Domein 3: Cultuur en literatuur
De voorbeelden binnen een (sub)categorie geven een indicatie van wat gevraagd kan worden.
United Kingdom
Law
Law
Constitution Constitution
Unwritten constitution composed of Acts of Parliament, court judgments,
and conventions
Magna Carta (1215) is a crucial document establishing the principle that rulers
are subject to the law
Legal concepts
Parliamentary Sovereignty:
Parliament is the supreme legal authority, capable of creating or ending any
law.
Courts generally cannot overrule parliamentary legislation
No Parliament can pass laws immune to change by future Parliaments
Rule of Law:
Essence: No one is above the law
Legal positions Role Description (short) Current holder /
status
Lord Chancellor Senior government minister responsible David Lammy
(England & for the administration of justice, courts
Wales) and tribunals, legal reform, appointments
to the judiciary and overall management
of the justice system.
Lord Chief Justice Head of the judiciary in England & Wales; Baroness Carr of
of England and presides over highest courts, assigns Walton-on-the-
Wales cases, represents the judiciary Hill
institutionally.
King’s Counsel Senior barristers or advocates recognised This is a
(KC, formerly for excellence, often instructed in major professional
Queen’s or complex cases. Title denotes seniority grade, not a
Counsel / QC) and expertise. single person
Solicitor Lawyers who typically handle legal advice, Generic
paperwork, contracts, family law, profession
conveyancing etc. May also, in some
cases, represent clients in court
(especially as solicitor-advocate).
Justice of the Lay magistrates (non-professional, often Generic role filled
Peace (JP / part-time) handling minor criminal cases by many
Magistrate) and certain civil matters in lower courts. individuals locally
Lord Advocate The senior legal official in Scotland: chief Dorothy Bain KC
(Scotland) legal adviser to Scottish Government and
head of public prosecutions in Scotland.
1
, Attorney General The chief legal adviser to the UK Lord Richard
for England and Government (on England & Wales law), Hermer
Wales and head of the Government Legal
Department. Oversees major government
litigation and legal advice.
Law Territorial Police Forces:
Enforcement 45 regional police forces in England and Wales
e.g. Territorial 3 special forces:
police forces, o British Transport Police:
Metropolitan Focus on transport-related security
Police (Met), o Ministry of Defence Police:
Scotland Yard, Responsible for security at military sites
Secret o Civil Nuclear Constabulary:
Intelligence Dedicated to nuclear site security
Service (MI6), Metropolitan Police (Met):
Security Service Police force in London
(MI5),
Government Scotland Yard:
Communication Headquarters of the Metropolitan Police (Met)
s Headquarters
(GCHQ) Security Services:
MI5 (Security Service):
o British security service primarily operating within the UK
MI6 (Secret Intelligence Service):
o Foreign intelligence service with a primary focus on operations
abroad
Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ):
Intelligence and security organization located in Cheltenham
Responsibilities include cyber security and signals intelligence for the British
government and military
Known for recruiting through cryptic puzzles to assess problem-solving skills
Types of Court Supreme Court:
e.g. The Final court of appeal in the UK for civil cases
Supreme Court, Also handles criminal cases in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland
The High Court, Court of Appeal:
The Court of Divisions for civil and criminal cases
Appeal, The Responsible for appeals on points of law from other courts, especially the
Crown Court, High Court
Magistrates' High Court:
Court Deals with serious civil and criminal trials
Three sections:
o Queen’s Bench Division:
Wide range of cases
o Chancery Division:
Mostly business cases
o Family Division:
Handles divorce and medical cases
2
, County Court:
Venue for civil cases
Crown Court:
Hears more serious criminal cases
Handles appeals from magistrates' courts
Magistrates' Court:
Where all criminal cases begin, and 95% are handled
Magistrates can:
o Deal with minor offenses themselves
o Send more serious cases to the Crown Court
Also hears minor civil cases
Juries Criminal Jury:
Group of 12 laypeople deciding guilt or innocence
Judge acts as chairperson, guiding on points of law
Usually aims for a unanimous decision, but a majority decision may be
allowed
Civil Jury:
Mainly used in libel and slander trials
Increasingly rare for civil cases, usually heard by a judge
Law systems Common Law:
Laws not written down but based on decisions from previous court cases over
the last 1000 years
Criminal Law:
Based on crime and punishment
Charges brought by the Crown Prosecution Service
Punishment includes imprisonment
Civil Law:
Complaints brought by individuals (contracts, family disputes, etc.)
