Editing United Kingdom (section)

=== Law and criminal justice ===
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{{Main|Law of the United Kingdom|Censorship in the United Kingdom|Crime in the United Kingdom}}
{{further|English law|Northern Ireland law|Scots law}} 
[[File:Middlesex Guildhall (cropped).jpg|thumb|The [[Supreme Court of the United Kingdom|Supreme Court]] is the final court of appeal for England, Wales, Northern Ireland and civil cases in Scotland.]]
The United Kingdom does not have a single legal system as Article 19 of the [[Treaty of Union|1706 Treaty of Union]] provided for the continuation of Scotland's separate legal system.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Treaty (act) of the Union of Parliament 1706 |url=http://www.scotshistoryonline.co.uk/union.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190527074630/http://www.scotshistoryonline.co.uk/union.html |archive-date=27 May 2019 |access-date=5 October 2008 |publisher=Scottish History Online}}</ref> Today the UK has three distinct [[Legal systems of the world|systems of law]]: [[English law]], [[Courts of Northern Ireland|Northern Ireland law]] and [[Scots law]]. A new [[Supreme Court of the United Kingdom]] came into being in October 2009 to replace the [[judicial functions of the House of Lords|Appellate Committee of the House of Lords]].<ref>{{Cite news |date=1 October 2009 |title=UK Supreme Court judges sworn in |work=BBC News |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8283939.stm |access-date=6 October 2009 |archive-date=7 February 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200207160453/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8283939.stm |url-status=live }}; {{Cite web |date=July 2003 |title=Constitutional reform: A Supreme Court for the United Kingdom |url=http://www.dca.gov.uk/consult/supremecourt/supreme.pdf |archive-url=http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20090117132005/http://www.dca.gov.uk/consult/supremecourt/supreme.pdf |archive-date=17 January 2009 |access-date=13 May 2013 |publisher=Department for Constitutional Affairs }}</ref> The [[Judicial Committee of the Privy Council]], including the same members as the Supreme Court, is the highest court of appeal for several independent Commonwealth countries, the [[British Overseas Territories]] and the [[Crown Dependencies]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Role of the JCPC |url=http://www.jcpc.uk/about/role-of-the-jcpc.html |access-date=28 April 2013 |publisher=Judicial Committee of the Privy Council |archive-date=14 January 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140114165910/http://www.jcpc.uk/about/role-of-the-jcpc.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

Both [[English law]], which applies in England and Wales, and [[Northern Ireland law]] are based on [[common law]] (or [[case law]]) principles.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Bainham |first=Andrew |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AF303DEl0MkC&pg=PA298 |title=The international survey of family law: 1996 |publisher=Martinus Nijhoff |year=1998 |isbn=978-90-411-0573-8 |location=The Hague |page=298 |access-date=29 September 2020 |archive-date=28 March 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240328141743/https://books.google.com/books?id=AF303DEl0MkC&pg=PA298#v=onepage&q&f=false |url-status=live }}</ref> It originated in England in the [[Middle Ages]] and is the basis for many legal systems around the world.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Common Law |url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/common-law |access-date=27 May 2024 |publisher=Britannica |date=19 May 2024 |archive-date=6 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210506134920/https://www.britannica.com/topic/common-law |url-status=live }}</ref> The [[courts of England and Wales]] are headed by the [[Senior Courts of England and Wales]], consisting of the [[Court of Appeal of England and Wales|Court of Appeal]], the [[High Court of Justice]] (for civil cases) and the [[Crown Court]] (for criminal cases).<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Australian courts and comparative law |url=http://www.alpn.edu.au/node/66 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130414202207/http://alpn.edu.au/node/66 |archive-date=14 April 2013 |access-date=9 March 2015 |publisher=Australian Law Postgraduate Network}}</ref> [[Scots law]] is a hybrid system based on common-law and [[Civil law (legal system)|civil-law]] principles. The chief courts are the [[Court of Session]], for civil cases,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Court of Session&nbsp;– Introduction |url=http://www.scotcourts.gov.uk/session/index.asp |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080731094308/http://www.scotcourts.gov.uk/session/index.asp |archive-date=31 July 2008 |access-date=8 March 2015 |publisher=Scottish Courts}}</ref> and the [[High Court of Justiciary]], for criminal cases.<ref>{{Cite web |title=High Court of Justiciary&nbsp;– Introduction |url=http://www.scotcourts.gov.uk/justiciary/index.asp |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080912204821/http://www.scotcourts.gov.uk/justiciary/index.asp |archive-date=12 September 2008 |access-date=9 March 2015 |publisher=Scottish Courts}}</ref> The Supreme Court of the United Kingdom serves as the highest court of appeal for civil cases under Scots law.<ref>{{Cite web |title=House of Lords&nbsp;– Practice Directions and Standing Orders Applicable to Civil Appeals |url=https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld199697/ldinfo/ld08judg/bluebook/bluebk03.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131206120915/http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld199697/ldinfo/ld08judg/bluebook/bluebk03.htm |archive-date=6 December 2013 |access-date=8 March 2015 |publisher=UK Parliament}}</ref>

