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Year 10

How do citizens influence the law?

I can explain the factors that influence a citizen being successful or unsuccessful in changing the law.

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Share activities with pupils
New
New
Year 10

How do citizens influence the law?

I can explain the factors that influence a citizen being successful or unsuccessful in changing the law.

Download all resources
Share activities with pupils

These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.

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These resources were created for remote use during the pandemic and are not designed for classroom teaching.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Law change succeeds with public support, strong media, political backing, clear goals and expert input.
  2. A united, well-funded and persistent campaign increases the chance of legal reform.
  3. The marriage age law changed due to broad support, media coverage and expert-backed advocacy.
  4. Law change often fails with weak support, poor media and divided political or public opinion.
  5. Cannabis legalisation struggles due to mixed views, limited backing and lack of consistent advocacy.

Keywords

  • Factors - elements or conditions that influence an outcome

  • Campaign - actions or events organised by an individual or a group of people to achieve an aim

  • Influence - the power to affect or change someone's thoughts, actions or decisions

Common misconception

Pupils may think that success on changing a law is solely dependant on the citizen or citizens.

Whilst personal skills of the citizens involved is important, there are many other external factors that can impact success or failure, regardless of how persuasive the individuals trying to change the law are.


To help you plan your year 10 citizenship lesson on: How do citizens influence the law?, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

Look at other well-known citizens who have changed the law, e.g., Gina Martin, and ask pupils to identify factors that impacted her campaign.
Teacher tip

Equipment

Content guidance

  • Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
  • Depiction or discussion of sexual violence
  • Depiction or discussion of mental health issues

Supervision

Adult supervision required

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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Starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Which statement applies to the police?
They make the law.
They apply the law.
Correct answer: They enforce the law.
They are above the law.
Q2.
Which is not a police power?
arrest citizens
stop and search
seize items
Correct answer: change laws
Q3.
Put the definition for a special constable in the correct order.
1 - a
2 - volunteer
3 - police
4 - officer
5 - in
6 - the
7 - UK
Q4.
Policing is paid for through which source?
charity donations
Correct answer: taxation
corporate sponsorship
crowdfunding
Q5.
Which police staff look after the immediate needs of a citizen when they have been arrested and taken into custody?
Correct Answer: Detention officer, Detention officers, a detention officer
Q6.
Police staff make up roughly what percentage of the police workforce?
18%
Correct answer: 28%
38%
48%
58%

Exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Arrange the words so they define the term 'factors'.
1 - elements
2 - or
3 - conditions
4 - that
5 - influence
6 - an
7 - outcome
Q2.
Actions or events organised by an individual or a group of people to achieve an aim are known as a what?
Correct Answer: campaigns, campaign, campaigning, a campaign
Q3.
Citizens successfully changed the law in relation to child marriage, how old do citizens now need to be to get married in the UK?
Correct Answer: 18, eighteen, 18 years old, eighteen years old, 18-years-old
Q4.
An individual who wants to change the law will need to be to persuade others.
Correct Answer: influential
Q5.
Which statement is correct regarding the success of a campaign to change a law?
It is solely down to the individual.
It is solely down to the group.
It is down to the individual and PM.
Correct answer: It is down to the individual and many other external factors.
Q6.
How do pro-legalisation of cannabis groups in the UK receive funding?
Correct answer: crowdfunding
government grants
through the local council
medical grants
through taxation