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AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL 

There are various non-governmental organizations that decry violations of human rights, the most prominent of them being 
Amnesty  International.  When  a  British  lawyer,  Peter  Benenson,  published  an  article  about  two  imprisoned  students,  he 
started a campaign for release of these “prisoners of conscience”. The principal aim of AI is to put pressure on governments 
by creating publicity and writing letters, which would give rise to fair trials for political prisoners and end of torture.  

Violation of human rights and political pressures often lead to emigration. People fleeing their country (refugees) seek political 
asylum in foreign countries.  

INTRODUCTION TO LAW AND SOURCES OF LAW 
 
Descriptive law –describes how people behave 
Prescriptive law – how people should behave – rules of social institutions, customs, government-made laws 
 
Customs – ways of behaving or believes which has been established for a long time 
Rules – an accepted principle or instruction that states the way things are or should be done, and tells you 
what you are allowed or are not allowed to do 
Laws - rules, usually made by a government, that is used to order the way in which a society behaves, or the 
whole system of such rules 
 
Explain the difference between rules and laws. We can say, that laws are only a part of rules which we can’t break without suffering a penalty, other rules 
we can. However, when we continually break them, other members of society may ridicule us, criticize us 
and act violently toward us. 
 
What is law The law should be understood as it is practiced in the courts, law offices, and police stations.. 
Law – objektivní právo 
Right – subjektivní právo 
 
Common law systems – precedents, unwritten law, judges make law, jury 
Civil law systems – codes, enacted law, statutes, judges are investigators 
 
Common law - main legal system in Commonwealth countries and USA, it consists of judicial decisions 
and it is based on them, and its rule has as much force as statute, unwritten law tends to preponderate over 
the written, it is not collected to form or codified  
Continental law - legal system used mostly in Europe, Latin America and many countries in Asia and 
Africa, it is based on Roman law and was also influenced by canon law of Roman Catholic Church, it has 
been codified and systematically collected to form. Written law is more important and decisions of judges 
carry little weight as authorities. 
 
Unwritten law – law, which is not formally enacted or made by Parliament 
Written law – formally enacted or made by Parliament 
 
Equity - part of English legal system  which modifies and complete the common law, when Equity and 
Common law are in conflict, Equity should prevail 
 
Legislation –laws or written rules which are passed by Parliament and implement by the courts, the most 
important source of new law, there are matters, that need to be regulated (computer theft, business fraud) 
 
Structure of UK/US laws: 
chapter → part, title, subpart/chapter → section (or article if civil law) → subsection → paragraph → 
subparagraph