Why should we care about the rule of law?
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can explain the importance of the rule of law for citizens in Britain today.
Key learning points
- We have a responsibility to act within the law.
- Equality before the law relies on active oversight and challenge.
- Courts and judges protect fairness through independence.
- Lawful democratic action helps improve unfair laws.
Keywords
Equality - the right of everyone to receive the same treatment
Citizen / citizenship - a person who belongs to a country and has certain rights because they either live in the country, or were born in the country; it is a legal status given to people
Judiciary - the branch of the state that is responsible for enforcing the law; it is composed of judges and other legal officials
Lawful protest - a public demonstration or action expressing disapproval or objection to a policy, decision, or situation, often aimed at raising awareness or demanding change
Common misconception
Citizens cannot influence the law.
Through lawful action, protests, petitions, and awareness, citizens can uphold and improve the rule of law.
Teacher tip
Use real examples to show how lawful protests support the rule of law, while violent or unlawful protests can harm rights and society. Ask pupils to explain why some protests succeed and others fail.
Content guidance
Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour
Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
Depiction or discussion of serious crime
Supervision
Adult supervision required
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Which of these is a "legal duty" for a UK citizen?
Q2.If you have the "right to a fair trial," what is your corresponding responsibility?
Q3.True or false? In the UK, the Prime Minister is allowed to ignore the law if they believe it is a national emergency.
Q4.Which of these is a "lawful" way to try and change a law you think is unfair?
Q5.Complete the sentence by putting the words in the right order.
Courts and judges protect ____1_____ by ensuring they are _____2____ from the Government and only follow the laws made by ____3_____.
Q6.If a law is found to be "unfair" or "discriminatory" by a high court, what is the most likely outcome?
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.If the Government decides to cut funding for Legal Aid, which principle is most directly threatened? before the law.
Q2.True or false: In a democracy, the "rule of law" means that the Government has the right to change any law without a vote in Parliament.
Q3.Match the right to the corresponding responsibility.
Q4.Why are independent judges important?
Q5.How can protests support the rule of law?
Q6.Match each word to the correct definition.
To help you plan your 10 citizenship lesson on: Why should we care about the rule of law?, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 10 citizenship lesson on: Why should we care about the rule of 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 4 citizenship lessons from the Why is the rule of law important? unit, dive into the full secondary citizenship curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.