LAWS 2

Laws exist to help us live in peace and order. There are good laws and bad laws, and of course, different kinds of laws. Some laws limit a certain activity for a group of people who are a certain age. For example, you can’t drive a car in many parts of the United States if you’re younger than 16. There are also the ‘age of majority’ laws. These laws determine when you’re a child and when you’re an adult.

People who break laws can be punished in different ways. When you break laws, it can be called an infraction, a misdemeanour or a felony. An infraction is a small offence (not a big crime), and you get a ticket for breaking the law. For example, if you run the red light, it’s an infraction, but if you hit and injure somebody with your car, it’s a misdemeanour

You may go to prison for a misdemeanour, but it won’t be more than a year in most countries. A felony is a very serious crime. For instance, if you break into a home, burn someone’s house or kill a person, you go to prison for a long time and may have to pay big fines.

Some laws are universal. That means they exist in every part of the world. However, a lot of laws are local. For example, in the United States, some crimes are felonies in some states while the same crimes are misdemeanours in other states. It sounds crazy, but it’s true.