ENGLISH LAW

Influence of King Alfred the Great and King Henry II on English Law

Both King Alfred the great and King Henry II are considered to have a great

impact on the subsequent development of English Law. To what extent do you consider this to be the case and how much of their influence is still discernible in English law today.

English law is the legal system prevailing in England and Wales. It is the cause of the common law enforced in many countries and is distinguished from civil law or mixed systems existing in other countries, for example in Scotland. The Common Law was introduced in the nations of the Commonwealth to the colonial period and forms the basis of the jurisprudence of the majority of these countries. This paper discusses the history of the English law, the influence of King Alfred the Great and King Henry II on the English Law and how their influence still prevails in the English Law.

English law is the legal system in England and Wales and is the basis of the legal systems of most countries of the British Commonwealth and the United States. The spread of English law has historically occurred in the controlled territories of the British Empire, and, in some sense, remained in its original form until the present day. It still forms the basis for many of the doctrinal elements and the creation of legislation. English law in the strict sense is applicable in the jurisdiction of England and Wales. Although Wales has its own Assembly, any legislative act, is legally binding only in the areas defined by the Government of Wales Act 2006, other legislation of the Parliament of the United Kingdom or "royal decrees of the Council" under the Act of 2006. Moreover, the courts unified court system in England and Wales have the authority to interpret the Act specified (and with it, and any by-laws, published within the jurisdiction of England and Wales). English law can be divided into two inseparable branches: case law and statutes.

The English Law is based on the common law. The essence of English common law is that it is created by the courts. Their right is enshrined in the courts of England and Wales as a constitutional authority. Thus, the judge in the hearing based on the principle of Stare decisis ("strictly adhering to the previously unsolved") use legal precedents to the facts and circumstances of each individual trial. The degree of validity of judicial decisions depend on the position of the court in the hierarchy of the judicial system. The decision of the highest in the hierarchy of the Court of Appeal of England and Wales - Supreme Court of the United Kingdom - are binding legal precedent for the application by the lower courts. The statutes are a reflection of case law, as are a set of rules of judicial precedent, so the judicial precedents that interpreate of legal principles of the statutes extend and concretize the past for law enforcement ...