The West African Students' Union (WASU) , founded in London, England, in 1925 and active into the 1960s, was an association of students from various West African countries who were studying in the United Kingdom .
116-661: WASU was founded on 7 August 1925 by twenty-one law students, led by Ladipo Solanke and Herbert Bankole-Bright . Solanke had founded the Nigerian Progress Union (NPU), for London -based students with a Nigerian background, the previous year. With the support of Amy Ashwood Garvey , it had begun to campaign for improved welfare for all African students in London, and for assorted measures for progress in Britain's African colonies . As early as 1923, Solanke had proposed that
232-625: A federal system (as in Australia, Germany or the United States) or different voting configuration in a unitary system (as in France). In the UK the upper house is appointed by the government as a house of review . 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
348-417: A parliamentary system , as with Britain, Italy, Germany, India, and Japan, the executive is known as the cabinet, and composed of members of the legislature. The executive is led by the head of government , whose office holds power under the confidence of the legislature. Because popular elections appoint political parties to govern, the leader of a party can change in between elections. The head of state
464-652: A ruler ') is a set of ordinances and regulations made by ecclesiastical authority , for the government of a Christian organisation or church and its members. It is the internal ecclesiastical law governing the Catholic Church , the Eastern Orthodox Church , the Oriental Orthodox Churches , and the individual national churches within the Anglican Communion . The way that such church law
580-440: A "common law" developed during the reign of Henry II during the late 12th century, when Henry appointed judges who had the authority to create an institutionalised and unified system of law common to the country. The next major step in the evolution of the common law came when King John was forced by his barons to sign a document limiting his authority to pass laws. This "great charter" or Magna Carta of 1215 also required that
696-610: A hostel in Camden in March 1933 named "Africa House". In addition to providing accommodation for students, the hostel also offered rooms to West African visitors to London, and it housed reference materials on West Africa. The new hostel did nothing to settle the disputes within WASU, and Solanke was accused of wasting money while in Africa, and of attempting to personally control the new lodgings. Almost all
812-573: A hostel was taken directly from USAD and the NPU. Many African students in Britain found that, due to racism , it was difficult to secure satisfactory lodgings. While the Colonial Office showed some interest in establishing such a hostel, WASU was keen to maintain control of the project, and in 1929, Solanke left for a fundraising journey through West Africa. Despite this, the Colonial Office assembled
928-442: A house of review. This can minimise arbitrariness and injustice in governmental action. To pass legislation, a majority of the members of a legislature must vote for a bill (proposed law) in each house. Normally there will be several readings and amendments proposed by the different political factions. If a country has an entrenched constitution, a special majority for changes to the constitution may be required, making changes to
1044-418: A mediator of relations between people. Legal systems vary between jurisdictions , with their differences analysed in comparative law . In civil law jurisdictions, a legislature or other central body codifies and consolidates the law. In common law systems, judges may make binding case law through precedent, although on occasion this may be overturned by a higher court or the legislature. Religious law
1160-591: A process of reform, at least in terms of economic, if not social and political, rights. A new contract code in 1999 represented a move away from administrative domination. Furthermore, after negotiations lasting fifteen years, in 2001 China joined the World Trade Organization . In general, legal systems can be split between civil law and common law systems. Modern scholars argue that the significance of this distinction has progressively declined. The numerous legal transplants , typical of modern law, result in
1276-670: A secret committee to plan for a hostel under its control, and attempted to secure private funding for its construction. This became Aggrey House , which WASU exposed in their pamphlet The Truth About Aggrey House – An Exposure of the Government Plan to Control African Students in Great Britain . WASU also undertook some political campaigns within Britain. In 1929, it successfully stopped plans for an African village exhibition in Newcastle , which it felt would be exploitative. This campaign
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#17328696490411392-535: A speech to the union in which he suggested that the Atlantic Charter would apply to all nations, effectively endorsing WASU's aims, but Winston Churchill insisted that self-determination could only apply to European nations. In 1942, WASU organised a "West African Parliamentary Committee", chaired by Sorensen. It also published a call for the immediate internal self-government of Britain's West African colonies, to be followed by independence within five years of
1508-462: Is legislated , interpreted and at times adjudicated varies widely among these three bodies of churches. In all three traditions, a canon was originally a rule adopted by a church council ; these canons formed the foundation of canon law. The Catholic Church has the oldest continuously functioning legal system in the western world , predating the evolution of modern European civil law and common law systems. The 1983 Code of Canon Law governs
1624-604: Is a London Overground station at the corner of Royal College Street and Camden Road, on the line from Richmond in the West to Stratford station in the East. The nearest National Rail station is Kentish Town station on the Thameslink route on the Midland Main Line . St Pancras International , Euston , and King's Cross terminals are within 20 minutes' walk of Camden Town. The area
1740-495: Is a code of Jewish law that summarizes some of the Talmud's interpretations. A number of countries are sharia jurisdictions. Israeli law allows litigants to use religious laws only if they choose. Canon law is only in use by members of the Catholic Church , the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Anglican Communion . Canon law ( Ancient Greek : κανών , romanized : kanon , lit. 'a straight measuring rod;
