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Civics and Citizenship HASS Term 4 (6 Key Concepts (The Westminster System…
Civics and Citizenship HASS Term 4
6 Key Concepts
The Westminster System
The Westminster System is a form of parliamentary government originating in the United Kingdom.
Justice
The idea of justice can mean different things to people from different societies and cultures.
Democratic Values
Democratic Values are the beliefs and ideals that are held by our society as a democracy.
Participation
The concept of participation is an important part of living in a democracy. It refers to the way good citizens contribute to or take part in society.
Democracy
A democracy is a system of government run by the people, for the people.
Rights and Responsibilities
The concept of rights and responsibilities refers to our entitlements and duties as citizens.
Laws
Common Law
Common law is created when a judge has to make a ruling about a case that is not covered by statutory law.
Civil Law
Civil Law protects individuals from harm.
Statutory Law
Statutory laws are those that are made and passed by parliament
Criminal Law
Criminal law refers to the group of laws that have been put in place to protect us from harm.
Customary Law
Traditionally passed down by word of mouth, the customary law of Indigenous Australians varied between nations and language groups just like their languages and other customs.
Why Do We Need Laws?
Legal and Non-Legal Rules
Legal Rules
Laws, on the other hand, are legal rules made by law-makers. This means they can be enforced by the courts or police
Non-Legal Rules
Schools and sporting clubs have rules. Some of these rules are non-legal rules, which means they are not enforceable by the government.
Why Do We Obey The Law?
There are a number of reasons why people obey the law. Many people understand that laws are there to protect us and that without them there is not much to stop someone who wanted to hurt, steal or exploit others.
Every day of our lives, we are influenced by rules and regulations.
The main reason we have laws is so that we can all get along. If there were no rules or laws at all, the world would become chaos because everybody would be able to do, say or take whatever they wanted.
How Laws Are Made
Preparation of a Bill
A Bill is a formal document that is prepared as a draft Act, or law. It is proposed by a member of parliament (MP) when people feel the need to change an existing law or establish a new one. The Bill only becomes a law if and when it has been approved in the exact same form by both houses of parliament and the Governor-General.
First Reading
After giving prior notice to parliament that a Bill will be discussed, the MP who is introducing the Bill will provide a copy of the draft Act to every other MP. At this stage, only the title of the Bill is read, giving the other members a chance to read the Bill in their own time.
Second Reading Debate
In the second reading, the member who introduced the Bill explains why the Bill has been introduced. The other members are then allowed to ask questions, make suggestions for changes and debate whether the Bill is the right way to tackle the issue that it aims to address. Because laws are such an important part of how our society functions, this debate can often get quite heated with members passionately arguing their different opinions on the issue. In the end, the members will vote on the Bill and any changes to it, which if passed goes on to the third reading.
Third Reading
After having some more time to consider the details of the Bill and any changes resulting from the second reading, the House of Representatives will vote on the Bill. If the majority vote to pass the Bill, it will move to the Senate for consideration.
The Senate
Once it reaches the Senate, the Bill will go through the three reading stages again. The Bill will be passed to and from the upper and lower houses until both agree to any changes in the Bill, or until the Senate rejects the Bill completely.
The Governor-General
If the Bill is passed by both houses, the GovernorGeneral as the Queen’s representative will review and approve the law by giving the Bill royal assent. Assenting the law is usually just a formality, as none of the Queen’s Governor-Generals have ever refused to assent a law in the past.
Freedoms
Freedom of Association
People in Australia are free to join or form any group or organisation that they wish to, as long as the main activities of the group are legal.
Freedom of Assembly
The freedom of assembly allows people to meet in groups for social or political purposes.
Freedom of speech
Freedom of speech allows a person to actively participate in Australia’s democracy by voicing their opinions publicly about any topic within the bounds of the law.
Freedom of Movement
Australians are free to practice their many different faiths or, to practice no religion at all. .
The Freedom of Australian Citizens
Australia has long been considered by many as the lucky country. This is largely because of our high living standards and financial opportunities, but it also has much to do with the freedom with which people can live their lives in Australia
Freedom of Religion
. A citizen can travel freely to all states and territories in Australia and also leave and re-enter Australia.
Australia's National Identity
Our national identity is made up of our shared history and values along with our diverse traditions and cultures. We might all have different definitions of what it means to be Australian, but there are a number of common ideas that many of us will recognise
Mateship
Mateship refers to the strong relationship between mates or friends, which is based on loyalty, support and the ability to rely on each other.
Our Changing Identity
Australia is a very young country. Although Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have lived here for thousands of years, Australia has existed as a united, or federated, country since 1901. Since then, it has seen a lot of change.
By the time Australia was federated in 1901, our country identified very strongly as a part of the British Commonwealth.
Today, Australia is made of many diverse people, cultures, and beliefs. Australia’s national identity is evolving again to become a more multicultural society.
The inclusion of people from a diverse range of societies has given Australia a sense of cultural diversity, which is an important part of our society and the Australian national identity.