Environment, Standard Volume, 23rd Edition By David
P. Twomey
Law - ANSWER: the order or pattern of rules that society establishes to govern the
conduct of individuals and the relationships among them
Right - ANSWER: legal capacity to require another person to perform or refrain from
an action.
Duty - ANSWER: an obligation of law imposed on a person to perform or refrain from
performing a certain act.
right of privacy - ANSWER: the right to be free from unreasonable intrusion by others
Constitution - ANSWER: a body of principles that establishes the structure of a
government and the relationship of the government to the people who are
governed.
Statutory law - ANSWER: legislative acts declaring, commanding, or prohibiting
something
Administrative regulations - ANSWER: rules made by state and federal administrative
agencies.
Private law - ANSWER: the rules and regulations parties agree to as part of their
contractual relationships.
Case law - ANSWER: law that includes principles that are expressed for the first time
in court decisions.
Precedent - ANSWER: a decision of a court that stands as the law for a particular
problem in the future.
stare decisis - ANSWER: "let the decision stand"; the principle that the decision of a
court should serve as a guide or precedent and control the decision of a similar case
in the future.
Common Law - ANSWER: the body of unwritten principles originally based upon the
usages and customs of the community that were recognized and enforced by the
courts.
Substantive Law - ANSWER: the law that defines rights and liabilities
, Procedural law - ANSWER: the law that must be followed in enforcing rights and
liabilities
Criminal laws - ANSWER: the laws that define wrongs against society
Civil laws - ANSWER: the laws that define the rights of one person against another.
Equity - ANSWER: the body of principles that originally developed because of the
inadequacy of the rules then applied by the common law courts of England.
Treaties and Executive Orders - ANSWER: Treaties made by the United States and
executive orders of the president of the United States or other public officials.
Uniform State Laws - ANSWER: Statutes drafted by the National Conference of
Commissioners for adoption by the states. Best example is the Uniform Commercial
Code (UCC).
court - ANSWER: a tribunal established by government to hear and decide matters
properly brought to it
Jurisdiction - ANSWER: the power of a court to hear and determine a given class of
cases; the power to act over a particular defendant
Subject Matter Jurisdiction - ANSWER: judicial authority to hear a particular type of
case
original jurisdiction - ANSWER: the authority to hear a controversy when it is first
brought to court
General Jurisdiction - ANSWER: the power to hear and decide most controversies
involving legal rights and duties
limited (special) jurisdiction - ANSWER: the authority to hear only particular kinds of
cases
appellate jurisdiction - ANSWER: the power of a court to hear and decide a given
class of cases on appeal from another court or administrative agency
appeal - ANSWER: Taking a case to a reviewing court to determine whether the
judgement of the lower court or administrative agency was correct
Reversible error - ANSWER: an error or defect in court proceedings of so serious a
nature that on appeal the appellate court will set aside the proceedings of the lower
court