The Legal System of a Common Law Country
The British Legal System - The American Legal System - Constitutionally Protected Rights of the U.S.A.
Eileen Servidio-Delabre
Dalloz
General Outline
VI
chapter
General Introduction
0
section 1
Contents of this work
3
section 2
The English Used in this Work
5
section 3
Use of Cases
6
section 4
Helping the Reader Understand
6
part 1
Setting the scene: the British Legal System
9
chapter 1
The Origins of the Common Law System: England
11
section 1
The Genesis of the Common Law Legal Tradition: English Middles Ages
13
§ 1 Early England and the Norman Conquest
13
A. Early English Law
14
B. Norman Conquest
14
§ 2 From Customs to Common Law
16
A. The Royal Courts
16
1. Curia Regis
16
2. Formation of the Royal Courts
16
a. Court of Exchequer
17
b. Bench of Common Pleas (Common Bench)
17
c. King's Bench
17
B. The Itinerant Royal Justices
17
1. General Eyres
18
2. Assize System and Nisi Prius
18
C. The Legal Profession and the Inns of Court
19
section 2
The Royal/Common Law Courts: Their Rise in Popularity and Formalism
21
§ 1 The Jury and the Royal/Common Law Courts
21
§ 2 The Writ System
22
section 3
Development towards a Centralized Legal System
23
section 4
Equity and the Court of Chancery
26
section 5
Characteristics of Early Common Law
27
Teaching Aids
29
chapter 2
The English Judicial System
37
section 1
The Courts
39
§ 1 The Supreme Court
39
§ 2 The Judicial Committee of the Privy Council
40
§ 3 The Senior Courts of England and Wales
40
A. The Court of Appeal
40
1. The Court of Appeal: Civil Division
40
2. The Court of Appeal: Criminal Division
40
B. The High Court of Justice
41
1. The Divisions of the High Court
41
2. The Divisional Courts
41
C. The Crown Court
42
§ 4 The County Courts
43
§ 5 The Magistrates' Courts
43
§ 6 The Tribunals
43
section 2
The Personnel
44
§ 1 Judges and Magistrates
44
§ 2 Barristers and Solicitors
45
section 3
Civil and Criminal Procedure
46
§ 1 Civil Procedure
46
§ 2 Criminal Procedure
47
Teaching Aids
49
chapter 3
Sources of English Law (section 1 and 2)
57
section 1
Constitutional Law
59
section 2
Legislation
62
§ 1 The Different Sources of Legislation
62
A. Primary Legislation: Acts of Parliament
62
B. Subordinate/Delegated or Secondary Legislation
64
C. European Union Law
64
D. European Convention on Human Rights
68
§ 2 The Interpretation of Statutory Law by the Courts
69
A. Three Principle Methods of Interpretation
69
1. The Mischief Rule
69
2. The Literal Rule
70
3. The Golden Rule
70
B. Presumptions and Other Means of Interpreting Statutes
71
1. Presumptions
71
2. Other Means of Interpreting a Statute
71
3. The Use of Hansard
72
4. European Influence on English Judges and the Interpretation of English
Law
74
§ 3 Judicial Review of Legislation
77
A. Judicial Review of Primary Legislation
77
B. Judicial Review of Subordinate Legislation
78
Teaching Aids
79
chapter 3
Sources of English Law (section 3)
85
section 3
Common Law: Case Law/Precedent
87
§ 1 The Doctrine of Precedent
88
§ 2 How the Doctrine of Precedent Functions
89
A. Stare Decisis
89
1. The Court of Justice of the European Union
90
2. The Supreme Court
90
3. The Court of Appeal
94
a. The Court of Appeal: Civil Division
95
b. Court of Appeal: Criminal Division
95
4. The Divisional Courts of the High Court
96
5. The High Court
96
6. The Crown Court
96
7. The County Court and Magistrates' Court
96
B.
Ratio Decidendi (often referred to simply as the 'ratio'; plural, rationes
decidendi)
97
1. Finding the Ratio Decidendi
98
2. Avoiding Precedent
102
a. Overruling a Decision
102
b. Distinguishing Cases
102
c. Interpreting/Choosing the Ratio Decidendi
103
d.
