Essentials

The five fundamental principles of British life:
• Democracy — the government is chosen by the people through elections
• The rule of law — everyone, including the government, must obey the law
• Individual liberty — freedom to make choices within the law
• Tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs
• Participation in community life

✓ The rule of law applies to everyone, including the government
✗ The government is NOT above the law

If you wish to be a permanent resident or citizen of the UK, you should:
• Respect and obey the law
• Look after yourself and your family
• Look after the area in which you live and the environment
• Respect the rights of others, including their right to their own opinions
• Treat others with fairness

The UK is located in the north west of Europe.

✓ Great Britain = England + Scotland + Wales ONLY
✗ Northern Ireland is NOT part of Great Britain
United Kingdom = all 4 nations

Crown dependencies (Channel Islands, Isle of Man) are linked to the UK but NOT part of it. They have their own governments.

✓ British overseas territories (St Helena, Falkland Islands) are linked to the UK but NOT part of it
✗ Do NOT treat them as part of the United Kingdom

The Giant's Causeway consists of volcanic rock columns located in Northern Ireland.

Big Ben is the great bell of the clock at the Houses of Parliament in London.

✓ Snowdonia is located in Wales — a mountain range and National Park
✗ It is NOT in Scotland

Lake District is the largest national park in England, located in north-west England. Wastwater in the Lake District was voted Britain's favourite view in 2007.

There are 15 national parks in England, Wales and Scotland. They are areas of protected countryside that everyone can visit.

The Eden Project is located in Cornwall in south-west England.

Skara Brae is located in Orkney, Scotland. It is a prehistoric village about 5,000 years old.

Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park is located in the west of Scotland.

The currency in the UK is the pound sterling (symbol £).

The UK currency is the pound sterling (£).
Banknotes: £5, £10, £20, £50 (NO £25 or £100 notes)
Coins: 1p, 2p, 5p, 10p, 20p, 50p, £1, £2 (NO 25p coins)
Highest value note: £50

Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own banknotes which are valid everywhere in the UK. However, shops and businesses do not have to accept them.

The first farmers arrived in Britain 6,000 years ago from south-east Europe.

In 55 BC, Julius Caesar attempted to invade Britain but failed. He did not conquer Britain.

In AD 43, Emperor Claudius successfully invaded Britain. Romans ruled for nearly 400 years.

Hadrian's Wall was built by the Romans under Emperor Hadrian in northern England. It defended Roman Britain from the Picts (ancestors of the Scottish people). Important forts: Vindolanda, Housesteads.

After the Romans left in AD 410, the Jutes, Angles and Saxons came to Britain from Germany and Denmark.

The Anglo-Saxon kingdoms in England united under King Alfred the Great, who defeated the Vikings. Many Viking invaders stayed in Britain — especially in the east and north of England — in an area known as the Danelaw. Place names like Grimsby and Scunthorpe come from the Viking languages.

The Iron Age people (also known as the Celts) made the first coins minted in Britain, inscribed with names of Iron Age kings. This marks the beginnings of British history.

In 1066, an invasion led by William, Duke of Normandy (in what is now northern France) defeated Harold, the Saxon king of England, at the Battle of Hastings. Harold was killed in the battle. William became King of England and is known as William the Conqueror. This was the last successful foreign invasion of England.

✓ 1066 was the LAST successful foreign invasion of England
✗ NOT the first — the Romans, Anglo-Saxons and Vikings all invaded earlier; 1066 was the last

The Domesday Book was created when William sent people all over England to draw up lists of all the towns and villages, who lived there, who owned the land and what animals they owned. It still exists today and gives a picture of society in England just after the Norman Conquest.

The Bayeux Tapestry is a great piece of embroidery commemorating the Battle of Hastings; it can still be seen in France today.

The Tower of London was built by William the Conqueror. The Crown Jewels are kept here. Tours led by Yeoman Warders known as Beefeaters.

1215: Magna Carta — King John was forced by his noblemen to agree. It limited the power of the king and established that even the king is subject to the law, protecting the rights of the nobility.