1856-501: Is a major hub for London Buses . The following routes serve Camden Town: 24 (24 hour), 27 , 29 , 31 , 46, 88 (24 hour), 134 (24 hour), 168, 214 (24 hour), 253 , 274 and Night Bus Routes N5, N20, N27, N28, N29, N31, N253 and N279. Parts of the A503 (Camden Road) and A400 (Camden High Street and Camden Street) are designated as red routes on which vehicles may not stop for any reason, managed by Transport for London (TfL) rather than
1972-503: Is a shared-use pedestrian and cycle path maintained by the Canal and River Trust . The towpath links Camden Town to Angel and King's Cross to the east, and Regent's Park and Maida Vale in the west. The London-wide Santander Cycles cycle hire scheme operates in Camden Town. There are several docking stations, some near rail and Tube stations. Cycle counters on Royal College Street to
2088-458: Is a system of rules, divided into primary (rules of conduct) and secondary ones (rules addressed to officials to administer primary rules). Secondary rules are further divided into rules of adjudication (to resolve legal disputes), rules of change (allowing laws to be varied) and the rule of recognition (allowing laws to be identified as valid). Two of Hart's students continued the debate: In his book Law's Empire , Ronald Dworkin attacked Hart and
2204-472: Is an "authority" to mediate people's interests. Oliver Wendell Holmes defined law as "the prophecies of what the courts will do in fact, and nothing more pretentious." In his Treatise on Law , Thomas Aquinas argues that law is a rational ordering of things, which concern the common good, that is promulgated by whoever is charged with the care of the community. This definition has both positivist and naturalist elements. Definitions of law often raise
2320-622: Is an area in the London Borough of Camden , around 2.5 miles (4.1 km) north-northwest of Charing Cross . Historically in Middlesex , it is identified in the London Plan as one of 34 major centres in Greater London . Laid out as a residential district from 1791 and originally part of the manor of Kentish Town and the parish of St Pancras , Camden Town became an important location during
2436-706: Is apart from the executive, and symbolically enacts laws and acts as representative of the nation. Examples include the President of Germany (appointed by members of federal and state legislatures ), the Queen of the United Kingdom (an hereditary office ), and the President of Austria (elected by popular vote). The other important model is the presidential system , found in the United States and in Brazil . In presidential systems,
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#17328696490412552-513: Is authority, identifiable purely through social sources and without reference to moral reasoning. In his view, any categorisation of rules beyond their role as authoritative instruments in mediation is best left to sociology , rather than jurisprudence. The history of law links closely to the development of civilization . Ancient Egyptian law, dating as far back as 3000 BC, was based on the concept of Ma'at and characterised by tradition, rhetorical speech, social equality and impartiality. By
2668-436: Is in use in some religious communities and states, and has historically influenced secular law. The scope of law can be divided into two domains: public law concerns government and society, including constitutional law , administrative law , and criminal law ; while private law deals with legal disputes between parties in areas such as contracts , property , torts , delicts and commercial law . This distinction
2784-467: Is law?" There have been several attempts to produce "a universally acceptable definition of law". In 1972, Baron Hampstead suggested that no such definition could be produced. McCoubrey and White said that the question "what is law?" has no simple answer. Glanville Williams said that the meaning of the word "law" depends on the context in which that word is used. He said that, for example, " early customary law " and " municipal law " were contexts where
2900-578: Is now surrounded by five more markets: Buck Street market , Stables market , Camden Lock Village , and an indoor market in the Electric Ballroom . The markets are a major tourist attraction at weekends, selling goods of all types, including fashion, lifestyle, books, food, junk/antiques and more bizarre items; they and the surrounding shops are popular with young people, in particular, those searching for "alternative" clothing. While originally open on Sundays only, market activity later extended throughout
3016-537: Is stronger in civil law countries, particularly those with a separate system of administrative courts ; by contrast, the public-private law divide is less pronounced in common law jurisdictions. Law provides a source of scholarly inquiry into legal history , philosophy , economic analysis and sociology . Law also raises important and complex issues concerning equality, fairness, and justice . The word law , attested in Old English as lagu , comes from
3132-441: Is that law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behaviour. In The Concept of Law , H. L. A. Hart argued that law is a "system of rules"; John Austin said law was "the command of a sovereign, backed by the threat of a sanction"; Ronald Dworkin describes law as an "interpretive concept" to achieve justice in his text titled Law's Empire ; and Joseph Raz argues law
3248-994: Is the Supreme Court ; in Australia, the High Court ; in India, the Supreme Court of India ; in the UK, the Supreme Court ; in Germany, the Bundesverfassungsgericht ; and in France, the Cour de Cassation . For most European countries the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg can overrule national law, when EU law is relevant. The European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg allows citizens of
3364-486: Is the legal systems in communist states such as the former Soviet Union and the People's Republic of China . Academic opinion is divided on whether it is a separate system from civil law, given major deviations based on Marxist–Leninist ideology, such as subordinating the judiciary to the executive ruling party. There are distinguished methods of legal reasoning (applying the law) and methods of interpreting (construing)
