📚 Year 7 WJEC Law: Summer Prep & Bridging Course | 七年级WJEC法律：暑期预习与衔接课程
Moving from primary to secondary school is an exciting step, and starting to think like a lawyer can make your Year 7 even more interesting. This summer bridging course introduces you to the basics of law in England and Wales, with a special focus on the WJEC approach. You do not need any prior knowledge – just bring your curiosity and a readiness to discuss fairness, rules, and how society works. Through simple explanations and fun activities, you will explore why we need laws, how courts operate, and what it means to have rights and responsibilities.
从小学升入中学是令人兴奋的一步，而开始像律师一样思考会让你的七年级生活更加有趣。这个暑期衔接课程将带你了解英格兰和威尔士法律的基础知识，并特别关注 WJEC 的教学视角。你不需要任何预备知识——只需要带着你的好奇心，以及讨论公平、规则和社会运行方式的热情。通过简单的解释和有趣的活动，你将探索我们为什么需要法律、法院如何运作，以及拥有权利和承担责任意味着什么。
1. Welcome to the World of Law | 欢迎来到法律世界
Law is all around us, from the moment we wake up until we go to sleep. It sets the minimum age for buying a pet, tells us which side of the road to cycle on, and protects our right to an education. In short, law is a system of rules made by the state that everyone in a country must follow. Without law, it would be very difficult for people to live together peacefully.
法律无处不在，从我们醒来的那一刻直到入睡。它规定了购买宠物的最低年龄，告诉我们应该在马路的哪一侧骑车，并保护我们受教育的权利。简而言之，法律是由国家制定的一套规则体系，一个国家里的每个人都必须遵守。没有法律，人们很难和平地共同生活。
Studying law is not just about memorising rules. It trains you to spot issues, argue both sides of a case, and think logically. These skills are useful in all subjects and in life. In Year 7, you will begin to build your legal vocabulary and understand why some actions lead to serious consequences.
学习法律不仅仅是记住规则。它能训练你发现问题、为案件的双方进行辩论并进行逻辑思考。这些技能在所有学科和日常生活中都很有用。在七年级，你将开始积累法律词汇，并理解为什么某些行为会带来严重的后果。
The WJEC curriculum encourages you to look at law through everyday examples, so you will quickly see how it affects your school, family and local community. By the end of this bridging unit, you will be able to recognise legal issues in news stories and even in your favourite TV dramas.
WJEC 的课程鼓励你通过日常生活中的例子来看待法律，因此你将很快看到法律如何影响你的学校、家庭和当地社区。在本衔接单元结束时，你将能够在新闻报道甚至是你最喜欢的电视剧中识别出法律问题。
2. Rules and Laws: What’s the Difference? | 规则与法律：有何不同？
Your school has rules, such as wearing the correct uniform and arriving on time. At home, there might be a rule about no screens at the dinner table. These are important, but they are not laws. The main difference is that a law is made by Parliament, the Welsh Senedd or the courts, and breaking a law can lead to punishment by the state, such as a fine or imprisonment.
你的学校有规则，比如穿对校服和准时到校。在家里，可能有一条规则是吃饭时不能看屏幕。这些规则很重要，但它们不是法律。主要区别在于，法律是由议会、威尔士议会或法院制定的，违反法律可能会受到国家的惩罚，比如罚款或监禁。
Rules tend to apply to a smaller group, such as a family, a club or a school. Laws apply to everyone within the country. If you break a school rule, you might get a detention. If you break a law, for example by shoplifting, you could be arrested and taken to court. This makes laws much more powerful.
规则往往适用于较小的群体，比如一个家庭、一个俱乐部或一所学校。法律则适用于国内的每一个人。如果你违反了校规，你可能会被留校。如果你违反了法律，例如在商店偷窃，你可能会被逮捕并被送上法庭。这使得法律的力量要大得多。
Another key difference is how they are created. School rules can be decided by the head teacher or governors. National laws go through a formal process of debate, voting and royal assent. In Wales, the Senedd Cymru can make laws in areas like health and education, which is an important part of the WJEC course.
另一个关键区别在于它们是如何被制定的。校规可以由校长或校董决定。国家法律则需要经过辩论、投票和御准的正式程序。在威尔士，威尔士议会可以在健康和教育等领域制定法律，这是 WJEC 课程的一个重要组成部分。
3. Where Do Our Laws Come From? | 我们的法律从何而来？
Laws in England and Wales come from several sources. The most important is statute law, which is created by the UK Parliament in Westminster. Members of Parliament (MPs) debate and vote on proposed laws called bills. Once a bill is agreed by both the House of Commons and the House of Lords, and receives royal assent, it becomes an Act of Parliament.
