English law is the law of England and Wales, rather than Scotland and Northern Ireland. ... Royal motto: Quis separabit (Latin: Who will separate?) Northern Irelands location within the UK Official languages English, Irish, Ulster Scots Capital and largest city Belfast First Minister Office suspended Area  - Total Ranked 4th 13,843 km² Population  - Total (2001)  - Density Ranked 4th 1,685,267 122/km² NUTS 1...

Common Law

The core of English law is formed by the common law. The essence of common law is that it is made by judges sitting in courts, applying their common sense and knowledge of legal precedent to the fact before them. This article concerns the common-law legal system, as contrasted with the civil law legal system; for other meanings of the term, within the field of law, see common law (disambiguation). ... A judge or justice is an official who presides over a court. ... Precedent is the principle in law of using the past in order to assist in current interpretation and decision-making. ...

Precedent

Because common law consisted of using what had gone before as a guide, common law places great emphasis on precedents. Thus a decision of the highest court in England and Wales, the House of Lords (the judicial members of which are referred to as Law Lords) is binding on every other court in the hierarchy, and they will follow its directions. Precedent continues to be applied to this day allowing for decisions made in one Court regarding a set of facts and their interpretation in law to be applied to like circumstances in the future. It is also for this reason that there is no Act of Parliament making murder illegal. It is still a common law crime. It is illegal by virtue of the constitutional authority of the courts and their previous decisions. Common law can be amended or repealed by British Parliament, for example, murder carries a mandatory life sentence today, but previously was punished by the death penalty. The House of Lords, in addition to having a legislative function, has a judicial function as a court of last resort within the United Kingdom. ... In Westminster System parliaments, an Act of Parliament is a part of the law passed by the Parliament. ... The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative institution in the United Kingdom and British overseas territories (it alone has parliamentary sovereignty). ... Life imprisonment is a term used for a particular kind of sentence of imprisonment. ... Capital punishment, also referred to as the death penalty, is the judicially ordered execution of a prisoner as a punishment for a serious crime, often called a capital offense or a capital crime. ...

Influences overseas

This practice of the common law (as opposed to civil law) was exported to Commonwealth countries while the British Empire was established and maintained, and persisted after the British withdrew or were expelled, to form the basis of the jurisprudence of many of those countries. English law prior to the Wars of Independence is still an influence on United States law, and provides the basis for many American legal traditions and policies. Civil law is a legal system derived from Roman law and commonly used in Europe. ... The Commonwealth of Nations, usually known as The Commonwealth, is an association of independent sovereign states, almost all of which are former territories of the British Empire. ... The British Empire in 1897, marked in pink, the traditional colour for Imperial British dominions on maps The British Empire was the worlds first global power and the largest empire in human history, a product of the European Age of Discovery that began with the global maritime empires of... Jurisprudence is the scientific study of law through a philosophical lens. ... The law of the United States is derived from the common law of England, which was in force at the time of the Revolutionary War. ...

Many jurisdictions which were formerly subject to English law (such as Hong Kong) continue to recognize the common law of England as their own - subject, of course, to statutory modification and judicial revision - and decisions from the English Reports continue to be cited from time to time as persuasive authority in present day judicial opinions.

Exceptions

Admiralty and Ecclesiastical law are considered to be based on the civil law (i.e. Continental European code-based law). In Western culture, canon law is the law of the Roman Catholic and Anglican churches. ... Civil law has at least three meanings. ...

Statute

The oldest law currently in force is the Distress Act, 1267, part of the Statute of Marlborough, (52 Hen. 3). Three sections of Magna Carta, originally signed in 1215 and a landmark in the development of English law, are still extant, but they date to the reissuing of the law in 1297. For broader historical context, see 1260s and 13th century. ... The Statute of Marlborough (52 Hen 3) was a law passed by King Henry III of England in 1267. ... Magna Carta placed certain checks on the absolute power of the English Monarchs. ... // Events A certified copy of the Magna Carta June 15 - King John of England forced to put his seal to the Magna Carta, outlining the rights of landowning men (nobles and knights) and restricting the kings power. ... Events 8 January - Monaco gains independence. ...

Primary legislation passed by Parliament is supplemented by detailled secondary legislation, in the form of statutory instruments and Orders in Council. Primary legislation is legislation made by the legislative branch of government. ... An aerial view of Parliament of India at New Delhi. ... Delegated legislation (sometimes referred to as secondary legislation or subordinate legislation) is law made by ministers under powers given to them by parliamentary acts (primary legislation) in order to implement and administer the requirements of the acts. ... Statutory Instruments (SIs), also referred to as delegated or secondary legislation, are parts of United Kingdom law separate from Acts of Parliament which do not require full Parliamentary approval before becoming law. ... An Order-in-Council is a type of legislation in the United Kingdom and in the Commonwealth which is formally made in the name of the Queen by the Privy Council (Queen-in-Council), or the Governor-General or Governor by the Executive Council (Governor-General-in-Council, Governor-in...

Since the Welsh Assembly was created in 1999, the law in Wales has started to diverge from the law in England. The National Assembly for Wales (or NAW) (Welsh: Cynulliad Cenedlaethol Cymru) was established in 1998, following a 1997 referendum in which a small majority of voters (but not the electorate) voted in favour of the Labour Governments plans for devolution. ... 1999 (MCMXCIX) is a common year starting on Friday, and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ...

European Union

The UK is part of the European Union and European Union Law is effective in the UK. The European Union consists mainly of countries which use civil law and so the civil law system is also in England in this form, and the European Court of Justice, a predominantly civil law court, can direct UK courts on the meaning of EU law. The European Union is unique among international organisations in having a complex and highly developed system of internal law which has direct effect within the legal systems of its member states. ... Civil law is a legal system derived from Roman law and commonly used in Europe. ... The European Court of Justice (ECJ) is formally known as the Court of Justice of the European Communities, i. ...

See also

• Scots law