3480-563: Is to make laws, since they are acts of the general will ; nor whether the prince is above the law, since he is a member of the State; nor whether the law can be unjust, since no one is unjust to himself; nor how we can be both free and subject to the laws, since they are but registers of our wills. Jean-Jacques Rousseau, The Social Contract , II, 6. The philosophy of law is commonly known as jurisprudence. Normative jurisprudence asks "what should law be?", while analytic jurisprudence asks "what
3596-683: The Manusmriti (c. 100–300 AD) were foundational treatises in India, and comprise texts considered authoritative legal guidance. Manu's central philosophy was tolerance and pluralism , and was cited across Southeast Asia. During the Muslim conquests in the Indian subcontinent , sharia was established by the Muslim sultanates and empires, most notably Mughal Empire 's Fatawa-e-Alamgiri , compiled by emperor Aurangzeb and various scholars of Islam. In India,
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3712-454: The "is" and what "ought to be" problem. Bentham and Austin argued for law's positivism ; that real law is entirely separate from "morality". Kant was also criticised by Friedrich Nietzsche , who rejected the principle of equality, and believed that law emanates from the will to power , and cannot be labeled as "moral" or "immoral". In 1934, the Austrian philosopher Hans Kelsen continued
3828-529: The Chelsea Embankment and opened cheaper premises on Warrington Crescent in 1956. The same year, it underwent a major reorganisation and passed a motion disassociating it from all political organisations. In 1958, it joined the Committee of African Organisations and lost importance, but it remained active into the early 1960s. The National Union of Nigerian Students was one of the organisations set up in
3944-497: The Codex Hammurabi . The most intact copy of these stelae was discovered in the 19th century by British Assyriologists , and has since been fully transliterated and translated into various languages, including English, Italian, German, and French. The Old Testament dates back to 1280 BC and takes the form of moral imperatives as recommendations for a good society. The small Greek city-state, ancient Athens , from about
4060-591: The Council of Europe member states to bring cases relating to human rights issues before it. Some countries allow their highest judicial authority to overrule legislation they determine to be unconstitutional . For example, in Brown v. Board of Education , the United States Supreme Court nullified many state statutes that had established racially segregated schools, finding such statutes to be incompatible with
4176-478: The Early Middle Ages , Roman law was rediscovered around the 11th century when medieval legal scholars began to research Roman codes and adapt their concepts to the canon law , giving birth to the jus commune . Latin legal maxims (called brocards ) were compiled for guidance. In medieval England, royal courts developed a body of precedent which later became the common law . A Europe-wide Law Merchant
4292-559: The English Court of Common Pleas had five. This powerful and tight-knit judiciary gave rise to a systematised process of developing common law. As time went on, many felt that the common law was overly systematised and inflexible, and increasing numbers of citizens petitioned the King to override the common law. On the King's behalf, the Lord Chancellor started giving judgments to do what
4408-1218: The Enlightenment . Then, in the 19th century, both France, with the Code Civil , and Germany, with the Bürgerliches Gesetzbuch , modernised their legal codes. Both these codes heavily influenced not only the law systems of the countries in continental Europe but also the Japanese and Korean legal traditions. Today, countries that have civil law systems range from Russia and Turkey to most of Central and Latin America . In common law legal systems, decisions by courts are explicitly acknowledged as "law" on equal footing with legislative statutes and executive regulations . The "doctrine of precedent", or stare decisis (Latin for "to stand by decisions") means that decisions by higher courts bind lower courts to assure that similar cases reach similar results. In contrast , in civil law systems, legislative statutes are typically more detailed, and judicial decisions are shorter and less detailed because
4524-551: The Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution . A judiciary is theoretically bound by the constitution, just as all other government bodies are. In most countries judges may only interpret the constitution and all other laws. But in common law countries, where matters are not constitutional, the judiciary may also create law under the doctrine of precedent . The UK, Finland and New Zealand assert
4640-645: The French , but mostly the German Civil Code. This partly reflected Germany's status as a rising power in the late 19th century. Similarly, traditional Chinese law gave way to westernisation towards the final years of the Qing Dynasty in the form of six private law codes based mainly on the Japanese model of German law. Today Taiwanese law retains the closest affinity to the codifications from that period, because of
4756-663: The Gold Coast , Nigeria, Sierra Leone and the Belgian Congo . While these organisations were short-lived, they formed the initial membership of the Nigerian Youth Movement and the Gold Coast Youth Conference . By 1932, when Solanke returned to Britain, Wasu had ceased to appear, and membership had fallen amid disputes between Nigerian and Gold Coast members. However, he had raised sufficient funds to open
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4872-591: The Gold Coast Students' Association (GCSA) to join together to form a single organisation for West African students, inspired by the Indian Students' Union . Many students joined together to form WASU, and Solanke became the new organisation's secretary-general, while J. B. Danquah became its first president. J. E. Casely Hayford was the new grouping's first patron, which post he used to promote African nationalism . The new organisation made opposition to
4988-527: The Hindu legal tradition, along with Islamic law, were both supplanted by common law when India became part of the British Empire . Malaysia, Brunei, Singapore and Hong Kong also adopted the common law system. The Eastern Asia legal tradition reflects a unique blend of secular and religious influences. Japan was the first country to begin modernising its legal system along Western lines, by importing parts of