Punishment mainly involves damages (financial penalties) or injunctions
Rarely involves imprisonment
Separate Legal System in Scotland:
Scots law is a hybrid legal system containing civil law and common law
elements
Government
Form of government and elections
Elections First-past-the-post:
e.g. First-past- UK divided into 650 parliamentary constituencies
the-post, Winning candidate in a constituency becomes the local Member of Parliament
Winner-takes-all (MP)
Favors major parties like Conservative and Labour
Does not proportionately reflect the number of votes a party receives
The Green Party, for example, has only one MP
Winner takes all
It means that only the candidate (or party) with the most votes in a
constituency wins representation, and all other votes in that area have no
effect on the outcome. So, the winner gets everything, and the losers get
3
, nothing.
Major parties Conservative Party
Ideology: Centre-right
Focus: Free market economy, lower taxes, strong national security, traditional
values.
Current Position: One of the two dominant parties in UK politics.
Labour Party
Ideology: Centre-left
Focus: Social equality, public services (NHS), workers’ rights, progressive
taxation.
Current Position: The main opposition party to the Conservatives.
Liberal Democrats
Ideology: Centrist, liberal
Focus: Civil liberties, environmental sustainability, proportional
representation, pro-European stance.
Scottish National Party (SNP)
Ideology: Centre-left, nationalist
Focus: Scottish independence, social democracy, strong public services.
Base: Primarily Scotland.
Reform UK
Ideology: Right-wing, populist
Focus: Immigration control, tax cuts, reducing government bureaucracy, Brexit
legacy.
Green Party
Ideology: Left-wing, environmentalist
Focus: Climate action, renewable energy, social justice, sustainability.
System of Separation of Powers and Branches of Government:
government Independence of executive (UK government), judicial (rule of law), and
legislative (UK parliament) branches of government
Separate in theory, but divisions are unclear
Bicameral:
Parliament with two separate houses – one elected (House of Commons) and
one appointed (House of Lords)
Monarchy Constitutional Monarchy:
Form of government in which the monarch and parliament share power
In practice, parliament makes the rules, and the King automatically approves
them
Head of State:
The King (Charles III)
Head of Government:
The Prime Minister (Keir Starmer)
Royal Prerogatives:
4
De voorbeelden binnen een (sub)categorie geven een indicatie van wat gevraagd kan worden.
United Kingdom
Law
Law
Constitution Constitution
Unwritten constitution composed of Acts of Parliament, court judgments,
and conventions
Magna Carta (1215) is a crucial document establishing the principle that rulers
are subject to the law
Legal concepts
Parliamentary Sovereignty:
Parliament is the supreme legal authority, capable of creating or ending any
law.
Courts generally cannot overrule parliamentary legislation
No Parliament can pass laws immune to change by future Parliaments
Rule of Law:
Essence: No one is above the law
Legal positions Role Description (short) Current holder /
status
Lord Chancellor Senior government minister responsible David Lammy
(England & for the administration of justice, courts
Wales) and tribunals, legal reform, appointments
to the judiciary and overall management
of the justice system.
Lord Chief Justice Head of the judiciary in England & Wales; Baroness Carr of
of England and presides over highest courts, assigns Walton-on-the-
Wales cases, represents the judiciary Hill
institutionally.
King’s Counsel Senior barristers or advocates recognised This is a
(KC, formerly for excellence, often instructed in major professional
Queen’s or complex cases. Title denotes seniority grade, not a
Counsel / QC) and expertise. single person
Solicitor Lawyers who typically handle legal advice, Generic
paperwork, contracts, family law, profession
conveyancing etc. May also, in some
cases, represent clients in court
(especially as solicitor-advocate).
Justice of the Lay magistrates (non-professional, often Generic role filled
Peace (JP / part-time) handling minor criminal cases by many
Magistrate) and certain civil matters in lower courts. individuals locally
Lord Advocate The senior legal official in Scotland: chief Dorothy Bain KC
(Scotland) legal adviser to Scottish Government and
head of public prosecutions in Scotland.
1
, Attorney General The chief legal adviser to the UK Lord Richard
for England and Government (on England & Wales law), Hermer
Wales and head of the Government Legal
Department. Oversees major government
litigation and legal advice.
