LS101 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Antireligion

• School: University of Waterloo
• Department: Legal Studies
• Course: LS101
• Professor: Patrick Watson

Document Summary

An overview of legal concepts and the legal system. Traditional societies regulate behavior through informal norms and social controls. They were enforced through family ties, friends, neighbors, shame, ridicule, ostracism. Laws are formal and explicit rules that are (1) established by a political body; (2) enforced by threats of punishment; and (3) enforced by formal agencies of control (police force). Judges are expected to be knowledgeable, fair, and impartial. Also used for social change (i. e distribution of wealth, changing views towards smoking). The law functions to maintain social control and ensure social order. Laws uphold rights and privileges and determine duties and obligations (i. e property rights, duty of a parent to care for child, duty as a good citizen. Law communicates and upholds moral standards of our society. Laws are criticized for preventing change, repressing society, upholding the privileges of the rich (i. e lenient tax laws), promoting injustice and inequality (anti-religious laws,