Digital Media Within Society 1

 Digital Media Within Society

 This module is to try to give us a broad insight that the role Digital media plays in society, and the impact of digital artifacts and dialogue on culture and society. We will discuss how copyright and privacy issues interact with the creation and use of digital media.

Our first lecture was on Irish law

The Sources of Irish law:-

The Scales of Justice

1. The Irish Constitution
2. Legislation
3. Common Law
4. European Law
5. Other International Treaties 

The Irish Constitution was introduced in 1922 and was in place since 1937.
It sets out all the principles that unify all law-making in Ireland e.g. how the officers of state are appointed,  how this Parliament is to function, how legislation is passed, and how the courts are established.
It also sets out personal rights of the citizen, for example the right to freely express convictions and opinions, and the right to the protection and vindication of one's good name.

The Oireachtas or Parliament, consists of the President and two houses:
1. Dáil Éireann (House of Representatives)
2. Seanad Éireann (the Senate) 

Legislation, also known as Statute Law or primary law.
Set out in the Oireachtas. In these laws are known as bills and when they are passed and signed by the president they are known as acts of it

Common-law
 A set of unwritten rules that have evolved over time, for example, (what is customary) and decided by judges. This law originated in Britain and follows the judges precedent.

 EU law
Ireland ratified the Treaty of Rome in 1973 and became a member state of the EU, (then EEC).
EU regulations, have a specific objective and binding within the EU states
EU directives are put in place to harmonise areas of law across the EU by setting legislative objectives within a certain time.

Other International Treaties
Ireland can become a party to any number of international treaties and conventions which deal with a range of matters including:
copyright, extradition, child-abduction and the international enforcement of judges.
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The Courts established under the Constitution are:-

1.   District Court... (relatively minor cases)
2.  Circuit Court... (more extensive jurisdiction in civil & criminal)  
3. High Court ...(full original jurisdiction in all matters)  
4. Central Criminal Court... (High Court exercising criminal Jurisdiction) 
5. The Special Criminal Court ...(The Offences against the State Act 1939)  
6. The Court of Criminal Appeal ...(appeals from Circuit, Central Criminal or the Special Criminal Courts)  
7. The Supreme Court ...(the highest appeal court)

The differences between Civil Law and Criminal Law

 civil law adjudicates in private disputes, whereas in criminal law the state is maintaining social order.