Crime in England and Wales increased in the period between 1981 and 1995, though since that peak there has been an overall fall of 66 per cent in recorded crime from 1995 to 2015,<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ukgwa/20160105160709/http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/dcp171778_419450.pdf |title=Crime in England and Wales, Year Ending June 2015 |publisher=Office for National Statistics |website=UK Government Web Archive |access-date=16 March 2023 |archive-date=16 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230316221317/https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ukgwa/20160105160709/http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/dcp171778_419450.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> according to [[Crime statistics in the United Kingdom|crime statistics]]. As of June 2023, the United Kingdom has the highest per-capita incarceration rate in Western Europe.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Sturge |first1=Georgina |title=UK Prison Population Statistics |url=https://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/SN04334/SN04334.pdf |publisher=House of Commons Library |access-date=17 October 2023 |archive-date=24 February 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200224031328/https://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/SN04334/SN04334.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Highest to Lowest - Prison Population Total |url=http://www.prisonstudies.org/highest-to-lowest |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231118142542/https://www.prisonstudies.org/highest-to-lowest/prison-population-total |archive-date=18 November 2023 |website=World Prison Brief}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=World Prison Brief data |url=http://www.prisonstudies.org/world-prison-brief |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231106135950/https://www.prisonstudies.org/world-prison-brief-data |archive-date=6 November 2023 |website=World Prison Brief}}</ref>

[[United Kingdom labour law|UK labour laws]] entitle staff to have a minimum set of employment rights including a [[National Minimum Wage Act 1998|minimum wage]], a minimum of 28 days annual holiday, parental leave, statutory sick pay and a [[Pensions Act 2008|pension]]. [[Same-sex marriage]] has been legal in England, Scotland, and Wales since 2014, and in [[Northern Ireland]] since 2020.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Wratten |first1=Marcus |title=Tom Allen to host vital new BBC show marking 10th anniversary of same-sex marriage |url=https://www.thepinknews.com/2023/07/03/tom-allen-bbc-my-big-gay-wedding-same-sex-marriage/ |website=PinkNews |date=3 July 2023 |access-date=2 September 2023 |archive-date=2 September 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230902195143/https://www.thepinknews.com/2023/07/03/tom-allen-bbc-my-big-gay-wedding-same-sex-marriage/ |url-status=live }}</ref> [[LGBT rights in the United Kingdom|LGBT equality]] in the United Kingdom is considered advanced by modern standards.<ref>{{Cite web |date=5 June 2023 |title=The 203 Worst (& Safest) Countries for LGBTQ+ Travel in 2023 |url=https://www.asherfergusson.com/lgbtq-travel-safety/ |access-date=20 August 2023 |website=Asher & Lyric |archive-date=10 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210910063408/https://www.asherfergusson.com/lgbtq-travel-safety/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=R. Flores |first1=Andrew |title=Social Acceptance of LGBTI People in 175 Countries and Locations |url=https://williamsinstitute.law.ucla.edu/publications/global-acceptance-index-lgbt/ |website=Williams Institute |access-date=11 September 2023 |archive-date=13 September 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230913091254/https://williamsinstitute.law.ucla.edu/publications/global-acceptance-index-lgbt/ |url-status=live }}</ref>