Unit 3

BRANCHES OF ENGLISH LAW

SNJEŽANA HUSINEC, PHD; E-MAIL: SHUSINEC@PRAVO.HR

CLASSIFICATION OF LAW
Remember the basic definition of LAW.
Can the system of rules that we call LAW be subdivided? Which branches can it be subdivided in?
-__________________________
-__________________________
-__________________________
-__________________________
-…..
Are some of the branches related to each other in any way? Can you somehow classify them?
According to which criterion?
National law vs. international law
Where does it apply? Who are the subjects? What are the sources?
Find the definitions in the text.

NATIONAL LAW = _________________________________________

(Conflict of Laws = ________________________________________ )

(PUBLIC) INTERNATIONAL LAW = _____________________________

Substantive law vs. procedural law
What does substantive law regulate, and what is regulated by procedural law?
Find definitions in the text.

SUBSTANTIVE = ___________________________________________
(refers to the facts of the case, and resolution of the matter at issue; eg. the law
of torts, contact, wills, real propery, criminal law …)
PROCEDURAL = ___________________________________________
(dictates what will happen in the court)
Public law vs. private law
What disputes is it concerned with?
Find the defintions in the text.

PUBLIC LAW = ____________________________________

PRIVATE LAW = ____________________________________

 Do the following branches belong to the
PUBLIC or PRIVATE law?
Criminal law, Company law, Law of succession, Administrative law, Contract law,
Tort law, Constitutional law, Family law, Employment law, Law of property

PUBLIC LAW PRIVATE LAW

Read the text and sort out the branches of law mentioned in the text as PRIVATE or PUBLIC law.
Branches of law

Read the text once again and do ex. IV and V.

CIVIL LAW vs. CRIMINAL LAW
What is the basic difference between civil and criminal law?
How do we call the people involved in civil procedure and those in
criminal procedure?

Read the text on civil and criminal law and do ex. VI.
Do ex. VII and VIII.
Civil law vs. Criminal law

What does civil law regulate, and what criminal?

Find the defintions in the text.

CIVIL LAW = _____________________________________________

CRIMINAL LAW = _________________________________________

Course descriptions
I Find a law course on the web page of a top American or British law school that you like and
summarize its contents in your notebook.
Compare it with a course description of your colleagues.
Best American Law Schools ranked in 2017:
Yale University --- Stanford University --- Harvard University --- University of Chicago --- Columbia
University --- New York University
Top 5 universities for law in 2018:
Cambridge University --- Oxford University --- London School of Economics --- University College
London --- Glasgow University

II Find a course description on the web page of your university and summarize its contensts in
English.