5104-514: The Islington Tunnel . A regular waterbus service operates along the Regent's Canal from Camden Lock. Boats depart every hour during the summer, heading westward around Regent's Park, calling at London Zoo and on towards Maida Vale. Sightseeing narrow-boat trips run from Camden Lock to Little Venice. A new park and walkway utilising the former railway alignment between Camden Town and Kings Cross
5220-654: The Latin Church sui juris . The Eastern Catholic Churches, which developed different disciplines and practices, are governed by the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches . The canon law of the Catholic Church influenced the common law during the medieval period through its preservation of Roman law doctrine such as the presumption of innocence . Roman Catholic canon law is a fully developed legal system, with all
5336-470: The London Borough of Bromley ), formerly owned by historian William Camden . The name, which appears on the Ordnance Survey map of 1822, was later applied to the early-20th-century Camden Town Group of artists and the London Borough of Camden , created in 1965. The emergence of the industrial revolution in the 19th century meant Camden was the North Western Railway's terminal stop in 1837. It
5452-560: The National Council for Civil Liberties and Paul Robeson , who was awarded the title "Babasale of the Union". Aggrey House opened in October 1934, but a WASU-led boycott left it unfilled, until the Colonial Office offered WASU official recognition and financial support to run Africa House. In financial difficulties, WASU accepted the deal, and also accepted funding from organisations such as
5568-636: The Nigerian general strike of 1945 . In the mid-1940s, Solanke returned to West Africa to undertake further fundraising, with H. O. Davies becoming acting Secretary-General. WASU also affiliated to the World Youth Movement , and in 1946 it held a joint conference with Kwame Nkrumah 's West African National Secretariat . This event agreed a platform of anti-imperialism and socialism . Nkrumah also became Vice President of WASU. The following year, WASU called for an immediate decision on independence for
5684-423: The Old Norse word lǫg . The singular form lag meant ' something laid or fixed ' while its plural meant ' law ' . But what, after all, is a law? [...] When I say that the object of laws is always general, I mean that law considers subjects en masse and actions in the abstract, and never a particular person or action. [...] On this view, we at once see that it can no longer be asked whose business it
5800-462: The Quran has some law, and it acts as a source of further law through interpretation, Qiyas (reasoning by analogy), Ijma (consensus) and precedent . This is mainly contained in a body of law and jurisprudence known as Sharia and Fiqh respectively. Another example is the Torah or Old Testament , in the Pentateuch or Five Books of Moses. This contains the basic code of Jewish law, which some Israeli communities choose to use. The Halakha
5916-414: The Union of Students of African Descent (USAD), a Christian social organisation dominated by students from the West Indies (and which had grown out of the earlier West African and West Indian Christian Union, founded in 1917), should incorporate itself into the National Congress of British West Africa (NCBWA). In 1925, Bankole-Bright of the NCBWA called on USAD, the NPU, the African Progress Union and
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#17328696490416032-448: The United African Company . In 1937, the Gold Coast Farmers Union wrote to Solanke, asking for his assistance in breaking the cocoa cartel of Cadbury's and the UAC. With Labour Party MPs Reginald Sorensen and Arthur Creech Jones , WASU campaigned in support of the 1938 Gold Coast cocoa hold-up , where small farmers attempted to pressurise the companies by disrupting their supplies. The campaign also convinced most members of
6148-626: The absolutist theory of Thomas Hobbes ' Leviathan . Sun Yat-sen 's Five Power Constitution for the Republic of China took the separation of powers further by having two additional branches of government—a Control Yuan for auditing oversight and an Examination Yuan to manage the employment of public officials. Max Weber and others reshaped thinking on the extension of state. Modern military, policing and bureaucratic power over ordinary citizens' daily lives pose special problems for accountability that earlier writers such as Locke or Montesquieu could not have foreseen. The custom and practice of
6264-493: The borough . Black taxis ply for hire in the area and there are minicab offices. During the COVID-19 pandemic, from about March 2020 roadworks were carried out to make many side roads more suitable for cycling and reduce vehicle traffic. This led to traffic jams described as "gridlock", and opposition. Transport for London and Camden Council both provide and maintain cycling infrastructure in Camden Town. Segregated cycle tracks run alongside Royal College Street to
6380-409: The colour bar its first priority, while also including the promotion of political research, support for the NCBWA and the provision of a student hostel in its founding aims. WASU began publication of a journal, Wasu , in March 1926. Solanke and Julius Ojo-Cole wrote the majority of articles in what was intended as a scholarly publication, circulated both in Europe and Africa. The aim of founding
6496-597: The "basic pattern of legal reasoning is reasoning by example"—that is, reasoning by comparing outcomes in cases resolving similar legal questions. In a U.S. Supreme Court case regarding procedural efforts taken by a debt collection company to avoid errors, Justice Sotomayor cautioned that "legal reasoning is not a mechanical or strictly linear process". Jurimetrics is the formal application of quantitative methods, especially probability and statistics , to legal questions. The use of statistical methods in court cases and law review articles has grown massively in importance in
6612-402: The 20th century, by presenting information, photos, and eventually a film about WASU. [www.wasunion.org] at Official WASU'S Website Law Law is a set of rules that are created and are enforceable by social or governmental institutions to regulate behavior, with its precise definition a matter of longstanding debate. It has been variously described as a science and as
6728-424: The 22nd century BC, the ancient Sumerian ruler Ur-Nammu had formulated the first law code , which consisted of casuistic statements ("if … then ..."). Around 1760 BC, King Hammurabi further developed Babylonian law , by codifying and inscribing it in stone. Hammurabi placed several copies of his law code throughout the kingdom of Babylon as stelae , for the entire public to see; this became known as