Per Incuriam
103
Teaching Aids
104
chapter 3
Sources of English Law (section 4 and 5)
113
section 4
Equity
115
§ 1 The Necessity of Equity in Early English Law
115
A. The Rigidity of the Common Law
116
B. Correcting the Limitations of the Common Law System through Equity
116
§ 2 The Evolution and the Importance of Equity Today
118
A. The Evolution of Equity
118
B. The Importance of Equity Today
119
section 5
Customs
120
§ 1 The Historical Role of Customs
120
§ 2 Customs as a Source of Law Today
121
Teaching Aids
122
part 2
The American Legal System: The Foundation
127
chapter 4
An Historical View of the American Legal System
129
section 1
The Colonies
131
section 2
The United States under the Articles of Confederation
132
section 3
The American Constitution: A Federation
133
section 4
Slavery
135
Teaching Aids
141
chapter 5
Federalism in the United States
147
section 1
The Powers of the Federal Government
149
§ 1 The Enumerated Powers of the Federal Government
149
A. The Interstate Commerce Clause
150
B. The Taxing and Spending Powers
156
C. The Federal Foreign Affairs Power
160
1. Treaty Power
160
a. Who can make a treaty in the United States?
160
b. In what areas can the government make treaties?
161
2. War Power
162
§ 2 The Doctrine of Implied Powers: Necessary and Proper Clause
162
§ 3 The Supremacy Clause
164
section 2
State Power
165
§ 1 The Dormant Commerce Clause
166
§ 2 Pre-empting
168
section 3
The Interstate Privileges and Immunities Clause
170
Teaching Aids
172
chapter 6
Judicial Review in the United States
179
section 1
Judicial Review of Federal Action
181
§ 1
Marbury v. Madison
182
A. Political Background and Facts Leading to Marbury
182
B. Holding and Opinion of Marbury
183
§ 2 Importance of Marbury
186
section 2
Supreme Court's Review of State Court Decisions
187
§ 1 The Federal Judiciary's Power to Review State Decisions
187
A.
Martin v. Hunter's Lessee
187
1. Facts of Martin
187
2. Holding and Opinion of Martin
188
3. Importance of Martin
189
B.
Cohens v. Virginia
189
1. Facts of Cohens
189
2. Holding and Opinion of Cohens
189
3. Importance of Cohens
190
§ 2 Limitations on the Federal Judiciary Power to Review State Decisions
191
Teaching Aids
193
chapter 7
The Judicial Systems in the United States
197
section 1
The Federal Court System
199
§ 1 Jurisdiction of the Federal Courts
199
§ 2 Cases and Controversies /Standing
201
§ 3 The Different Federal Courts
202
A. The Supreme Court of the United States
203
1. Original Jurisdiction of the Supreme Court
203
2. Appellate Jurisdiction of the Supreme Court
204
3. General Procedure of the Supreme Court
205
B. Federal Courts of Appeals
206
C. U.S. District Courts
207
§ 4 Federal judges
207
section 2
The State Court System
208
§ 1 State Courts
208
A. Lower/Trial Courts
208
B. Intermediary Courts of Appeals
209
C. State Supreme Courts
209
§ 2 State Judges
209
section 3
Procedure in the United States
209
Teaching Aids
211
chapter 8
Cources of American Law
215
section 1
Constitutional Law
219
§ 1 Superiority of the United States Constitution
219
§ 2 Constitutional Amendments
220
section 2
Statutory Law
220
§ 1 The Importance of Statutory Law in the United States
220
§ 2 Creating Statutory Law
221
A. Legislative Bodies
221
B. The Procedure
222
C. The Force of Legislation
223
D. Attempts to Unify Statutory Law
224
section 3
Executive Orders, Ordinances and Administrative Rules and Regulations
224
§ 1 Executive Orders
224
§ 2 Ordinances
225
§ 3 Administrative Rules and Regulations
225
section 4
Common Law, Precedent and Case Law
226
§ 1 The Doctrine of Stare Decisis in the United States
228
A. The United States Supreme Court and the Doctrine of Stare Decisis
228
B. Other Courts and the Doctrine of Stare Decisis
229
§ 2 Restatements of the Law
230
§ 3 Exclusion of Common Law
230
section 5
Equity
231
section 6
Treaties
232
§ 1 Treaties v. the United States Constitution
232
§ 2 Treaties v. Federal Law
233
Teaching Aids
234
part 3
American Legal System: The Essence
239
chapter 9
Constitutionally Protected Rights In the United States: Introductory
Chapter
241
section 1
The Bill of Rights and Selective Incorporation
244
section 2
The Civil War Amendments
246
section 3
The Supreme Court's Protection of these Rights: How does it work?
246
Teaching Aids
249
chapter 10
Constitutionally Protected Rights in the Original Text of the
Constitution
253
section 1
Bills of Attainder
255
section 2
Ex Post Facto Laws
257
Teaching Aids
261
chapter 11
First Amendment: Freedom of Expression
265
section 1
The Freedom of Religion
268
§ 1 The Common Denominator of the Two Clauses: What is Religion?
