Year 8 · Citizenship · Laws and justice · Lesson 1

Why we have laws and how they are made

Why we have laws, the rule of law, criminal versus civil law, how Parliament makes a law (Commons, Lords, Royal Assent) and how citizens can influence laws.

17-minute video lesson

Teaching, worked examples and 20 practice questions solved step by step.

Watch free for a month

What your child will learn

Explain why societies need laws
Define the rule of law
Compare criminal and civil law
Describe how a bill becomes an Act of Parliament

The method

What it says.
Criminal or civil.
Why it exists.
Is it fair?

Key words: law, rule of law, criminal law, civil law, Parliament, bill, Royal Assent.

Worked examples

The first three practice questions from the lesson, with every step.

Question 1

Give one reason we have laws.

Step 1: Safety

Answer: to keep people safe / protect rights / settle disputes

Question 2

What is the rule of law?

Step 1: No one above it

Answer: everyone, including the government, must obey the law equally

Question 3

Is theft a criminal or civil matter?

Step 1: Against society

Answer: criminal