6844-411: The 6th century, which were rediscovered by 11th century Italy. Roman law in the days of the Roman Republic and Empire was heavily procedural, and lacked a professional legal class. Instead a lay magistrate , iudex , was chosen to adjudicate. Decisions were not published in any systematic way, so any case law that developed was disguised and almost unrecognised. Each case was to be decided afresh from
6960-431: The 8th century BC was the first society to be based on broad inclusion of its citizenry, excluding women and enslaved people . However, Athens had no legal science or single word for "law", relying instead on the three-way distinction between divine law ( thémis ), human decree ( nomos ) and custom ( díkē ). Yet Ancient Greek law contained major constitutional innovations in the development of democracy . Roman law
7076-442: The GCSA to rejoin WASU. In July 1938, with grants from various West African governments and British companies, WASU opened a new hostel, on Camden Square . This also solved the union's financial problems, and enabled it to step up its campaigning activity. WASU became increasingly identified as an anti-colonial group, and it called for dominion status and universal suffrage for the West African colonies. Clement Attlee gave
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#17328696490417192-409: The Gold Coast Students' Association (GCSA) members left WASU, and even an intervention by William Ofori Atta was unable to settle matters. The Colonial Office determined to open a rival hostel, at which political discussion could be monitored and discouraged. WASU opposed the scheme, and formed an "Africa House Defence Committee", including Reginald Bridgeman of the LAI, also gaining the support of
7308-438: The King's entourage of judges hold their courts and judgments at "a certain place" rather than dispensing autocratic justice in unpredictable places about the country. A concentrated and elite group of judges acquired a dominant role in law-making under this system, and compared to its European counterparts the English judiciary became highly centralised. In 1297, for instance, while the highest court in France had fifty-one judges,
7424-405: The Quran as its constitution , and is governed on the basis of Islamic law. Iran has also witnessed a reiteration of Islamic law into its legal system after 1979. During the last few decades, one of the fundamental features of the movement of Islamic resurgence has been the call to restore the Sharia, which has generated a vast amount of literature and affected world politics . Socialist law
7540-437: The Sharia: the Supreme Constitutional Court of Egypt may invalidate such laws, and in Iran the Guardian Council ensures the compatibility of the legislation with the "criteria of Islam". Prominent examples of legislatures are the Houses of Parliament in London, the Congress in Washington, D.C., the Bundestag in Berlin, the Duma in Moscow, the Parlamento Italiano in Rome and the Assemblée nationale in Paris. By
7656-430: The U.S. , the two systems were merged . In developing the common law, academic writings have always played an important part, both to collect overarching principles from dispersed case law and to argue for change. William Blackstone , from around 1760, was the first scholar to collect, describe, and teach the common law. But merely in describing, scholars who sought explanations and underlying structures slowly changed
7772-510: The West African colonies, and criticised the Labour government for its failure to deliver this. Solanke returned from West Africa at the end of the decade, with sufficient funding for a new hostel to open on the Chelsea Embankment . However, he fell out with WASU's executive, each accusing the other of excessive expenditure, and in 1949 he stepped down from his positions in the group. In the 1951 elections to WASU's executive, he organised an anti-communist slate, which failed to take control from
7888-468: The adjudicator is only writing to decide the single case, rather than to set out reasoning that will guide future courts. Common law originated from England and has been inherited by almost every country once tied to the British Empire (except Malta, Scotland , the U.S. state of Louisiana , and the Canadian province of Quebec ). In medieval England during the Norman conquest , the law varied shire-to-shire based on disparate tribal customs. The concept of
8004-481: The area increased in popularity with the introduction of the markets the narrow platforms became dangerously overcrowded, particularly on Sunday afternoons. London Underground made many proposals to upgrade the station. In 2004 a proposal requiring the compulsory purchase and demolition of 'the Triangle'—land bordered by Kentish Town Road, Buck Street and Camden High Street—was rejected by Camden Council after opposition from local people; of 229 letters, only two supported
8120-517: The art of justice. State-enforced laws can be made by a legislature , resulting in statutes ; by the executive through decrees and regulations ; or by judges' decisions, which form precedent in common law jurisdictions. An autocrat may exercise those functions within their realm. The creation of laws themselves may be influenced by a constitution , written or tacit, and the rights encoded therein. The law shapes politics , economics , history and society in various ways and also serves as
8236-416: The canal bank designed to assist horses that fell in the canal after being startled by the noise of a train. Camden Lock is a regularly used traditional manually operated double canal lock operating between widely separated levels. A large complex of weekend street markets operates around the Lock. The towpath is a pedestrian and cycle route which runs continuously from Little Venice through Camden Lock to
8352-400: The canal. A number of retail and food chain outlets replaced independent shops, driven out by high rents and redevelopment. Restaurants with a variety of culinary traditions thrived, many of them near the markets, on Camden High Street and its side streets, Parkway , Chalk Farm Road, and Bayham Street. The plan to redevelop the historic Stables Market led to a steel and glass extension, built on
8468-575: The defining features of any legal system. Civil law is the legal system used in most countries around the world today. In civil law the sources recognised as authoritative are, primarily, legislation —especially codifications in constitutions or statutes passed by government—and custom . Codifications date back millennia, with one early example being the Babylonian Codex Hammurabi . Modern civil law systems essentially derive from legal codes issued by Byzantine Emperor Justinian I in
