General Legal Concepts #1 Trivia Quiz

Answer: English Common Law

The Legal Concepts that dominate the legal world are Civil Law, English Common Law and Islamic Law. English Common Law is the most widely used in former British colonial countries (hence its reliance in the United States), as well as most Commonwealth countries, whereas the Civil Law is used mostly throughout Europe and in those countries where European powers of the 17th, 18th and 19th Centuries colonized. Islamic law is only found in those countries where Islam dominates society.

Answer: To Produce the Body

One of the oldest legal principles in English Common Law, this phrase is commonly mis-stated, as it is the name that actually refers to a species of Writ, rather than an instrument of its own right. The use of 'Habeas Corpus' is normally used in regards to a 'Writ of Habeus Corpus ad subjiciendum' which relates to a Hearing that is to be brought before a court, requiring the Government to produce somebody who has been detained to determine whether they are being held legally or not, regardless of their guilt or innocence.

Answer: Diplock Courts

These courts were established so that the trial could be heard without the jury being intimidated by the threat of recriminations and reprisals against their families by terrorist organizations and paramilitary groups. The courts were set up after Lord Diplock published a report in 1972 recommending non-jury trials and the easier use of confessions to convict suspected guerrillas.

The main problem, however, was that many miscarriages of justice occurred by their use, due to suspected bias of many of the Diplock Court judges.

Answer: Barrister

The wig became an official and ceremonial adornment in the early 17th cenury and has remained until today as a symbol of the solemnity and formality of the court system.

Answer: Utah

Utah is the only state that allows the use of a firing squad as its primary means of execution, along with lethal injection. Idaho also allows the use of a firing squad, but only where it is shown that lethal injection is impractical. Oklahoma has provisions for a firing squad as a means of execution as the third choice of execution, but only if lethal injection and then electrocution are found to be unconstitutional (in that order).

Answer: Samuel Chase

Samuel Chase was appointed by President George Washington as an associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court from 1796 until 1811. Chase was acquitted in an impeachment trial (1805) inspired by President Thomas Jefferson for political reasons, which ultimately strengthened the independence of the judiciary.

The House of Representatives, encouraged by Jefferson, charged Chase with improper actions in treason and sedition trials and with a political address to a grand jury. In March 1805, the Senate, acting as trial court, found him not guilty. On a differing note, Chase was also one of the Founding Fathers, in that he was one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence.

Answer: Upper Temple

The other Inn not mentioned in the alternate answers is the Inner Temple. All of the Inns are located in the vicinity of the Royal Courts of Justice (which contains the Court of Appeal and the High Court of Justice), on the boundary of Westminster and the City of London (also known as the Square Mile) in London, England.

The exact dates of their existence are unsure, but thier history's can be dated back to at least the mid 13th century.

Answer: Inuit

Up until fairly recently (within the last 100 years), the Inuit (who were formerly known as 'Eskimo's') had such disdain for the formal process of law, that if a person felt legally aggrieved and made this clear to the person that they felt had committed a wrong against them, the issue was resolved by a head-butting contest.

The Plaintiff and Defendant (for want of a better word) would take turns head-butting each other, until one fell and could not rise again. The last man standing was the winner of the legal dispute.

Answer: Fides

Fides was actually the Goddess of good faith and honesty. The Lady of Justice is said to be based on Themis, Dike, Astraea, Maat (Eygptian daughter of the Sun God Ra) and Justitia. Except for Themis, none of the original incarnations of these deities possess all three symbols of Lady Justice (the blindfold, sword and scales).

Themis was a Greek Goddess who advised Zeus after his purge of the old pantheon. Dike and Astraea were both daughters of Themis and Zeus, Dike carried a sword, whereas Astraea carried a scales. Justitia in her original incarnation simply wore a blindfold.

Answer: The Hague

The International Court of Justice, which sits at The Hague, in the Netherlands, acts as a world court. It decides in accordance with international law disputes of a legal nature submitted to it by States, whilst in addition certain international organs and agencies are entitled to call upon it for advisory opinions.

It was set up in 1945 under the Charter of the United Nations to be the principal judicial organ of the Organization, and its basic instrument, the Statute of the Court, forms an integral part of the Charter.