Classwork Series and Exercises {Civic Education – SS1}: Concept Of Law

SS 1 Civic Education First Term Week 2

Topic: Concept of Law

Contents

• Meaning of Law
• Types of Law
• Rights of Citizen
• Limitation to Rights of Citizen

Law

Law can be defined as a body of rules and regulation through which a society is governed to maintain peace and orderliness

Laws are made by the legislative part of government.

Types of Law

1. Civic law: civic law helps people to enforce their rights. It is the branch of law that helps people to settle disputes between individuals and organization in which compensation may be awarded to the victim. It is the law of the state that deals with the right of the citizens.
2. Criminal law: It is the body of law that relates to crime. It is the law that sets out the punishment to be imposed on people who do not obey the laws, it is also known as penal law.
3. Public law: This is the law that controls the relationship between the arms of government. It also controls the relationship between the state and individual member of the state.

Rights of Citizens

According to section iv of the 1999 Nigeria constitution, Nigerian citizens are entitled to the following rights.

1. Right to life
2. Right to dignity of human person
3. Right to fair hearing
4. Right to private and family life
5. Right to freedom of conscience and religion
6. Right to freedom of expression
7. Right to personal liberty
8. Right to freedom of movement
9. Right to own property anywhere in Nigeria
10. Right to peaceful assembly and association.

Test and Exercise

1. The body of rules and regulation through which a society is governed is (a) decree (b) law (c) Agenda (d) policy. ans (b)
2. The type of law that deals with the right of citizens is (a) public law (b) criminal law (c) civic law (d) legislative law. ans (c)
3. The arm of government responsible for making law in Nigeria is (a)judiciary (b) legislature (c) executive (d) all of the above. ans (b)
4. Another name for criminal law is (a)public law (b) offensive law (c)abomination law (d) penal law. ans (d)
5. The rights of citizen includes all of the following except (a)right to movement (b)right to freedom of expression (c)right to embezzle public funds (d) right to personal liberty. ans (c)