8584-556: The early development of the railways, which reinforced its position on the London canal network . The area's industrial economic base has been replaced by service industries such as retail, tourism and entertainment. The area now hosts street markets and music venues associated with alternative culture . Camden Town is named after Charles Pratt, 1st Earl Camden . His earldom was styled after his estate, Camden Place near Chislehurst in Kent (now in
8700-550: The east of Camden Town, past Camden Road railway station. Cycling provision changes from time to time—in particular, cycling provisions were added during the COVID-19 pandemic that started in 2020 . Current provision information (open and proposed cycle routes, Santander Cycles docking stations) is on the TfL Web site. The CycleStreets mobile app finds suitable routes throughout the UK, including Camden Town. The Regent's Canal towpath
8816-410: The edges of the site in 2006, and increased the market's capacity. Camden is well known for its markets. These date from 1974 or later, except for Inverness Street market , for over a century a small food market serving the local community, though by 2013 all foodstuff and produce stalls had gone and only touristy stalls remained. Camden Lock Market proper started in a former timber yard in 1973, and
8932-748: The end of the war. Harold Macmillan personally visited Africa House to argue the British government's case. WASU's influence in West Africa again increased, with both the Nigerian Union of Students and the Sierra Leone Students' Union affiliating. WASU also represented the Nigeria Union of Teachers within the UK. With its links to the Nigerian trade union movement, WASU was a significant supporter of
9048-406: The executive acts as both head of state and head of government, and has power to appoint an unelected cabinet. Under a presidential system, the executive branch is separate from the legislature to which it is not accountable. Although the role of the executive varies from country to country, usually it will propose the majority of legislation, and propose government agenda. In presidential systems,
9164-524: The executive often has the power to veto legislation. Most executives in both systems are responsible for foreign relations , the military and police, and the bureaucracy. Ministers or other officials head a country's public offices, such as a foreign ministry or defence ministry . The election of a different executive is therefore capable of revolutionising an entire country's approach to government. Camden Town Camden Town ( / ˈ k æ m d ən / ), often shortened to Camden ,
9280-823: The golden age of Roman law and aimed to restore it to the peak it had reached three centuries before." The Justinian Code remained in force in the East until the fall of the Byzantine Empire . Western Europe, meanwhile, relied on a mix of the Theodosian Code and Germanic customary law until the Justinian Code was rediscovered in the 11th century, which scholars at the University of Bologna used to interpret their own laws. Civil law codifications based closely on Roman law, alongside some influences from religious laws such as canon law , continued to spread throughout Europe until
9396-524: The idea of the rule of law because he did not accept the primacy of abstract normative principles over concrete political positions and decisions. Therefore, Schmitt advocated a jurisprudence of the exception ( state of emergency ), which denied that legal norms could encompass all of the political experience. Later in the 20th century, H. L. A. Hart attacked Austin for his simplifications and Kelsen for his fiction in The Concept of Law . Hart argued law
9512-428: The ideal of parliamentary sovereignty , whereby the unelected judiciary may not overturn law passed by a democratic legislature. In communist states , such as China, the courts are often regarded as parts of the executive, or subservient to the legislature; governmental institutions and actors exert thus various forms of influence on the judiciary. In Muslim countries, courts often examine whether state laws adhere to
9628-815: The largely communist leadership of Joe Appiah and Ade Ademola . In 1952, WASU determined to close their Camden hostel, but Solanke instead took control of it. WASU affiliated to the International Union of Students (IUS) on its foundation, and its members regularly attended the World Festival of Youth . Although the National Union of Students of the United Kingdom left the IUS in 1952, WASU retained its membership. In 1952, WASU began publication of WASU News Service , as an openly Marxist replacement for Wasu . Following further financial problems, it sold its hostel on
9744-564: The last few decades. It is a real unity of them all in one and the same person, made by covenant of every man with every man, in such manner as if every man should say to every man: I authorise and give up my right of governing myself to this man, or to this assembly of men, on this condition; that thou givest up, thy right to him, and authorise all his actions in like manner. Thomas Hobbes, Leviathan , XVII The main institutions of law in industrialised countries are independent courts , representative parliaments, an accountable executive,
9860-502: The law more difficult. A government usually leads the process, which can be formed from Members of Parliament (e.g. the UK or Germany). However, in a presidential system, the government is usually formed by an executive and his or her appointed cabinet officials (e.g. the United States or Brazil). The executive in a legal system serves as the centre of political authority of the State . In
9976-731: The law. The former are legal syllogism , which holds sway in civil law legal systems, analogy , which is present in common law legal systems, especially in the US, and argumentative theories that occur in both systems. The latter are different rules (directives) of legal interpretation such as directives of linguistic interpretation, teleological interpretation or systemic interpretation as well as more specific rules, for instance, golden rule or mischief rule . There are also many other arguments and cannons of interpretation which altogether make statutory interpretation possible. Law professor and former United States Attorney General Edward H. Levi noted that
