Law 12Introduction Unit

WHERE DO YOU STAND WITH THE LAW

You could find yourself in any one of the following situations. Would you know what your legal rights and obligations are?

1. You are 17 years old and you open a charge account at Five Finger Discount Department Store. After 6 months you find you cannot pay your account. Can the department store demand payment from your parents? Why?

2. One evening, a door-to door sales-person from Blast It Sound came by and persuaded you to buy a stereo for $699.00. You pay $100 down and agree to pay the balance in one month. If you haven't played the stereo, but decide afterwards that you don't want it, can you return it on the following day? Yes or No? Why?

3. Suppose that you and a friend are renting an apartment and both of you find yourselves in financial difficulty, unable to pay the rent. What action can the landlord take?

4. Dianne is driving Robert home from school one day. A po1ice officer in a cruiser signals them to pull over to the side of the road. He asks Dianne for identification and then decides to search the car. Is the police officer legally entitled to search the car? Support your answer.

5. Bobby and Jim, both 11 years old, go downtown to Bolander's Department Store. While swinging his baseball Bobby, accidentally breaks a display case. Could Bobby be held responsible? Why? What responsibility rests on Bobby's parents?

6. Four friends have just left a neighbourhood party. (They are all legal drinking age.) The time is 2:00 am. They have had a few drinks but are walking towards home, a cruiser drives up alongside them, stops, and the police get out. They begin questioning the four about identification, where they have been and where they are going. What legal rights and what legal obligations do the four have with respect to these questions?

7. Mr. and Mrs. Potter received three DVDs in the mail from Honest AI's Mail Order House. Since the DVDs were not requested, the Potters set them aside. Ten days later, Mr. and Mrs. Potter received a bill for $55 and cannot find the DVDs. What can the Potters do about the DVDs and the bill?

8. Jonah and Mark go to the Wicked Wedge for a pizza. Both hang up their coats. When Jonah goes to collect his coat, it is not there. The owner apologizes, saying he has no idea where the coat is. The restaurant has posted a sign, which says, "Not responsible for lost or damaged articles." What, if anything, can Jonah do under the law?
Questions:

Using the situations given from the inquiry unit you are to examine each case and answer questions (1) through (8) as they apply to that case.

  1. Is the case public law, private law, or both? Give your reasons.
  2. Which area of law is involved? For example, contract law, criminal law, and so on.
  3. How would the case be written? For example, R. v. Jones. Understand there will be no dates because they have not gone to trial and have been completed.