✓ Magna Carta limited the king's power and established that the king must follow the law
✗ It did NOT give voting rights to all men

In 1284, King Edward I introduced the Statute of Rhuddlan, which annexed Wales to the Crown of England. Castles like Conwy and Caernarvon were built to maintain power. The last Welsh rebellions were defeated by the mid-15th century.

1314: Battle of Bannockburn — Robert the Bruce defeated the English, helping Scotland remain independent. Major Scottish victory.

1348: Black Death (plague) killed about one third of the population of England, with a similar proportion in Scotland and Wales.

Hundred Years War (1337-1453): England vs France.
Battle of Agincourt (1415): King Henry V's vastly outnumbered English army defeated the French.

Wars of the Roses: House of Lancaster (red rose) vs House of York (white rose).
Ended 1485 at Battle of Bosworth Field. Henry Tudor became Henry VII, starting Tudor dynasty.

During the Middle Ages, serfs were peasants who worked on the lord's land.

Henry VIII (1509-1547) had six wives. He broke away from the Church of Rome and established the Church of England, becoming its head instead of the Pope. He dissolved the monasteries. This was part of the Reformation — movement against the authority of the Pope.

Henry VIII broke from Rome because the Pope refused to allow him to divorce Catherine of Aragon. His six wives: Catherine of Aragon (divorced), Anne Boleyn (executed at the Tower of London), Jane Seymour (died), Anne of Cleves (divorced), Catherine Howard (executed), Catherine Parr (survived).

Elizabeth I (1558-1603) was a Protestant queen. She never married ("Virgin Queen"). Her reign was a golden age of English culture — the Elizabethan era.

1588: Spanish Armada
Spain attempted to invade England. The English navy defeated the Spanish fleet. England remained Protestant.

In Elizabeth I's time, English settlers first began to colonise the eastern coast of America.

Mary Queen of Scots (Mary Stuart) was a Catholic and cousin of Elizabeth I. After fleeing to England, she was kept prisoner by Elizabeth for 20 years and eventually executed, accused of plotting against Elizabeth I. She was the mother of James VI of Scotland, who later became James I of England.

James I of England (also James VI of Scotland) was the first monarch to rule both countries.
King James Bible (Authorized Version) was created under his reign in 1611.

1605: Gunpowder Plot
A group of Catholics led by Guy Fawkes failed in their plan to kill the Protestant king with a bomb in the Houses of Parliament.
Commemorated on Bonfire Night (5 November) with fireworks and bonfires.

The Puritans were Protestants who wanted to purify the Church of England. Many fled to America to practice their religion freely.

English Civil War (1642-1651)
Cavaliers (supported King) vs Roundheads (supported Parliament, led by Oliver Cromwell).
Major battles: Marston Moor (1644), Naseby (1645).
Parliament won.

Charles I believed in the Divine Right of Kings. He was executed in 1649.

1660: Restoration
Charles II became king. He had hidden in an oak tree to escape Cromwell, fled to France, then returned after Cromwell died.

1665: Great Plague killed about 100,000 people in London. Last major plague outbreak in Britain.

1666: Great Fire of London destroyed much of the city. Led to rebuilding in stone.
St Paul's Cathedral was rebuilt by Sir Christopher Wren.

1679: Habeas Corpus Act
Very important legislation, still relevant today. Habeas Corpus is Latin for 'you must present the person in court' — no one can be held prisoner unlawfully; every prisoner has a right to a court hearing.

1688: Glorious Revolution
William of Orange — a Dutch Protestant prince — was invited by Parliament to be king. James II (Catholic) fled to France. William ruled jointly with his wife Queen Mary II as William III and Mary II. It was a bloodless revolution that firmly established Protestant succession and parliamentary supremacy.

1689: Bill of Rights
Confirmed the rights of Parliament and limited the king's power.
It did NOT give all men the right to vote.

1690: Battle of the Boyne. James II was defeated by William of Orange.