10092-577: The laws of the State, which mirrors the (theoretical) unimportance of judges' decisions for future cases in civil law systems today. From 529 to 534 AD the Byzantine Emperor Justinian I codified and consolidated Roman law up until that point, so that what remained was one-twentieth of the mass of legal texts from before. This became known as the Corpus Juris Civilis . As one legal historian wrote, "Justinian consciously looked back to
10208-426: The legal profession is an important part of people's access to justice , whilst civil society is a term used to refer to the social institutions, communities and partnerships that form law's political basis. A judiciary is a number of judges mediating disputes to determine outcome. Most countries have systems of appeal courts, with an apex court as the ultimate judicial authority. In the United States, this authority
10324-465: The line, and the station, had to pass exactly below the narrow streets to avoid having to pay landowners for access. The platforms of the station are consequently very narrow, and the station has one platform directly above another. There is an air raid shelter under the station used during the Second World War ; many stations were used as air raid shelters, but few had dedicated shelters. After
10440-513: The manor. In 1816, the Regent's Canal was built through the area. Up to at least the mid-20th century, Camden Town was considered an "unfashionable" locality. The Camden Markets , which started in 1973 and have grown since then, attract many visitors. A 1993 bomb blast injured 18 people on Camden High Street . On 9 February 2008, Camden Canal market suffered a major fire, but there were no injuries. It later reopened as Camden Lock Village, until closed in 2015 for redevelopment. Camden Town
10556-472: The mid-1940s, efforts have been made, in country after country, to bring Sharia law more into line with modern conditions and conceptions. In modern times, the legal systems of many Muslim countries draw upon both civil and common law traditions as well as Islamic law and custom. The constitutions of certain Muslim states, such as Egypt and Afghanistan, recognise Islam as the religion of the state, obliging legislature to adhere to Sharia. Saudi Arabia recognises
10672-510: The military and police, bureaucratic organisation, the legal profession and civil society itself. John Locke, in his Two Treatises of Government , and Baron de Montesquieu in The Spirit of the Laws , advocated for a separation of powers between the political, legislature and executive bodies. Their principle was that no person should be able to usurp all powers of the state , in contrast to
10788-669: The most influential. In contrast to English common law, which consists of enormous tomes of case law, codes in small books are easy to export and easy for judges to apply. However, today there are signs that civil and common law are converging. EU law is codified in treaties, but develops through de facto precedent laid down by the European Court of Justice . Ancient India and China represent distinct traditions of law, and have historically had independent schools of legal theory and practice. The Arthashastra , probably compiled around 100 AD (although it contains older material), and
10904-542: The narrow platforms during busy market hours. Mornington Crescent, Chalk Farm, and Kentish Town stations, within walking distance, remained open. The restriction was extended temporarily due to escalator renovation, and removed due to reduced traffic during the peak of the covid pandemic from 2020 , but the Sunday afternoon closure continues, and outbound access is via a long spiral staircase instead of an escalator at other busy times when many market visitors arrive. Camden Road
11020-505: The necessary elements: courts , lawyers , judges, a fully articulated legal code, principles of legal interpretation, and coercive penalties, though it lacks civilly-binding force in most secular jurisdictions. Until the 18th century, Sharia law was practiced throughout the Muslim world in a non-codified form, with the Ottoman Empire 's Mecelle code in the 19th century being a first attempt at codifying elements of Sharia law. Since
11136-471: The north are the hills of Hampstead and Highgate ; to the west is Primrose Hill . The culverted , subterranean River Fleet flows from its source on Hampstead Heath through Camden Town south to the River Thames . The Regent's Canal runs through the north of Camden Town. At the end of the 20th century, entertainment-related businesses began moving into the area, and a Holiday Inn was built abutting
11252-423: The north of Camden Road railway station recorded over 375,000 journeys between August 2017 and July 2018. Regent's Canal runs through the north end of Camden Town. Canal boat trips along the canal from Camden Lock are popular, particularly in summer. Many of the handrails by the bridges show deep marks worn by the towropes by which horses pulled canal barges until the 1950s, and it is still possible to see ramps on
11368-538: The notion of justice, and re-entered the mainstream of Western culture through the writings of Thomas Aquinas , notably his Treatise on Law . Hugo Grotius , the founder of a purely rationalistic system of natural law, argued that law arises from both a social impulse—as Aristotle had indicated—and reason. Immanuel Kant believed a moral imperative requires laws "be chosen as though they should hold as universal laws of nature". Jeremy Bentham and his student Austin, following David Hume , believed that this conflated
11484-564: The positivist tradition in his book the Pure Theory of Law . Kelsen believed that although law is separate from morality, it is endowed with "normativity", meaning we ought to obey it. While laws are positive "is" statements (e.g. the fine for reversing on a highway is €500); law tells us what we "should" do. Thus, each legal system can be hypothesised to have a ' basic norm ' ( German : Grundnorm ) instructing us to obey. Kelsen's major opponent, Carl Schmitt , rejected both positivism and
11600-483: The positivists for their refusal to treat law as a moral issue. Dworkin argues that law is an " interpretive concept" that requires judges to find the best fitting and most just solution to a legal dispute, given their Anglo-American constitutional traditions. Joseph Raz , on the other hand, defended the positivist outlook and criticised Hart's "soft social thesis" approach in The Authority of Law . Raz argues that law
11716-416: The principle of representative government people vote for politicians to carry out their wishes. Although countries like Israel, Greece, Sweden and China are unicameral , most countries are bicameral , meaning they have two separately appointed legislative houses. In the 'lower house' politicians are elected to represent smaller constituencies . The 'upper house' is usually elected to represent states in
