LESSON 13.8 Review 13.8.1
Key knowledge summary Use this dot point summary to review the content covered in this topic. 13.2 What are the principles of justice? • The Australian legal system follows key principles, like the rule of law, which means everyone must follow the law. • The Australian legal system has three other important principles: fairness, equality and access. • Fairness and equality work together, so sometimes we treat people differently. 13.3 Where did our justice system come from? • Before European settlers came, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples had their own laws, but the British settlers ignored them. • The legal system we have today is based on the British legal system. • Our legal system started with the Magna Carta, which said lawmakers should not enforce the law. 13.4 How do Australian courts work? • Everyone in Australia has the right to a fair trial. • Both sides can share evidence and ask questions in front of a fair judge. • Everyone can have a lawyer in court, even if they cannot pay. 13.5 What is a fair trial? • A fair trial happens when both sides show their evidence, the judge is independent, and rules are followed. • Regular people help in a fair trial as witnesses giving evidence, and as jurors deciding if the accused is guilty. 13.6 Can everyone access justice? • Legal aid helps people who cannot afford a lawyer in a dispute or criminal case. • People can be made aware of the law through education, information and the media. • Indigenous sentencing courts help Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples get fair justice. 13.7 Inquiry: Can community action make a difference? • Many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples are in jail for not paying ýnes. • We can explore how to ýx this issue. 13.8.2 Key terms accused a person who has been charged with a criminal offence beyond reasonable doubt the standard of proof required in a criminal trial where the prosecution must prove that the accused is guilty to such a high degree that a reasonable person would have little doubt that the accused committed the crime colonial relating to the time when Australia was a British colony, under the control of the British government committal hearing in very serious cases, the procedure held in a lower court to determine if enough evidence exists for the case to move to a higher court counsel for the accused a lawyer who represents the accused person democracy a political system according to which citizens choose the way in which they are governed, and elect representatives to make laws on their behalf due process the procedures occurring during a trial that ensure people are treated fairly by the legal system
TOPIC13 Laws and citizens 507
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