Scottish Legal System

SCOTTISH LEGAL SYSTEM

OUTCOME 1

TUTOR: KENNY MUIR




1 Common law refers to the body of laws that are sometimes referred to as unwritten laws and have been developed over a long period of time within the United Kingdom. Three such sources of common law are:

i) Judicial Precedents
ii) Institutional Writings
iii) Equity

The term “precedent” means a rule that may have the force of law as a consequence of a previous decision.

2 Financial legislation must be introduced in the House of Commons. Otherwise, a Bill may start off in either the House of Commons or the House of Lords. Bills must pass through five stages in each House and must then obtain the Royal Assent in order to become an Act with the force of law.

The five stages are as follows:

First Reading - this is merely a formal reading of the title of the Bill and the Bill is ordered to be printed. A date is then set for the Second Reading.

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