11832-469: 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". Natural lawyers , on the other hand, such as Jean-Jacques Rousseau , argue that law reflects essentially moral and unchangeable laws of nature. The concept of "natural law" emerged in ancient Greek philosophy concurrently and in connection with
11948-474: The scheme. It was later planned to redevelop the station entirely between 2020 and 2024/5, with less demolition than proposed previously, but the redevelopment was postponed in December 2018 by TfL "until we have the funds we need"; no work had been announced as of September 2023 . Early in the 21st century the station closed to outbound passengers on Sunday afternoons due to the danger due to overcrowding of
12064-402: The sharing of many features traditionally considered typical of either common law or civil law. The third type of legal system is religious law, based on scriptures . The specific system that a country is ruled by is often determined by its history, connections with other countries, or its adherence to international standards. The sources that jurisdictions adopt as authoritatively binding are
12180-454: The split between Chiang Kai-shek 's nationalists, who fled there, and Mao Zedong 's communists who won control of the mainland in 1949. The current legal infrastructure in the People's Republic of China was heavily influenced by Soviet Socialist law , which essentially prioritises administrative law at the expense of private law rights. Due to rapid industrialisation, today China is undergoing
12296-513: The wake of the demise of WASU. In 2004 a new West African Students' Union based in Ghana was founded to unite students' unions throughout the region. It describes itself as a formal resuscitation of the earlier organisation. Also inspired by the original West African Students' Union, The WASU Project aims to document the history of West Africans in Britain, especially those who campaigned for an end to colonial rule and against all forms of racism during
12412-614: The way the law actually worked. Religious law is explicitly based on religious precepts. Examples include the Jewish Halakha and Islamic Sharia —both of which translate as the "path to follow". Christian canon law also survives in some church communities. Often the implication of religion for law is unalterability because the word of God cannot be amended or legislated against by judges or governments. Nonetheless, most religious jurisdictions rely on further human elaboration to provide for thorough and detailed legal systems. For instance,
12528-468: The week, though concentrating on weekends. Camden Town tube station is near the markets and other attractions. Chalk Farm and Mornington Crescent tube stations are also within walking distance. This station is a key interchange station for the Northern line , both northbound (towards Edgware or High Barnet/Mill Hill East) and southbound (via Bank or Charing Cross). When the station was designed in 1907
12644-418: The word "law" had two different and irreconcilable meanings. Thurman Arnold said that it is obvious that it is impossible to define the word "law" and that it is also equally obvious that the struggle to define that word should not ever be abandoned. It is possible to take the view that there is no need to define the word "law" (e.g. "let's forget about generalities and get down to cases "). One definition
12760-555: Was contained within the Metropolitan Borough of St Pancras between 1900 and 1965, when it became part of the new London Borough of Camden, of which it is the namesake and administrative centre. Camden Town is contained in the following political constituencies for different purposes, listed with some incumbents as of December 2022 : Camden Town is on relatively flat ground at 100 feet (30 m) above sea level , 2.5 miles (4.0 km) north-northwest of Charing Cross. To
12876-467: Was equitable in a case. From the time of Sir Thomas More , the first lawyer to be appointed as Lord Chancellor, a systematic body of equity grew up alongside the rigid common law, and developed its own Court of Chancery . At first, equity was often criticised as erratic. Over time, courts of equity developed solid principles , especially under Lord Eldon . In the 19th century in England, and in 1937 in
12992-490: Was formed so that merchants could trade with common standards of practice rather than with the many splintered facets of local laws. The Law Merchant, a precursor to modern commercial law, emphasised the freedom to contract and alienability of property. As nationalism grew in the 18th and 19th centuries, the Law Merchant was incorporated into countries' local law under new civil codes. The Napoleonic and German Codes became
13108-492: Was given planning permission in January 2023. To the north of Camden Town station and running along the canal is a modern pop art complex designed by Terry Farrell as the studios of the former TV-am , now used by MTV but retaining TV-am's eggcup sculptures along the roof line. Associated Press Television News has its head office in a former gin warehouse near Camden Lock called "The Interchange". The Camden New Journal
13224-461: Was heavily influenced by Greek philosophy, but its detailed rules were developed by professional jurists and were highly sophisticated. Over the centuries between the rise and decline of the Roman Empire , law was adapted to cope with the changing social situations and underwent major codification under Theodosius II and Justinian I . Although codes were replaced by custom and case law during
13340-694: Was taken up in Parliament by Communist Party of Great Britain (CPGB) Member of Parliament Shapurji Saklatvala . During the 1930s, the group developed increasing links with communist groups, such as the League Against Imperialism (LAI) and the Negro Welfare Association , in particular in its campaigns against the colour bar and against the Italian invasion of Ethiopia . While in Africa, Solanke founded more than twenty branches of WASU, in
13456-571: Was where goods were transported off the tracks and onto the roads of London by 250 000 workhorses. The whole area was adapted to a transportation function: the Roundhouse (1846), Camden Lock and the Stables were examples of this. Camden Town stands on land that was once the manor of Kentish Town . Sir Charles Pratt, a radical 18th-century lawyer and politician, acquired the manor through marriage. In 1791, he started granting leases for houses to be built in
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