Understanding Legislation and Court Roles

What is the primary and largest source of law that governs us?

• Judicial decisions

• Legislation

• Common law

• International treaties

According to the principle of parliamentary sovereignty, who makes the laws?

• The courts

• The executive

• Parliament

• The public

What role do courts play in relation to legislation?

• They create laws

• They interpret and apply laws

• They enforce laws

• They ignore laws

Why does legislation require interpretation?

• Because it is always outdated

• Due to the inherent imprecision of language

• Because it is written in a foreign language

• Because it is too simple

What is a common issue with words and phrases in legislation?

• They are always clear and precise

• They are often uncertain and/or ambiguous

• They are written in multiple languages

• They are too technical

What can cause the meaning of words and phrases in legislation to change?

• Different circumstances

• Different languages

• Different authors

• Different countries

What important role do courts retain in relation to statutes?

• Declaring what a statute means

• Creating new statutes

• Enforcing statutes

• Ignoring statutes

What often results from the overlap in the roles of courts and Parliament?

• Complete harmony

• Tension

• Ignorance

• Irrelevance

What is the relationship between courts and Parliament in the context of law?

• Courts make laws, and Parliament interprets them

• Parliament makes laws, and courts interpret them

• Both make and interpret laws equally

• Neither makes nor interprets laws

What is the inevitable result of the imprecision of language in legislation?

• Legislation is always perfect

• Legislation never needs interpretation

• Legislation requires interpretation

• Legislation is always ignored