One criticism of bicameral systems with two elected chambers is that the upper and lower houses may simply mirror one another. The traditional justification of bicameralism is that an upper chamber acts as a house of review. This can minimise arbitrariness and injustice in governmental action. Definitions of law often raise the question of the extent to which law incorporates morality. John Austin’s utilitarian answer was that law is “commands, backed by threat of sanctions, from a sovereign, to whom people have a habit of obedience”.
- In the EU, sovereign nations have gathered their authority in a system of courts and the European Parliament.
- The laws of good business say you shake hands and make eye contact when you leave.
- Bentham and Austin argued for law’s positivism; that real law is entirely separate from “morality”.
- Britannica is the ultimate student resource for key school subjects like history, government, literature, and