英格兰和威尔士的法律有几个来源。最重要的是成文法，它由威斯敏斯特的英国议会制定。国会议员们就称为“法案”的法律提案进行辩论和投票。一旦一项法案获得下议院和上议院的同意，并获得御准，它就成为了议会法令。
Because Wales has its own government, the Senedd Cymru can pass laws in areas that have been devolved, such as the environment, transport and the Welsh language. For instance, the Welsh Government introduced the single-use carrier bag charge, which later became law across the UK. Understanding devolution is essential for WJEC Law students.
由于威尔士拥有自己的政府，威尔士议会在一些下放的领域可以制定法律，比如环境、交通和威尔士语。例如，威尔士政府推出了一次性购物袋收费，后来这在整个英国成为了法律。理解权力下放对 WJEC 法律学生来说非常重要。
Another source is common law, also known as judge-made law. When judges decide cases, they sometimes create principles that must be followed in future, similar cases. This is called precedent. Many everyday legal rules, like those about negligence, have been developed through common law rather than through an Act of Parliament.
另一个来源是普通法，也称为法官造法。当法官裁决案件时，他们有时会创立一些必须在未来类似案件中遵循的原则。这被称为判例。许多日常的法律规则，比如关于过失的规则，都是通过普通法发展起来的，而不是通过议会法令。
4. The Court System: Magistrates’ and Crown Courts | 法院系统：治安法院与刑事法院
When a person is accused of committing a crime, the case usually starts in a Magistrates’ Court. Magistrates are not always professional judges; many are volunteers from the community who receive training. They deal with less serious offences, such as minor traffic violations, and can hand out punishments like fines or short prison sentences.
当一个人被指控犯罪时，案件通常从治安法院开始。治安法官不全是职业法官；许多是来自社区经过培训的志愿者。他们处理不太严重的罪行，比如轻微的交通违规，并可以给出罚款或短期监禁等惩罚。
More serious crimes, such as robbery, murder or serious assault, are sent to the Crown Court. Here, a judge who is a legal professional presides over the trial, and a jury of twelve ordinary citizens decides whether the defendant is guilty or not guilty. The Crown Court can impose much longer prison sentences.
更严重的罪行，如抢劫、谋杀或严重伤害，会被移交到刑事法院。在这里，一位作为法律专业人士的法官主持审判，而一个由十二名普通公民组成的陪审团将决定被告是有罪还是无罪。刑事法院可以判处长得多的刑期。
There are also civil courts, which handle disputes between individuals or organisations, such as broken contracts or personal injury claims. These are often called County Courts. The job of a civil court is not to punish but to put the wronged person back in the position they were in before the problem happened, usually by awarding compensation.
还有民事法院，它们处理个人或组织之间的纠纷，比如违约或人身伤害索赔。这些通常被称为郡法院。民事法院的职责不是惩罚，而是通过通常给予赔偿金的方式，让受委屈的人恢复到问题发生之前的状况。
5. Criminal Law vs Civil Law | 刑法与民法
One of the first big ideas in law is the distinction between criminal and civil cases. Criminal law deals with behaviour that the state considers harmful to society, such as theft, assault and criminal damage. The police investigate and the Crown Prosecution Service decides whether to charge someone. If a person is found guilty, they receive a punishment like a fine or a prison term.
法律中第一个重要的概念就是刑事案件和民事案件的区别。刑法处理国家认为对社会有害的行为，比如盗窃、袭击和刑事毁坏。警方进行调查，皇家检察署决定是否对某人提出指控。如果一个人被判有罪，他们会受到罚款或监禁等惩罚。
Civil law, on the other hand, deals with disagreements between people, businesses or other organisations. Examples include divorce, custody of children, faulty goods and slander. In a civil case, the person who brings the case is called the claimant, and the result is usually an order to pay damages or to do something, not a prison sentence.
另一方面，民法处理个人、公司或其他组织之间的纠纷。例子包括离婚、子女监护权、有缺陷的商品和诽谤。在民事案件中，提起诉讼的人被称为原告，结果通常是命令支付损害赔偿或做某件事，而不是判处监禁。
Another major difference is the standard of proof. In a criminal trial, the prosecution must prove guilt beyond reasonable doubt. In a civil trial, the claimant only has to prove their case on the balance of probabilities, meaning it is more likely than not that their version of events is true.
