Law for Beginners

Lara Bryan (Author) Lara has loved books since the days of being read bedtime stories by her Irish dad and French mum. At school she set up a secondhand bookshop called Books Change Lives, and went on to study English and Italian at Oxford University. After teaching in Italy and Myanmar, she got her dream job as a writer for Usborne Publishing. From explaining how economics works, to inventing boredom-busting activities, to telling a good dragon yarn, she's enjoyed every minute of the job. Rose Hall (Author) Rose grew up in Northumberland, studied Physiology at Oxford and looked after orphaned orangutans for a bit. She worked in the charity sector for ten years, writing about issues from renewable energy, to the safety of workers in Bangladesh. For Usborne, she's written books about engineering, business, computers and the environment.

Introduction
What is law?
Why do we need laws?
How does the law work?
Right and wrong
It isn't black and white

Chapter 1: Criminal Law
An unlucky accident, or a serious crime? Follow a story to see what happens, and who gets involved, from a person's arrest to trial and beyond.

Chapter 2: Civil law
Most law isn't about crime and punishment - it's about settling arguments, and making sure people behave fairly to each other. This is 'civil' law.

Chapter 3: How is law made?
Laws used to be made by leaders with limitless powers. Today, most laws are made by elected politicians, who have to follow all sorts of rules.

Chapter 4: Law across borders
Are there laws that the whole world has to obey? How are those made - and how are they enforced?

Chapter 5: Human rights
Some of the most important laws, or rights, are meant to ensure that all people can live safe, healthy lives with equal opportunities. But does this actually happen?

Chapter 6: Justice
Justice means fairness. It's what law is all about, isn't it? But are laws themselves fair? And what about the system that enforces the law - is that fair?

Chapter 7: Big questions
Often in law, there are questions that don't have simple answers. Read some of the arguments and see if you can make up your own mind.

Chapter 8: What next?
What about YOU? Could you be a lawyers, or a lawmaker, or a law enforcer?

Glossary
Index
Acknowledgements