Legal Systems and Traditions

What the page covers

The resources compare how different jurisdictions are organised. Several mind maps map out national systems: The Australian Court System, MALAYSIAN LEGAL SYSTEM, Irish Law/ Court System 07.02.16 and Sources of Scots Law. They set out the courts, the split between criminal and civil law, and where law comes from, such as the constitution, legislation, custom and judicial precedent.

Where to start

Begin with a broad overview. Our Legal System is a mind map that separates criminal, civil, constitutional and administrative law. Sources of Law sets out common law, customary law and statute law. Once those ideas are clear, move to the court-focused maps and the flashcards on the legal system in your own jurisdiction.

Going deeper

The page also covers the people and processes inside a legal system. You will find material on juries, lay magistrates, tribunals, the judiciary and the legal profession. For dispute resolution, the Alternative Dispute Resolution quiz asks why ADR is becoming more popular and what arbitration is, while the Access to Justice quiz looks at legal aid.

There is also a historical and comparative strand, with resources on Roman law, codifications, Islamic law, Hindu law and civil versus common law.

Using maps and quizzes together

1. Read a mind map and try to explain each branch aloud.
2. Take a quiz on the same topic, such as Tribunals or Civil vs Common Law.
3. Note the questions you missed and go back to the map.
4. Use flashcards for definitions and case names.

Where it fits

This unit sits in the Legal Systems and Institutions strand of Law (general and introduction). Every resource here was made by GoConqr users, so check a map against your own course materials and choose the ones that match your syllabus. Open a quiz to see what you already know, then build your own flashcards for the gaps.