另一个主要区别是证明标准。在刑事审判中，控方必须排除合理怀疑地证明有罪。在民事审判中，原告只需要在可能性的权衡上证明其主张，即他们的事件版本更有可能是真的。
6. Your Rights and Responsibilities | 你的权利与责任
Rights are the things you are entitled to, simply because you are a person. In the UK, the Human Rights Act 1998 protects rights such as the right to life, the right to a fair trial, and freedom of expression. Children have extra rights under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, including the right to be heard and to be protected from harm.
权利是你仅仅作为一个人就有权享有的事物。在英国，1998 年《人权法案》保护着诸如生命权、公平审判权和言论自由等权利。根据《联合国儿童权利公约》，儿童享有额外的权利，包括发表意见的权利和免受伤害的权利。
Every right comes with a responsibility. For example, you have the right to free speech, but it is your responsibility not to spread lies or hateful comments. You have the right to an education, but it is your responsibility to attend school regularly and respect other learners and staff. Law tries to balance individual freedoms with the need to keep everyone safe.
每一项权利都伴随着一份责任。例如，你有言论自由的权利，但你有责任不传播谎言或仇恨言论。你有接受教育的权利，但你有责任定期上学并尊重其他学生和教职工。法律试图在个人自由与保护所有人安全的需要之间取得平衡。
In Year 7 law, you will look at real scenarios where rights might clash. For instance, what happens when one person’s right to protest affects another person’s right to walk down a busy street? Discussing these dilemmas helps you become a thoughtful citizen, which is a key aim of the WJEC law specification.
在七年级的法律学习中，你将研究一些权利可能发生冲突的真实场景。例如，当一个人的抗议权影响到另一个人在繁忙街道上行走的权利时，该怎么办？讨论这些两难问题有助于你成为一个有思想的公民，这也是 WJEC 法律课程大纲的核心目标。
7. What Is Justice? | 什么是正义？
Justice is a difficult word to define, but most people agree it involves fairness, equality, and making sure people get what they deserve. The symbol of justice is a woman, often called Lady Justice, who wears a blindfold to show that justice should be impartial, holds scales to weigh the evidence, and carries a sword to enforce the law. You may see her image on court buildings.
正义是一个很难定义的词，但大多数人都同意它包含公平、平等，以及确保人们得到他们应得的。正义的象征是一位女性，通常被称为正义女神，她蒙着眼睛以表示正义应当不偏不倚，手持天平来权衡证据，并携带一把剑来执行法律。你可能会在法院的建筑上看到她的形象。
Laws do not always feel just to everyone. Sometimes a law can be applied unfairly, or parliament passes a law that many people believe is wrong. Campaigners and lawyers often work to change such laws through protests, petitions and court cases. For instance, the law on same-sex marriage was changed after many years of campaigning for equal rights.
法律并非总是让每个人都感到公正。有时，一项法律可能被不公平地应用，或者议会通过了一项许多人认为是错误的法律。活动家和律师常常通过抗议、请愿和诉讼来努力改变这些法律。例如，同性婚姻的法律在经过多年争取平等权利的运动后被修改。
When studying law with WJEC, you will be asked to think critically about whether a particular law achieves justice. You might consider questions like: Is a fine for not wearing a seatbelt a fair punishment? Should young offenders be treated differently from adults? These discussions train you to listen, reason and justify your opinions.
在 WJEC 的法律学习过程中，你将被要求批判性地思考某项特定法律是否实现了正义。你可能会思考这样的问题：对不系安全带的人处以罚款是公平的惩罚吗？青少年罪犯应该和成年人区别对待吗？这些讨论能训练你倾听、推理和论证你的观点。
8. The Role of the Jury | 陪审团的作用
A jury is a group of ordinary people, usually twelve, who are randomly selected from the electoral register. Their job in a Crown Court trial is to listen to the evidence presented by both sides and then decide which facts they believe. The jury’s verdict must be unanimous, meaning everyone agrees, or sometimes a majority verdict of at least ten out of twelve is accepted.
陪审团是一群普通人，通常是十二位，他们从选民登记册中随机选出。他们在刑事法院审判中的工作是听取双方出示的证据，然后决定他们相信哪些事实。陪审团的裁决必须是一致同意的，也就是说每个人都同意，或者有时也会接受至少十比二的多数裁决。
The judge advises the jury on points of law, but the jury alone decides the outcome. This is an important principle because it means a person’s guilt or innocence is decided by members of the community, not just by a powerful judge. Serving on a jury is a legal duty; if you are called, you usually must attend, although some people can be excused.