Law Territorial Police Forces:
Enforcement 45 regional police forces in England and Wales
e.g. Territorial 3 special forces:
police forces, o British Transport Police:
Metropolitan Focus on transport-related security
Police (Met), o Ministry of Defence Police:
Scotland Yard, Responsible for security at military sites
Secret o Civil Nuclear Constabulary:
Intelligence Dedicated to nuclear site security
Service (MI6), Metropolitan Police (Met):
Security Service Police force in London
(MI5),
Government Scotland Yard:
Communication Headquarters of the Metropolitan Police (Met)
s Headquarters
(GCHQ) Security Services:
MI5 (Security Service):
o British security service primarily operating within the UK
MI6 (Secret Intelligence Service):
o Foreign intelligence service with a primary focus on operations
abroad
Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ):
Intelligence and security organization located in Cheltenham
Responsibilities include cyber security and signals intelligence for the British
government and military
Known for recruiting through cryptic puzzles to assess problem-solving skills
Types of Court Supreme Court:
e.g. The Final court of appeal in the UK for civil cases
Supreme Court, Also handles criminal cases in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland
The High Court, Court of Appeal:
The Court of Divisions for civil and criminal cases
Appeal, The Responsible for appeals on points of law from other courts, especially the
Crown Court, High Court
Magistrates' High Court:
Court Deals with serious civil and criminal trials
Three sections:
o Queen’s Bench Division:
Wide range of cases
o Chancery Division:
Mostly business cases
o Family Division:
Handles divorce and medical cases
2
, County Court:
Venue for civil cases
Crown Court:
Hears more serious criminal cases
Handles appeals from magistrates' courts
Magistrates' Court:
Where all criminal cases begin, and 95% are handled
Magistrates can:
o Deal with minor offenses themselves
o Send more serious cases to the Crown Court
Also hears minor civil cases
Juries Criminal Jury:
Group of 12 laypeople deciding guilt or innocence
Judge acts as chairperson, guiding on points of law
Usually aims for a unanimous decision, but a majority decision may be
allowed
Civil Jury:
Mainly used in libel and slander trials
Increasingly rare for civil cases, usually heard by a judge
Law systems Common Law:
Laws not written down but based on decisions from previous court cases over
the last 1000 years
Criminal Law:
Based on crime and punishment
Charges brought by the Crown Prosecution Service
Punishment includes imprisonment
Civil Law:
Complaints brought by individuals (contracts, family disputes, etc.)
Punishment mainly involves damages (financial penalties) or injunctions
Rarely involves imprisonment
Separate Legal System in Scotland:
Scots law is a hybrid legal system containing civil law and common law
elements
Government
Form of government and elections
Elections First-past-the-post:
e.g. First-past- UK divided into 650 parliamentary constituencies
the-post, Winning candidate in a constituency becomes the local Member of Parliament
Winner-takes-all (MP)
Favors major parties like Conservative and Labour
Does not proportionately reflect the number of votes a party receives
The Green Party, for example, has only one MP
Winner takes all
It means that only the candidate (or party) with the most votes in a
constituency wins representation, and all other votes in that area have no
effect on the outcome. So, the winner gets everything, and the losers get
3
, nothing.
Major parties Conservative Party
Ideology: Centre-right
Focus: Free market economy, lower taxes, strong national security, traditional
values.
Current Position: One of the two dominant parties in UK politics.
Labour Party
Ideology: Centre-left
Focus: Social equality, public services (NHS), workers’ rights, progressive
taxation.
Current Position: The main opposition party to the Conservatives.
Liberal Democrats
Ideology: Centrist, liberal
Focus: Civil liberties, environmental sustainability, proportional
representation, pro-European stance.
Scottish National Party (SNP)
Ideology: Centre-left, nationalist
Focus: Scottish independence, social democracy, strong public services.
Base: Primarily Scotland.
Reform UK
Ideology: Right-wing, populist
Focus: Immigration control, tax cuts, reducing government bureaucracy, Brexit
legacy.
Green Party
Ideology: Left-wing, environmentalist
Focus: Climate action, renewable energy, social justice, sustainability.
System of Separation of Powers and Branches of Government:
government Independence of executive (UK government), judicial (rule of law), and
legislative (UK parliament) branches of government
Separate in theory, but divisions are unclear
Bicameral:
Parliament with two separate houses – one elected (House of Commons) and
one appointed (House of Lords)
Monarchy Constitutional Monarchy:
Form of government in which the monarch and parliament share power
In practice, parliament makes the rules, and the King automatically approves
them
Head of State:
The King (Charles III)
Head of Government:
The Prime Minister (Keir Starmer)
Royal Prerogatives:
4
