Politics

Rule of Law

The principle that all individuals and government are accountable to the law, ensuring equal treatment and fairness.

Features of Rule of Law

Includes no one being above the law, equal application and accessibility of laws, presumption of innocence, independent judiciary, and transparent law-making.

Binding Precedent

A previous court ruling that must be followed in future cases within the same jurisdiction if the cases are sufficiently similar.

Doctrine of Precedent

A legal principle that established rulings by higher courts should be followed by lower courts in similar cases.

Persuasive Precedent

A legal principle that, while not mandatory, can influence decisions in future cases if the context is similar.

Open Justice

The principle that court proceedings should be open to the public, maintaining transparency in the legal system.

Natural Justice

Legal principles ensuring fairness in the judicial process, such as the opportunity for both parties to present their case.

Trial by Jury

A legal process where a group of citizens is asked to decide the outcome of a trial, reflecting community participation.

Presumption of Innocence

In criminal law, the principle that a person is considered innocent until proven guilty.

Appeal

A legal process where a party requests a higher court to review a decision made by a lower court.

Court Hierarchy

A structured system of courts wherein lower courts handle minor cases and higher courts deal with more serious legal matters.

Types of Crimes

Crimes are classified into summary offenses (less serious) and indictable offenses (serious crimes).

Sanctions

Penalties imposed to protect society from lawbreakers, including punishment, protection, denunciation, deterrence, and rehabilitation.

Rules of Evidence

Regulatory frameworks guiding how evidence is presented and admissibility during legal proceedings.

Admissible Evidence

Evidence that is permitted to be presented in court to support or prove facts essential to a case.

Direct Evidence

Testimony or material that directly proves a fact in dispute.

Circumstantial Evidence

Evidence that requires an inference to establish the material fact in question.

Hearsay Evidence

Information presented in court by a witness recounting what someone else said, generally excluded due to reliability concerns.

Admissions

Statements acknowledging certain facts but not the guilt of the entire crime.

Confessions

Statements made by an accused party acknowledging guilt for a crime.

Expert Witness

A person with specialized knowledge who can give testimony relevant to their expertise in court.

Character Witness

A person who provides testimony regarding the character and personality of the accused to aid the court's understanding.