1692: Glencoe Massacre
The MacDonalds of Glencoe clan were killed for not taking the oath to William III.

Charles Edward Stuart (Bonnie Prince Charlie) landed in Scotland in 1745, supported by Scottish Highland clansmen, and attempted to restore a Stuart king. He was defeated by George II's army at the Battle of Culloden in 1746.

After Charles I was executed, England was ruled by a republic (the Commonwealth) and not by a monarch.

Between 1680 and 1720, many refugees called Huguenots came to England from France.

1707: Act of Union
England and Scotland united to form Great Britain. The separate English and Scottish Parliaments were merged into one Parliament of Great Britain.
Scotland kept its own legal and education systems.

The 18th century period when new ideas about politics, philosophy and science developed is called 'the Enlightenment'.

The British government wanted to tax the colonies, which led the American colonies to want independence from Britain.

1776: American Declaration of Independence
American colonies declared independence from Britain.

The Industrial Revolution (18th and 19th centuries) was driven by steam power and led to rapid development of industry. Britain was the first country to industrialize.

During the 18th century, manufacturing jobs became the main source of employment in Britain.

Canals were built during the Industrial Revolution to transport goods from factories to towns, cities and ports.

1801: Ireland became unified with England, Scotland and Wales, creating the United Kingdom.

1805: Battle of Trafalgar
Admiral Lord Nelson defeated the combined French and Spanish fleet, securing British naval supremacy. Nelson was killed during the battle. His flagship was HMS Victory.

Two key dates: 1807 — trading slaves became illegal on British ships or from British ports. 1833 Emancipation Act — slavery abolished throughout the British Empire. The Royal Navy stopped foreign slave ships and freed those on board. Around 2 million Indian and Chinese workers later replaced freed slaves on plantations.

1815: Battle of Waterloo
The Duke of Wellington defeated Napoleon. This was the last battle between Britain and France.

Highland Clearances (19th century)
Scottish landlords destroyed small farms (crofts), evicted tenants for sheep/cattle farming. Many forced to migrate.

Irish Potato Famine (1840s)
Caused by failure of the potato crop. About 1 million people died, many emigrated to America.

During Victorian times, the Government promoted free trade by abolishing taxes on imported goods. A key event was the repealing of the Corn Laws in 1846.

1847: Factories Act limited the working hours of women and children to 10 hours a day.

1851: Great Exhibition
Opened in Hyde Park, London, held in the Crystal Palace (huge building of steel and glass). Showcased Britain's industrial achievements.

The Crimean War (1853 to 1856) was fought by Britain, Turkey and France against Russia.

The Fenians were Irish people who favoured complete independence from Britain (19th century).

1899-1902: Boer War
Fought in South Africa against the Boers (settlers from the Netherlands).

First World War (1914-1918)
28 June 1914: Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria was assassinated. This set off a chain of events leading to WWI.

Battle of the Somme (1916) was one of the bloodiest battles of WWI.

Armistice signed on 11 November 1918 at 11am (end of WWI).
Remembrance Day is on 11 November (or nearest Sunday): 2-minute silence at 11am, people wear poppies.

The Cenotaph is a war memorial in Whitehall, London. Site of the Remembrance Day ceremony.

1918: Women over 30 were given the right to vote and stand for Parliament, in recognition of their contribution during WWI.

1921: Partition of Ireland
Ireland divided into two:
• Irish Free State (later Republic of Ireland) became independent
• Northern Ireland remained part of the UK

1928: Women given the right to vote at age 21, same as men. Equal voting age.

1930s: Great Depression
Traditional heavy industries badly affected, especially shipbuilding. Mass unemployment.

Second World War (1939-1945)
Started when Germany invaded Poland in 1939. Britain and France declared war on Germany.

1940: Dunkirk evacuation — more than 300,000 British and French soldiers were rescued from beaches around Dunkirk by the Royal Navy plus civilian volunteers in small pleasure and fishing boats. Gave rise to the phrase 'the Dunkirk spirit'.

