1-24-22 Civics Comic Strip
Storyboard Text
- Common law developed over centuries, beginning in the 11th Century when conquerors from northern France took control of England and set up a new royal family. Deciding a new case by following the rulings set forth earlier in similar cases is known as precedent.
- Case law is established by judicial decisions. Today, especially in civil cases, a judge decides the outcome of a case. Judicial decisions carry the weight of law. Sometimes a case cannot be decided by existing statutes (laws passed by legislatures).
- Constitutional law deals with the structure and meaning of constitutions. Constitutional cases decide the limits of the government’s power and the rights of the individual.
- A statute is a law written by a legislative branch of government. The U.S. Congress, state legislatures, and local legislatures write thousands of statutes.
- Civil laws do not concern society at large or criminal offenses. Rather, they are about disputes between people or groups. A civil case may be a disagreement over a broken contract.
- Military law is a set of statutes that apply to those serving in the armed forces of the United States. These laws also apply to civilians who work for the military.
Over 30 Million Storyboards Created