BEAL handout Ch 8

BEAL 401

March 8, 2021

CHAPTER ONE- SPRING 2021

OUR SYSTEM OF LAW

OBJECTIVES:

Students should be able to

Apply basic principles of law to their everyday lives, personal or social life, business or business operations, Government dealings.

Explain the importance of the Constitution and understand how it will affect their daily lives.

Briefly distinguish between the different types of law in order to conduct their daily activities with the realms of the law.

Define law.

Differentiate between ethics and law and the consequences of each.

VOCABULARY:

Law

This is a system of rules in a given nation or group that governs individuals' behavior and is enforced through imposed penalties.

Constitution

This are the fundamental principles according to which a group of citizens in a country or a group of people in a certain group agree to be governed.

Treaty

This is a formal agreement between states. Treaties have to be concluded and ratified between two or more states and are signed by the representatives of the states entering the agreement.

Precedent

An action or event that happens earlier and which can be used an example to be considered in subsequent similar circumstance. Precedent is always a decision that is the reason for future decisions.

Statutory Law

A formal written law enacted by the legislative authority of a state, city, or nation through consent. Statute laws can originate with state legislatures, national or local municipalities.

Criminal Law

This is the set or body of law that defines criminal activities, guides on the correct procedure of apprehending a suspect, charging, and their trial and proposes the relevant penalties for those who have been convicted.

Civil Law

Civil laws focuses on cases in which an offence has been done on an individual. Examples of civil wrongs includes, rape, murder, negligence, and breach of contract.

CONTENT:

Assume that you have a job related to the major which you have taken at university. How do you think that a brief knowledge of the law will help you in the business environment?

Laws govern almost all aspects of our lives and places responsibilities on us. Understanding aspects of law such as commercial is important in the business environment as it will make me aware of my duties and rights as an employee. This protects me from any oppression or injustice by the employer. The law is the most powerful weapon against any injustice. The knowledge of commercial law will also guide me on how I will engage on commerce activities with the customers by giving thought to the legal side. This means I will have a basic understanding of my legal responsibilities as a business and the legal responsibilities of the customer, hence as a business, I will strive to ensure the business that I represent performs its legal responsibilities so as to avoid any legal disputes that might arise.

Give an example of a precedent in the work place which reflects poor management skills.

Micromanaging employees- This is where the seniors have no faith in their juniors and tend to be over-controlling. Hence, they tend to make almost all the decisions that affect the company. Micromanaging might work in certain fields but is not a precedent to be followed in all work places as it damages the morale of employees and is an indication of poor management skills.