1940: Battle of Britain — a crucial aerial battle won by the RAF. The key planes were the Spitfire and Hurricane, both designed and built in Britain. After defeat in the air, Germany shifted to night-bombing London and other cities — the Blitz. The phrase 'the Blitz spirit' still describes Britons pulling together in adversity.

Richard Austen Butler introduced the Education Act 1944 (also known as 'the Butler Act').

D-Day: 6 June 1944 — Allied forces landed in Normandy. They pressed through France and into Germany; the Allies defeated Germany in May 1945. The war with Japan ended in August 1945 after the US dropped atom bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Clement Attlee (Labour) was Prime Minister 1945-1951. He introduced the welfare state from the Beveridge Report. In 1948, Aneurin (Nye) Bevan as Minister for Health led the founding of the NHS. Major industries — railways, coal, gas, water, electricity — were nationalised.

1949: Ireland became a republic and left the Commonwealth.

Sir Roger Bannister was the first man in the world to run a mile in under 4 minutes (1954).

The 1960s ('Swinging Sixties') was a period of significant social change, with growth in British fashion, cinema and popular music (including The Beatles).

The EEC was set up in 1957 by six western European countries (Belgium, France, West Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands). The UK joined in 1973. The UK was a full member of the EU but never adopted the Euro. The UK left the EU at 23:00 GMT on 31 January 2020 (Brexit).

In 1982, Argentina invaded the Falkland Islands, a British overseas territory in the South Atlantic. A naval task force was sent from the UK and military action recovered the islands. Margaret Thatcher was Prime Minister.

Church of England (established church in England): head is the monarch, spiritual leader is Archbishop of Canterbury; several bishops sit in the House of Lords
Church of Scotland (established church in Scotland): Presbyterian
There is NO established church in Wales or Northern Ireland

Several bishops of the Church of England sit in the House of Lords.

There is NO established church in Wales or Northern Ireland.

Everyone in the UK has freedom of religion and belief.

There is NO established Church in Wales or Northern Ireland.

In 1560, the predominantly Protestant Scottish Parliament abolished the authority of the Pope and established the Protestant Church of Scotland.

The version of the Bible created under King James I in 1611 is known as the 'Authorised Version' or King James Bible.

St Augustine was the first Archbishop of Canterbury.

Christmas is on 25 December. It celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ.

Easter (March or April) is the most important Christian festival. It celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Lent is the 40 days before Easter.

Diwali (festival of lights) is celebrated by Hindus and Sikhs.

Eid al-Fitr celebrates the end of Ramadan when Muslims have fasted for a month.

Vaisakhi is a Sikh festival in April.

Halloween is celebrated on 31 October. Traditions include dressing up and trick-or-treating.

Hogmanay is the Scottish New Year celebration on 31 December.

April Fool's Day is on 1 April.

Bank holidays are days when banks and many businesses are closed (also called public holidays).

On April Fool's Day (1st of April), television and newspapers have stories that are April Fool jokes until midday.

Only Scotland and Northern Ireland have their patron saint's day as an official holiday (although in Scotland not all businesses and offices will close). St Andrew's Day and St Patrick's Day are bank holidays, but St George's Day and St David's Day are not.

Good Friday commemorates the death of Jesus Christ, and Easter Sunday celebrates his resurrection. Both occur in March or April.

'The Fringe' (Edinburgh Festival Fringe) is a famous arts and cultural festival that takes place in Edinburgh, Scotland.

'The Proms' is an eight-week summer season of orchestral classical music held at the Royal Albert Hall in London.

The Union Flag (also known as the Union Jack) represents the United Kingdom.

Auld Lang Syne is the song sung when celebrating the New Year.

Cricket originated in England. Football, rugby, golf, tennis all began in Britain.

The Ashes is a famous cricket competition played between England and Australia.

The Six Nations is a famous rugby tournament.

Modern golf is traced back to 15th century Scotland.

1966: England won the FIFA World Cup, captained by Bobby Moore.

The Grand National is a famous horse racing event held at Aintree.

