Lesson Notes By Weeks and Term - Senior Secondary 1

Basic principles of government

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Term: 2nd Term

Week: 9

Class: Senior Secondary School 1

Age: 15 years

Duration: 40 minutes of 2 periods each

Date:       

Subject:      Government

Topic:-       Basic principles of Government

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES: At the end of the lesson, pupils should be able to

  1. Define principles
  2. Explain the meaning of rule of law
  3. Explain the fundamental principles of the rule of law
  4. List the factors that ensure the operation of the rule of law in a country
  5. Highlight the limitations of the rule of law

 INSTRUCTIONAL TECHNIQUES: Identification, explanation, questions and answers, demonstration, videos from source

INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS: Videos, loud speaker, textbook, pictures

INSTRUCTIONAL PROCEDURES

PERIOD 1-2

PRESENTATION

TEACHER’S ACTIVITY

STUDENT’S ACTIVITY

STEP 1

INTRODUCTION

The teacher reviews the previous lesson on constitutionalism

Students pay attention

STEP 2

EXPLANATION

He explains the meaning of principles and the rule of law. He explains the fundamental principles of the rule of law

 

Students pay attention and participates

STEP 3

DEMONSTRATION

He lists the factors that ensure the operation of the rule of law in a country. He further highlights the limitations of the rule of laws

Students pay attention and participate

STEP 4

NOTE TAKING

The teacher writes a summarized note on the board

The students copy the note in their books

 

NOTE

BASIC PRINCIPLES OF GOVERNMENT

The term “principles” are accepted rules or beliefs that are necessary for

the proper understanding of a subject in the case of government, these

principles includes.

  1. The rule of Law
  2. Fundament human rights
  3. Constitutionalism
  4. Political participation
  5. Representative government
  6. Centralization
  7. Decentralization
  8. Delegated legislation

THE RULE OF LAW

The principles of the rule of law was proposed by professor A.V Dicey in

  1. He maintained that the leaders or administrators of a country should

exercise their authority in accordance with the already established laws of

the land and such laws should be regarded as supreme. This means that

the law should be superior and supreme to both the government and

governed.

 

Rule of law can also be described as the absolute supremacy of law ever

everybody, both the rulers and the ruled and all decision taken in a country.

 

There are 3 fundamental principles of the rule of law. They are as follows.

  1. The principle of Equality before the law:-

This means that every citizen whether government or governed should be

treated equally before the law, there should be no room for preferential

treatment.

  1. the principles of supremacy of the laws:-

This means that the law being supreme is also superior such that no one is

above the law. Even the legislature that makes the law cannot tamper with

it.

  1. principles of personal liberty:-

This means that no citizen should be deprived of his fundamental human

rights except in the interest of the nation. These fundamental human rights

include a right to life, a right to join association, freedom of speech and

religion etc.

 

Factors That Ensure Operation of The Rule of Law.

The following factors or instruments must exist in a country in order to

ensure the existence of the rule of law.

  1. Habbeas Corpus:- This is a write or order from a high court judge requesting the presentation of a detainee in court on a stated date.
  2. A writ of mandamus: This is an order issued to compel an authority on a person to do his/her lawful duty.
  3. a writ of prohibition: this order restrains an inferior court from doing a job that does not fall within it area of  jurisdiction
  4. A writ of certiorari:- this order given by a superior court, makes void, the rulings of an inferior court.
  5. independence of the judiciary. This will ensure that the fundamental human rights of the citizens are protected.
  6. Legal aids: government should give legal backings to those who cannot pay for the services of lawyers.
  7. There should be mass education to enable people know their rights and when those rights are infringed upon.
  8. No secret trial should be allowed, suspects should be well represented by lawyers of their choice.

 

LIMITATIONS TO THE RULE OF LAW.

  1. Diplomatic Immunity:- Ambassadors cannot be sued and prosecuted in their host countries, rather they can be repatriated i.e send back to their own country.
  2. Parliamentary Immunity:- Members of the parliament cannot be sued or prosecuted based on the statements they made on the floor of the house no matter how falsely they may be, which means that they are not equal before the law with other citizens
  3. Immunity of Judges:- Since Judges cannot be prosecuted for anything they do while in office, some of the judicial pronouncements may be based on personal interest rather than on the already established laws of the land.
  4. Poverty, illiteracy and Ignorance:- These do not allow citizens of a country to know and fight for their rights especially when they are infringed upon.
  5. State of Emergency:Citizens may be denied some of their fundamental human rights when a state of emergency is declared in a country which may lead to indiscriminate arrest and detention without trial e.t.c.

 

EVALUATION:    1. Define

a. principles

b. rule of law

2. Explain the fundamental principles of the rule of law

3. List four factors that ensures the operation of the rule of law

4. Highlight three limitations to the rule of law

CLASSWORK: As in evaluation

CONCLUSION: The teacher commends the students positively