the independent states. Power rests
in each individual state, whose representatives meet to address the needs of the
group.
An agent of its members
Its fiscal revenues, defense and foreign policy essentially rely on its member states
The government system
monarchy vs republic
Monarchy
Highest power is vested in one person & transferred from generation to generation
Appointed based on tradition (mostly family ties)
Republic
The highest power is attributed to political bodies that rule within the boundaries of
a constitution
Headed by a president
Highest legislative power consists of a body that represents the people (democratic
level can differ)
Democracy
= a form of government in which the highest power is vested in the people that are
government
Direct vs representative democracy
Direct: the people are involved in the decision-making process
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Indirect: the people decide who represent them in the decision-making process
legislative and/or executive branch, not the judiciary
The head of state
exact power can differ, see constitution
especially in a republic the role of a president can differ
Legislature
mostly composed of two houses
senate & house of representatives
House of representatives
= makes and passes federal laws
Senate
= acts on bills resolution, amendments, motions, nominations, and treaties by voting
Senators vote in a variety of ways; roll call votes, voice votes, and unanimous consent
Executive branch
Government: mostly led by a prime minister and/or president
Executes the law
Mostly: margin of discretion
Controlled by the legislator (budget laws)
Sometimes: veto power over the adoption of law
‘principle of good governance’
Legitimacy
Accountability
Fairness
Legitimacy
= the belief that a rule, institution, or leader has the right to govern.
Margin of discretion
= indicating some latitude (space to apply the rules) available to international and
municipal(more local) decision-makers in the application of particular international legal
rules.
Veto power
= A veto right is the right of a natural or legal person to prohibit a decision taken by majority
vote. If the veto right is exercised, it means that there is a prohibition on carrying out the
decision
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Judiciary
Common law (UK, USA, Australia…) vs continental law (Western Europe) or combination (S-
Africa)
Common law
Primarily based on judicial precedents
Look for previous precedential judgements and base their verdicts on them if there’s
a disagreement between the parties as to which law is applicable to their dispute.
Continental/civil law
Codified statutes predominate
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