Unit 4 Law and order
Reading
4级单词The rules of law
Have you ever wondered when and where the law originated? Around 12,000 years ago in the Middle East, small permanent farming communities were established,changing traditional nomadic hunter-gatherer lifestyles. Different groups were cloly living together and dealing with unfamiliar behaviours, beliefs and attitudes. To prevent chaos and resolve conflicts, the rules of conduct and conquences for unacceptable behaviours were created. Hence, the concept of law was born.
Many ancient civilizations aro in the Middle East, so it is not surprising that law codes first appeared there. The oldest discovered, the Code of Ur-Nammu, dates back to about 4,000 years ago. The code prented laws in the cau-and-effect format, a style ud in nearly all later codes. Another one discovered, the Code of Hammurabi, was compo我的人生规划
d around 300 years later, which is one of the longest, best-organized and best-prerved legal texts. This code was among the first to implement the concept “innocent until proven guilty”. Both codes have features in common. For instance, they treated a variety of matters,but often ignored some important rules, becau such rules were deeply grounded in custom.
Over time, laws evolve to become more sophisticated and wide-ranging. Societies constantly transform, so legal systems respond accordingly and ensure laws remain relevant. This respon happens in various ways. Outdated laws are abolished when they no longer correspond with the values or moral beliefs of the current society. The most famous example is the abolition of slavery laws in certain countries during the 19th century. Current laws are amended when aspects of a crime change, such as becoming more rious or producing additional crime-related behaviour. In Australia, a law amendment makes workplace bullying amount to a criminal offence. Besides, new laws are made as new situations develop such as tho created by advances in technology or changes in societal attitudes. For instance, the advent of the Internet and social media ha
s led to easier exchanges of information, and in turn has provided unauthorized access to personal data, so it is necessary to adopt a new law to strengthen the protection of online urs’ private information.
ps新建画布Evolving laws may reprent a progressive society, but legal systems tend to remain relatively stable. Notably, global legal systems fall into categories that share similarities, and two main categories are civil law and common law. In the civil law system,laws are created by the country’s legislature. Many European countries adopt this legal system. In the common law system, some laws are created by the legislature, but most are bad on published court decisions from previous court cas, which are then implemented in future similar situations. The Unites States, the United Kingdom and Australia are examples of the common law system.
The law plays an esntial part in resolving conflicts, ttling disputes and making rules that everyone must follow, yet it has limitations. As the law is not applicable to all situations, it is just one instrument to regulate society. Governments usually employ other
点击呼叫methods of social control to help society operate in a smooth and integrated fashion. Moreover, the law is not always ready or able to adapt to the constant changes in the society it rves. Becau of its relative stability, it is unreasonable for the law to solve every newly emerging problem.
The law is more than just a t of rules as you have probably realized. It helps maintain curity and stability in society, and its stable structure assists our societies to reach their full potential. The law is the compass that has guided humans from the first law-abiding communities to where we are today. As it continues to lead us into the future, the law will hopefully help us develop societies that are not just more harmonious but also more civilized.
Extended reading
The Red-Headed League
(Excerpt)
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1859–1930) was a Scottish writer, who best-known fictional character is the private detective Sherlock Holmes. The detective has the habit of paying attention to the smallest and emingly insignificant details, which inevitably leads to him solving many mysterious crimes. “The Red-Headed League”, narrated by Holmes’s friend, Dr Watson, tells the tale of a man with red hair who joins a club for red-headed men and thus unknowingly helps a crime take place.
感叹句大全“You e, Watson,” he explained in the early hours of the morning as we sat over a glass of whisky and soda in Baker Street, “it was perfectly obvious from the first that the only possible object of this rather fantastic business of the advertiment of the Red-Headed League, and the copying of the Encyclopaedia, must be to get Wilson, this not over-bright pawnbroker, out of the way for a number of hours every day. It was a curious way of managing it, but, really, it would be difficult to suggest a better way. The criminal Clay’s clever plan was most certainly inspired by the colour of his accomplice’s hair. The four pounds a week was ud to attract him, and what was it to them, who were playing for thousands? They put in the advertiment; one criminal has the temporary office and the
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other one convinces the man to apply for it. Together they manage to cure his abnce every morning in the week. From the time that I heard of the assistant having come for half wages, it was obvious to me that he had some strong motive for curing the situation.”
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