Key learning points

1. Laws ensure justice, fairness, safety and clarity, protecting rights and providing rules for society.
2. Legislature creates laws through Parliament, with Bills going through stages before becoming Acts.
3. The legislative process ensures laws reflect society's needs and values.
4. Common law is created by judges in cases where no legislation exists, setting legal precedents.
5. This allows the law to adapt to new issues quickly, without waiting for Parliament's action.

Keywords

• Legislation - a law or a set of laws that have been passed by Parliament; the word is also used to describe the act of making a new law

• Legislature - the lawmaking body of the state, i.e. Parliament in the UK

• Common law - law made by the decisions of judges over the years

• Precedent - a legal decision made by a judge that must be followed in future similar cases

Common misconception