1. Strand 3
Exploring democracy
PPT 18: The legal system

2. There are two types of law in Ireland: Civil Law and Criminal Law.
The legal system in Ireland
How is it organised?
The Four Courts, Dublin
There are two types of law in Ireland: Civil Law and Criminal Law.

3. The legal system: who’s who in the courts?
Do you know what each person below does in the court?
Judge Jury
Barrister Solicitor
Prosecutor
Defendant Applicant
Clerk of the Court Stenographer/Recorder
Tipstaff/Judge’s Usher
Garda Witness
victim
The public
An Irish courtroom
Answers in Make A Difference! textbook 4th edition on pages 283−285

4. The legal system: An Garda Síochána
Explore the role of the An Garda Síochána in our democracy.
The Irish police force is called ‘An Garda Síochána’ which means guardians of the peace.
Most members of An Garda Síochána are unarmed. Is this a good idea?

5. The legal system: prison
The prison system
The system has 14 institutions.
Of the 14 institutions, 11 are closed prisons,
two are open prisons, one is a semi-open prison.
There are prisons especially for young offenders.
The Irish prison system
The Central Mental Hospital houses
people who were found to have been insane at the time they committed a serious crime.
Arbour Hill Prison
Name a prison near to your community.

6. The legal system: young people
Laws for young people
Age makes a difference!
Age 6 7 12 14 15 16 17 18
You must attend school; it can be homeschool.
You are no longer a child. You can vote, stand for election, sit on a jury, claim benefits, get married, drive, donate blood or organs, bet and buy a lottery ticket …
You can commit a crime, open a post office account and buy Prize Bonds.
You can get a provisional car licence, hold a private pilot’s licence, be sent to prison.
You can be held in a Garda station; you can drive a boat with a 5hp engine.
You can leave school, get married with your parents’ permission, join a trade union and a political party, work for eight hours a day, own a dog and get a licence for a motorbike or tractor.
You can change your name with your parents’ consent; you can be charged with a crime in the same way as an adult.
You can legally be employed part-time during school term.

7. The legal system: labour
Young people and labour law
Sometimes employers and their employees are not aware of the laws that apply to people who are under 18 years of age.
Did you know that these laws for workers under 18 existed?’

8. The legal system: social change
Bringing about social change
Laws have been passed to help meet people’s social welfare and healthcare needs.
Study the laws listed below. Working with a classmate, explain how each of the laws changed Irish society.
The old-age pension (1908)
Social welfare for the unemployed (1911)
A medical card for those in need under the Health Act (1953)
Free long-term illness care under the Health Act (1970)
The Minimum Wage Act (2000)
Smoking ban (2004)
Free GP care for children under six under the Health Act (2012)