法官就法律问题向陪审团提供建议，但只有陪审团才能决定判决结果。这是一项重要的原则，因为它意味着一个人有罪还是无辜是由社区成员来决定的，而不仅仅是由一位有权的法官决定。担任陪审员是一项法律义务；如果你被传召，通常必须出席，尽管有些人可以免去此义务。
Not all cases use a jury. Most Magistrates’ Court trials and almost all civil cases are decided by a judge or a panel of magistrates alone. However, the jury trial is seen as a cornerstone of the legal system, and understanding its strengths and weaknesses is a key part of the WJEC GCSE law in later years.
并非所有案件都使用陪审团。大多数治安法院的审判以及几乎所有的民事案件都是由法官或一个治安法官小组单独裁决的。然而，陪审团审判被视为法律体系的基石，了解它的优点和缺点是未来 WJEC 法律 GCSE 课程的一个关键部分。
9. How Do Laws Change? | 法律如何变化？
Laws are not fixed forever; they evolve as society’s values change. One way they alter is through new Acts of Parliament. For example, the Equality Act 2010 brought together earlier laws to protect people from discrimination based on age, disability, gender, race and other characteristics. When Parliament repeals an old law, it no longer has effect.
法律并非一成不变；它们随着社会价值观的变化而演变。它们改变的一种方式是通过新的议会法令。例如，2010 年《平等法案》合并了之前的各项法律，保护人们免受基于年龄、残疾、性别、种族和其他特征的歧视。当议会废除一项旧法时，它就不再有效。
Courts can also influence legal change through precedent. When a higher court, such as the Supreme Court, decides a case in a new way, it can overturn previous decisions. For instance, the Supreme Court ruled in 2018 that the government needed an Act of Parliament before it could trigger the process of leaving the European Union, which was a landmark constitutional decision.
法院也可以通过判例影响法律的变化。当一个更高级别的法院，比如最高法院，以前所未有的方式裁决一个案件时，它可以推翻以前的决定。例如，最高法院在 2018 年裁定，政府在触发脱离欧盟的程序之前需要一项议会法令，这是一个里程碑式的宪法判决。
Another important driver is public opinion and campaigns. Laws on wearing seatbelts, banning smoking in public places, and recognising animal sentience have all changed because enough people took a stand and used their voice. Studying these changes helps you see law as a living subject rather than just a dusty list of rules.
另一个重要的驱动力是公众舆论和运动。关于系安全带、禁止在公共场所吸烟和承认动物有感知能力的法律都已改变，因为有足够多的人表明了立场并使用了他们的声音。研究这些变化有助于你将法律视为一门活生生的学科，而不仅仅是一堆布满灰尘的规则清单。
10. Summer Challenge: Create a Classroom Law | 暑期挑战：制定一项班级法律
Now it is your turn to think like a lawmaker. Imagine you have been asked to design one new law for your future Year 7 classroom. It could be about keeping the classroom tidy, ensuring everyone gets a turn to speak, or protecting private lockers. Your task is to write down the proposed rule as if it were a bill, including a clear statement of the problem it solves and the consequences for breaking it.
现在轮到你来像立法者一样思考了。想象一下，你被要求为你未来的七年级教室设计一项新法律。它可以是关于保持教室整洁，确保每个人都有发言的机会，或者保护私人储物柜。你的任务是像写一项法案一样写下你的提议规则，包括它要解决的问题的清晰说明以及违反该规则的后果。
To make it realistic, think about how you would enforce this law. Would you need a classroom monitor, or could pupils report issues themselves? How would you make sure the law is fair and applies to everyone, including yourself? This activity practises the key skills of reasoning, clarity and fairness that underpin all legal study.
为了让这件事更真实，想一想你将如何执行这项法律。你需要一个班级监督员，还是学生可以自己报告问题？你将如何确保这项法律是公平的，并且适用于包括你自己在内的每一个人？这个活动能锻炼推理、清晰和公正等关键技能，这些技能是所有法律学习的基础。
If you want to go further, look up a real Act of Parliament online, such as the Animal Welfare Act 2006, and notice how it is organised into numbered sections. When you return to school, you could compare your classroom law with a friend’s and debate which ones would work best for your form group. This was just a taste of the exciting legal journey ahead.
如果你想更进一步，可以在网上查找一部真正的议会法令，比如 2006 年《动物福利法》，并注意它是如何被组织成带编号的各章节的。当你回到学校时，你可以把你制定的班级法律与一位朋友的进行比较，并辩论哪些对你们的班级最有效。这只是未来激动人心的法律旅程的一个小小尝试。
Published by TutorHao | Law Revision Series | aleveler.com
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