268
§ 2 The Establishment Clause
271
A. The Supreme Court's Interpretation of the Establishment Clause
271
B. The Consequences of the Supreme Court Interpretation of the
Establishment Clause
274
§ 3 The Free Exercise Clause
278
A. Is One Allowed to Disobey a Law Due to One's Religion?
279
B. Can One Refuse Medical Treatment Due to One's Religion?
284
section 2
The Freedom of Speech
286
§ 1 Speech Considered Protected by the Constitution
288
A. Advocacy of Unlawful Behavior
288
B. Private Political Speech
290
C. Lying
292
D. Violence: Video Games and Minors
293
§ 2 Exceptions to the First Amendment: Non-Protected Speech
294
A. Fighting Words, Hate Speech and True Threats
295
B. Obscenity
301
C. The Government Speech Doctrine
303
Teaching Aids
307
chapter 12
The Second Amendment: To Keep and Bear Arms
313
section 1
Interpreting the Second Amendment
315
section 2
Who has the Power to Regulate Guns: the State or the Federal Government?
322
Teaching Aids
325
chapter 13
Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments: Substantive Due Process
329
section 1
The Concept of Due Process
331
§ 1 Possible Grounds for Due Process
332
§ 2 Law of the Land v. Due process
332
section 2
Evolution of the Due Process Clauses: From Due Process to Substantive Due
Process
333
§ 1 Rejecting Substantive Due Process
334
§ 2 Substantive Economic Due Process
337
§ 3 Non-Economic Substantive Due Process: Civil and Personal Liberties
340
section 3
Examples of Fundamental Liberty Interests
343
§ 1 Abortion
344
§ 2 Sexual Conduct
349
§ 3 Medical Treatment/Assisted Suicide
351
A. Medical Treatment
351
B. Assisted Suicides
352
Teaching Aids
355
chapter 14
Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments: Equal Protection of the Laws
367
section 1
Public v. Private Action: The State Action Doctrine
371
§ 1 Only Public Action Falls under the Equal Protection Clause
371
§ 2 Determining State Action
371
section 2
Facial v. Non-Facial Discrimination:
376
§ 1 Facially Discriminatory Action or Law
376
A. The Separate but Equal Doctrine
376
B.
Brown: Ending the Separate but Equal Doctrine
378
§ 2 Facially Neutral Law or Action
379
A. Facially Neutral Laws having a Disproportionate Effect
379
B. Facially Neutral Law being Applied in a Discriminatory Manner
381
section 3
Special Circumstances and the Evolution of the Equal Protection Clause
382
§ 1 Special Circumstances
382
§ 2 Evolution of the Equal Protection Clause
383
Teaching Aids
387
chapter 15
Eighth Amendment: Cruel and Unusual Punishment
395
section 1
Capital Cases
399
§ 1 Does the Offense or the Perpetrator Warrant Capital Punishment?
399
A. The Offense
399
B. The Perpetrator
400
1. Mental Disorders
400
a. Mentally Retarded
400
b. Mentally III and the Execution of the Death Sentence
401
2. Minors
402
§ 2 The Execution
402
section 2
Non-Capital Cases
404
§ 1 The Proportionality Test? Yes and No
404
§ 2 Supreme Court Returns to a Proportionality Test yet again in Non-Capital
Cases
407
§ 3 Execution of the Sentence
410
Teaching Aids
412
chapter 16
Constitutionally Protected Procedural Rights in the United States
419
section 1
The Third Amendment
421
section 2
The Fourth Amendment
421
§ 1 Reasonable Expectation of Privacy
421
§ 2 Exclusionary Rule
423
§ 3 Good Faith Exception to the Exclusionary Rule
427
section 3
The Fifth Amendment
428
§ 1 Procedural Due Process Clause
428
§ 2 Grand Jury
429
§ 3 Double Jeopardy
430
A. The Rule
430
B. The Exception to the Rule
430
§ 4 Self-Incrimination
432
section 4
The Sixth Amendment
434
§ 1 Public Trial
435
§ 2 Jury Trial
435
§ 3 Accusations and Confronting Witnesses
435
§ 4 Right to Legal Counsel
436
A. Right to Counsel
436
B. Right to Effective Counsel
437
section 5
The Seventh Amendment
440
Teaching Aids
441
Bibliography and Selected Readings
453
Alphabetical Index
457
Table of Teaching Aids
479