How are laws made? Criminal vs civil law
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can explain how laws are made in England and describe the difference between criminal and civil law.
Key learning points
- Most laws in England are made by Parliament. Parliament is also known as the legislature.
- A proposal for a new law is called a Bill. A Bill must pass through many stages before it can become a law.
- There are two main categories of law in England: criminal and civil.
Keywords
Law - rules, usually made by Parliament, that are used to order the way in which a society behaves
Parliament - the body that makes laws in the UK; it is made up of the House of Commons, House of Lords and the monarch (queen or king)
Civil law - law that deals with disputes between individuals or groups
Criminal law - law that deals with individuals who break the law and seeks to punish an offence (because the offender has broken laws that Parliament has stated we must obey)
Common misconception
Criminal law is only for very serious crimes, like murder or robbery.
Whilst criminal law deals with serious crimes like murder and robbery, it also covers a wide range of other offenses, such as theft and vandalism. Criminal law is used when someone's actions harm society, no matter how big or small the crime is.
Teacher tip
Use real-life examples that pupils can relate to, like a neighbour’s dog damaging property or someone breaking a window. Discuss both serious and minor criminal offenses, as well as common civil disputes, to make the lesson more engaging and help pupils understand how the law affects everyday life.
Content guidance
Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
Supervision
Adult supervision recommended
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.The legislature is another name for?
Q2.How many MPs are elected to the House of Commons in a General Election?
Q3.Which statement is correct?
Q4.Match the terms to their definitions.
Q5.Which of the following statements is correct?
Q6.Order these countries by their age of criminal responsibility, starting with the youngest.
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Most laws in England are made in ...
Q2.What does criminal law deal with?
Q3.Match the word to its definition.
Q4.What age must you be to vote in a general election?
Q5.What is the age of criminal responsibility in England?
Q6.Which of these are examples are criminal law offences
To help you plan your 8 citizenship lesson on: How are laws made? Criminal vs civil law, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 8 citizenship lesson on: How are laws made? Criminal vs civil law, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 3 citizenship lessons from the What is the law and how is it changed? unit, dive into the full secondary citizenship curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.