The Scottish Grand National takes place at Ayr.

The Wimbledon Championships is the most famous tennis tournament in the UK, held annually at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in London. It is the oldest tennis tournament in the world and the only Grand Slam played on grass.

The UK hosted the Olympic Games three times: 1908, 1948 and 2012 — all in London. The main 2012 site was Stratford, East London; the British team finished third in the medal table. London also hosted the 2012 Paralympic Games.

Famous British Paralympians:
• Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson (wheelchair racing, 11 gold medals)
• Ellie Simmonds (swimming, multiple gold medals)

Mary Peters won a gold medal in the 1972 Olympics (pentathlon).

Bobby Moore captained the English football team that won the World Cup in 1966.

Royal Ascot is a major horse-racing event, a five-day race meeting in Berkshire attended by members of the Royal Family.

An annual rowing race between Oxford and Cambridge Universities takes place on the Thames.

The Six Nations Championship is the most famous rugby union competition.

William Wordsworth was a Romantic poet who wrote "The Daffodils" (I wandered lonely as a cloud). Associated with the Lake District.

Charles Dickens was a Victorian novelist. Works: Oliver Twist, Great Expectations, A Christmas Carol.

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle created the Sherlock Holmes detective stories.

JRR Tolkien wrote The Lord of the Rings, voted the country's best-loved novel in 2003.

David Hockney was an important contributor to the pop art movement of the 1960s.

Clarice Cliff was a designer of Art Deco ceramics.

Wallace and Gromit is an animated film created by Nick Park.

Nick Park specialised in animated films (created Wallace and Gromit).

James Bond is one of the highest-grossing UK film franchises.

✓ Recent British Oscar winners (per the handbook): Colin Firth, Sir Anthony Hopkins, Dame Judi Dench, Kate Winslet and Tilda Swinton
✗ Emily Watson has been nominated but has NOT won an Oscar

The National Trust is a charity that works to preserve important buildings, coastline and countryside in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Haggis is a traditional food from Scotland.

Ulster Fry is the traditional food of Northern Ireland.

The National Horseracing Museum is in Newmarket, Suffolk.

William Shakespeare's most famous plays include Hamlet, Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet and A Midsummer Night's Dream.

Geoffrey Chaucer wrote poems in English about a group of people going to Canterbury on a pilgrimage. This collection is called The Canterbury Tales.

Sir Charles (Charlie) Chaplin became famous in silent movies for his tramp character.

London's West End, also known as 'Theatreland', is particularly well known for its theatres.

William Shakespeare's famous plays include Hamlet, Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet and A Midsummer Night's Dream.

Sir Edwin Lutyens designed war memorials, including the famous Cenotaph in Whitehall.

The Man Booker Prize for fiction is awarded for fiction novels by authors from the Commonwealth, Ireland or Zimbabwe, established in 1968.

The Turner Prize (established 1984) is for contemporary art and is one of the most prestigious visual art awards in Europe.

Sir Edward Elgar (1857-1934) was a famous musician known for Pomp and Circumstance Marches and Land of Hope and Glory.

The Tate Art Gallery has two locations in London: Tate Britain and Tate Modern.

Other key 20th-century British inventions and discoveries:

• Hovercraft — invented by Sir Christopher Cockerell (1950s); travels on a cushion of air over land or water
• Concorde — joint Anglo–French project; world's only supersonic passenger aircraft. First flew 1969 • carried passengers from 1976 • retired 2003
• Harrier jump jet — designed and developed in the UK; combat aircraft capable of taking off vertically
• Cash-dispensing ATM (cashpoint) — invented by James Goodfellow; first put into use by Barclays Bank in Enfield, north London, 1967
• IVF therapy — pioneered by physiologist Sir Robert Edwards and gynaecologist Patrick Steptoe. World's first 'test-tube baby' born in Oldham, Lancashire, 1978
• Cloning of a mammal — Sir Ian Wilmut and Keith Campbell led the team that cloned Dolly the sheep, 1996
• MRI scanner — co-invented by Sir Peter Mansfield; revolutionised diagnostic medicine by enabling non-invasive imaging of internal organs
• Insulin — co-discovered by Scottish physician John MacLeod; used to treat diabetes
• Penicillin — discovered by Scottish-born Sir Alexander Fleming in 1928; later developed into a usable drug by Howard Florey and Ernst Chain. Fleming won the Nobel Prize in Medicine, 1945
• DNA structure — discovered 1953 through work at British universities in London and Cambridge; Francis Crick (British) shared the Nobel Prize for the discovery
• Jodrell Bank radio telescope — built by Sir Bernard Lovell in Cheshire; for many years the biggest in the world
• Turing machine — a theoretical computer device by mathematician Alan Turing (1930s); foundational to modern computer science

By law, radio and television must give balanced coverage of all political parties and equal time to rival viewpoints (especially before elections).

The BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) is the largest broadcaster in the world. It is the only wholly state-funded media organisation that is independent of government.

The National Citizen Service programme is for 16-17 year olds (aged 16 and 17). It offers outdoor activities, skills development, and community projects.

Around 10% of the UK population has a parent or grandparent born outside the UK.

Women in Britain today make up about half of the workforce.

Most shops in the UK are open seven days a week, though hours may be reduced on Sundays and public holidays.

Friends of the Earth is an environmental charity.

The system of government in the UK is a parliamentary democracy.

✓ The UK has an 'unwritten' constitution — unlike the USA
✗ There is NO single written document called a constitution

Parliament consists of the House of Commons and the House of Lords. Parliament makes and changes laws.

House of Commons: 650 elected MPs, represent constituencies, more powerful
House of Lords: Members NOT elected (appointed), includes life peers, several Church of England bishops, some hereditary peers, can review laws but cannot block Commons laws

The Speaker chairs debates in the House of Commons and is politically neutral. The Speaker represents a constituency and deals with constituents.

The Prime Minister is the leader of the party with the most MPs. Lives at 10 Downing Street. Appoints ministers and chairs Cabinet.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer is responsible for the economy.

The Home Secretary is responsible for crime, policing, and immigration.

Hansard contains the official reports of Parliament proceedings. Proceedings are also broadcast on television.

The Shadow Cabinet is the group of senior MPs from the opposition party.

The armed forces are NOT a constitutional institution.

Prime Minister's Questions takes place every week while Parliament is sitting.

✓ Local areas are run by democratically elected councils
✗ NOT by officials appointed by central government

The United Nations was set up after the Second World War to promote peace and security.

Two key responsibilities of MPs are: represent constituents and create laws.

Two responsibilities of the monarch are: appoints the government and advises the Prime Minister.

Voting age: 18 years or over. The current voting age of 18 was set in 1969.

General elections are held at least every 5 years.

By-elections are held when an MP dies or resigns. A fresh election takes place in that constituency only.

A poll card is sent to you before the election. It tells you where your polling station is and when to vote.

MPs represent everyone in their constituency — not just those who voted for them.

The electoral register is a list of people entitled to vote. It is also used to select jurors.

'Canvassing' is when political party members persuade people to vote for their candidates by handing out leaflets or knocking on doors.

You can contact MPs by letter or telephone at their constituency office or the House of Commons. MPs also hold local 'surgeries'.

✓ In Northern Ireland, a different system called 'individual registration' applies — each eligible voter must complete their own registration form
✗ In England, Scotland and Wales, one form per household is used (not individual registration)

✓ Anyone aged 18 or over can stand for election as an MP
✗ NOT 21 — a common trap question. The voting age and minimum age to stand as MP are both 18

Tony Blair (Prime Minister) introduced devolution in 1997, creating the Scottish Parliament and Welsh Assembly.

The Scottish Parliament has 129 MSPs (Members of the Scottish Parliament) and meets in the Holyrood building — the Scottish Parliament building in Edinburgh. Members are elected by a form of proportional representation. It can pass laws on civil and criminal law, health, education, planning, plus has additional tax-raising powers.

