(1) Common Law System
King Alfred the Great, made the first body of common law, which is a mix of laws established by previous kings
-Common law, meaning all the people of the kindom should follow the law
-For about 250 years, king was the sole judge
(2) Concept of codified under a more central authority of England
-French conquered England
(3) Magna Carta (1215)
-Signed by King John, and had the concept of “rule of law”
-Additional codes: Right for a jury trial, appointment of qualified judges, and use of evidence of the basis of trials
(3) Codified Statutory Law
-Reviewed by the founders of the US constitution (Founding fathers) and adapted when the US became independent to Britain
Preamble of the US constitution
We, the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic Tranquility,
provide for common defence, promote general welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain
and establish this Constitution for the United States of America
Article 1: Legislative Branch
:Make laws at a federal level
-Composed of the house of Representatives and Senate
-Number of house of Resprestatives are based on population and as for Senate members, they are two for each state
Article 2: Executive Branch
-Office of President of US
-President is referred as the Chief executive
-President is in charge of administering or enforcing laws through the management of various departments
Article 3: Judicial Branch
Consist of trial courts where criminal cases were handled
-Composed of Supreme court and federal court
Article 5: Amending the Constitution
Constitution should be changed time by time. Therefore a framework was created to pass this amendment
-Amending a constitution is not easy, considering that it needs the consensus of the Congress and individual state governments
Article 6: Supremacy of the Federal law
-Constitution is the “Federal law of Land”
-Federal laws should always prevail State laws, meaning state laws should never go against Constitution or Federal law