Basic Legal Concepts

What are legal forms?

rules set by the law that describe actions and punishments

what is actus reus?

the mental state or action behind an illegal action

What are both actus reus and means rea important in law?

to convict someone of a crime they must do something illegal (actus reus) with a guilty mind and intent (mens rea)

What is the difference between a crime and a wrongful act?

every crime is a wrongful act but not every wrongful act is a crime

What does the law assume about someone committing a crime?

the person must be aware of what they did to be punished

what are legal definitions?

specific meanings given to words or actions by law to avoid confusion

what happens if you use legal definitions incorrectly?

it has an effect on the outcome/punishment

Difference between general and individual legal norms?

general norms apply to groups and individual norms apply to specific people

Difference between abstract and concrete legal norms?

abstract norms apply to general situations and concrete norms apply to specific situations

According to Kelsen, what are the three things a legal norm can do?

command, prohibit, authorize

what are competence norms?

rules that give permission to act legally

what is an obligation or a liability?

a duty or a responsibility to act, if you fail you are held legally responsible

what is a tort?

a wrongful act in civil law that causes harm, leading to liability (like breaking a computer and having to fix it)