The Welsh Assembly has 60 members and meets at the Senedd in Cardiff Bay. Members can speak in Welsh or English, and all of its publications are in both languages.

The Northern Ireland Assembly has 90 MLAs (Members of the Legislative Assembly) and meets at Stormont in Belfast. It runs on a power-sharing agreement that distributes ministerial offices among the main parties. Members are elected by proportional representation. Established soon after the Belfast Agreement (or Good Friday Agreement) of 1998. The UK government can suspend devolved assemblies and has done so in Northern Ireland on several occasions; the Assembly has been running successfully since 2007.

Devolved administrations can pass laws on: Education, Health, Justice, Local government, Agriculture, Environment, Transport
Reserved matters (UK Parliament only): Defence, Foreign affairs, Immigration, Taxation, Social security

The Welsh government (Senedd) has 60 Assembly Members (AMs), also called Senedd Members (SMs), elected every four years using proportional representation.

The Northern Ireland Assembly has been suspended on a few occasions.

In May 2010, the Conservative and Liberal Democrat parties formed a coalition. David Cameron became Prime Minister.

Everyone is equal under the law, including the government.

Jury service:
England, Wales, Northern Ireland: 12 members
Scotland: 15 members
Both: Ages 18 to 70, selected randomly from electoral register

Magistrates' Court handles most minor criminal cases in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland.

Youth Courts are for ages 10 to 17. Heard by specially trained magistrates. Names and photos are NOT published by the media.

Small Claims Limits:
• £10,000 in England and Wales
• £5,000 in Scotland and Northern Ireland

Crown Court deals with serious criminal cases and has a jury.

County Court handles civil cases.

Civil law examples: Discrimination in the workplace, disputes between individuals or organizations, housing/contract disputes.

Solicitors' charges are based on time spent on a case.

All dogs in public places must wear a collar showing the name and address of the owner.

In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, most minor criminal cases are dealt with in a Magistrates' Court.

In Scotland, minor criminal offences go to a Justice of the Peace Court.

Anyone can make a complaint about the police by going to a police station or writing to the Chief Constable. You can also contact the Independent Police Complaints Commission.

It is a criminal offence to smoke tobacco products in nearly every enclosed public place in the UK.

Racial crime is a criminal offence.

The small claims procedure is an informal way to settle minor disputes without spending a lot of time and money using a lawyer.

✓ In Youth Courts, names and photographs of accused young people CANNOT be published
✗ Do NOT assume reporting rules are the same as adult courts

Court orders can be obtained to protect a person from being forced into a marriage.

In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, Youth Court cases are normally heard by up to 3 magistrates or a district judge.

The maximum small claims amount in Scotland and Northern Ireland is £5,000.

To apply for a National Insurance number, contact the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). You need documents proving your identity and permission to work in the UK.

Minimum ages:
16: Drive a moped
17: Drive a car and motorcycle
18: Enter betting shops or gambling clubs

You need a driving licence to drive on all public roads in the UK.

An MOT Certificate is required annually for cars over 3 years old to test safety and exhaust emissions.

Seatbelts must be worn by the driver and all passengers if fitted.

Dogs in public places must wear a collar showing the name and address of the owner.

Everyone in the UK with a TV, computer or other medium that can be used for watching TV must have a TV Licence. Fine of up to £1,000 for watching without one. Free for over-75s; 50% discount for blind people.

If a husband forces his wife to have sex, he can be charged with rape. Marriage does not give consent.

Female genital mutilation (FGM) is illegal in the UK. Taking a girl or woman abroad for FGM is also illegal.

Report to the local police if:
• someone tries to persuade you to join extremist or terrorist causes
• you witness any terrorist activity

Anyone can make a complaint about the police by writing to the Chief Constable of the police force, or by contacting the Independent Police Complaints Commission.

School governors must be 18 or over and do NOT need qualifications. Key roles: setting strategic direction, ensuring accountability, and monitoring school performance.