How does international law impact the law in the UK?
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can explain the link between international law and law in the UK.
Key learning points
- International law influences UK law through treaties and agreements.
- The UK must follow international laws it agrees to.
- International law can shape UK court decisions and government actions.
Keywords
Law - rules, usually made by Parliament, that are used to order the way in which a society behaves
Treaty - a formal agreement or contract between countries or groups of people, often about peace, trade or other important matters
Sovereign - a self-governing state; the UK is a sovereign country
Common misconception
International law automatically replaces UK law.
International law does not override UK law automatically. Parliament decides how and when international law is applied in the UK.
Teacher tip
Use real-world examples (like Brexit or climate treaties) to help pupils connect abstract law concepts to everyday UK decisions.
Licence
Lesson video
Loading...
Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Match the word to its correct meaning.
a group that makes UK laws
decides the outcomes of court cases
enforce the law in public
Q2.Laws are official made by the Government to help society run fairly.
Q3.The UK Parliament makes most of the laws in the country. Who is involved in the UK Parliament?
Q4.Put these steps in order for how a law is made in Parliament.
Q5.What is the role of the courts in the UK?
Q6.What is the role of international organisations like the United Nations (UN)?
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Match the terms to the correct definition.
laws made by judges in courts
laws made by UK Parliament
a formal agreement between countries
Q2.Which statement best describes the difference between common law and legislative law in the UK?
Q3.The UK is an example of a state, which means it makes its own laws without being controlled by other countries.
Q4.Put the steps into the correct order to show how international law can influence UK law.
Q5.Which of these is an example of international law influencing the UK?
Q6.Why might international law lead to debates about sovereignty?
To help you plan your 11 citizenship lesson on: How does international law impact the law in the UK?, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 11 citizenship lesson on: How does international law impact the law in the UK?, 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 Synopticity: How do different ideas and concepts in Citizenship interconnect? unit, dive into the full secondary citizenship curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.