Sharon Laws: British Cyclist and Environmental Consultant Sharon Laws Profile of Sharon Laws (1974–2017), a British professional cyclist and environmental consultant who combined conservation work with a successful international cycling career and le…
Shoplifting: causes, methods, legal response and prevention Shoplifting An overview of shoplifting: what it is, common methods, legal consequences, prevention strategies used by retailers, and distinctions between isolated incidents and organized retai…
Sick leave (paid sick days) Sick leave Sick leave is compensated time away from work for illness, recovery, or medical care. Rules and coverage vary by country, employer policy, and employment status and have historical…
Sindh High Court Principal provincial high court for Sindh, Pakistan. Based in Karachi since 1906, it hears civil, criminal and constitutional matters, supervises lower courts, and issues writs and…
Sixteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution Amendment ratified in 1913 that permits Congress to impose a federal income tax without apportioning it among the states; key to modern U.S. fiscal policy and tax law.
Sixth Amendment to the United States Constitution Overview of the Sixth Amendment: core criminal procedural rights—including counsel, speedy and public trial, impartial jury, notice of charges, confrontation, and compulsory proces…
Slavery: definition, historical development, forms, and modern status Slavery An overview of slavery: what it is, its historical prevalence, common forms and features, etymology and thinkers, abolition and present-day challenges under international law.
Smith v. Allwright (1944) — ending the white primary Smith v. Allwright Supreme Court decision that struck down racially exclusionary primaries, ruling political party primaries are part of the public electoral process and cannot deny Black voters the…
Sodomy: definition, history, legal status and social context Sodomy An overview of sodomy: definitions, historical and religious origins, legal treatment worldwide, public health and human rights perspectives, and distinctions in terminology.
Software licence: definitions, types, clauses and practical considerations Software licence A software licence defines how software may be used, modified, distributed and sold. This article explains common clauses, major licence families, compliance issues, history and pr…
Software piracy: causes, methods, legal responses, and impacts Software piracy An overview of software piracy—illegal copying and distribution of software—covering common methods, legal frameworks, notable events, effects on creators and users, and prevention…
Solitary confinement Separation of a prisoner from others for punishment, protection, or management; overview of practice, terminology, effects, history, and legal and ethical concerns.
Spanking: practice, effects, legal responses and alternatives Spanking Overview of spanking as corporal punishment, common methods, research on effects, legal status in various countries, controversies and recommended non-violent alternatives.
Speed limit Rules that set the maximum (and sometimes minimum) legal speed for vehicles on public roads, with variations by jurisdiction, road type, enforcement methods, and purpose.
Stamp Act (stamp duty): definition, history, and modern practice Stamp act A stamp act imposes a duty on certain written or printed instruments; historically important as revenue and political flashpoint, notably the 1765 British Stamp Act that helped spa…
Stamp Act of 1765 Stamp Act 1765 A British law requiring stamped paper for many printed items in the American colonies. It provoked widespread protest, helped unify colonial resistance, and contributed to the path…
Starr Report A 1998 independent counsel document by Kenneth Starr that detailed findings from an investigation into President Bill Clinton and recommended impeachment; its release sparked legal…
State Legislature (United States) The elected lawmaking body of each U.S. state. Explains composition, powers, legislative process, history, and notable differences such as Nebraska's unicameral system.
State Ratifying Conventions in the United States State ratifying conventions State ratifying conventions are one constitutional path for approving amendments under Article V; they have been used rarely, notably to ratify the 21st Amendment in 1933.
State supreme court: role, structure, selection, and significance State supreme court Overview of U.S. state supreme courts: their appellate role, structure, selection methods, precedential effect, notable issues, and how they differ from other courts.
States' rights in the United States: concept, history, and modern debates States' rights States' rights refers to the principle that certain powers are reserved to U.S. states rather than the federal government, grounded in federalism and the Tenth Amendment and shaped…
Statute: Written Law, Structure, Passage, and Role in Legal Systems Statute A statute is a written law enacted by a legislature. This article explains what statutes are, how they are made and organized, how courts interpret them, and how they relate to reg…
Statute of Kilkenny (1366–1367) — English laws to prevent Anglo-Irish assimilation Statute of Kilkenny Fourteenth‑century statutes enacted at Kilkenny to limit cultural and legal assimilation of Anglo‑Norman settlers in Ireland and to reassert the authority of the English crown.
Statute of Limitations Legal rules that limit the time to start civil or criminal proceedings, including purposes, operation, common exceptions, and differences between limitations, tolling, and repose.
Statute of Westminster 1931: independence statutes for the Dominions Statute of Westminster 1931 A 1931 UK Act granting legislative equality to self-governing Dominions, implementing the Balfour Declaration and shaping the constitutional independence of the modern Commonwealth…
Statute of Westminster Adoption Act 1942 (Australia) Statute of Westminster Adoption Act 1942 Australian law of 9 October 1942 that adopted the Statute of Westminster 1931, marking a major step in Australia's legislative independence and made effective from the outbreak of…
Statutory law: definition, structure, enactment, and role in legal systems Statutory law Statutory law is the body of written laws enacted by legislatures or other authorities. This article explains what statutes are, how they are made, their structure, relation to oth…
Statutory rape: legal definition, variations, and social context Statutory rape An overview of statutory rape: what it means legally, common elements and defenses, how laws differ, historical background, and social and policy issues surrounding prosecutions an…
Stoning (lapidation): practice, history, and contemporary issues Stoning Stoning, or lapidation, is a method of execution in which a group throws stones at a condemned person. This article outlines its practice, history, legal status, and modern controv…
Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) Stop Online Piracy Act SOPA was a proposed 2011–2012 U.S. bill to strengthen enforcement against online copyright infringement. It drew intense debate over its provisions, technical effects, free speech,…
Submission: meanings across law, religion, sexuality, and combat Submission Overview of the concept of submission: yielding or acceptance in social, religious, sexual (BDSM), martial arts, cultural, and technical contexts, with notable examples and distinc…
Subpoena: legal order compelling testimony or production of evidence Subpoena A subpoena is a formal legal order requiring a person or organization to give testimony or produce documents and other evidence. This article explains types, process, defenses, and…
Succession to the Danish throne How Denmark determines who becomes monarch: legal rules, historical changes, key restrictions (religion, marriage approval), and current practice including recent reforms to primog…
Succession to the Dutch throne Rules and practice determining who may become King or Queen of the Netherlands: constitutional principles, primogeniture, marriage consent, abdication, regency and notable modern e…
Sugar Act (1764): British revenue law and colonial response Sugar Act The Sugar Act of 1764 was a British revenue measure aimed at raising money after the Seven Years' War. It regulated trade in sugar and molasses, increased enforcement, and helped s…
Sui iuris — independent legal status and autonomy Sui iuris Sui iuris (Latin: 'of its own right') denotes independent legal capacity or self-governing status. Used in canon law, civil law and historical Roman law to indicate entities or per…
Supreme court An overview of supreme courts: their role as highest appellate tribunals, varieties of structure in different legal systems, historical development, functions, examples and notable…
Supreme Court of Argentina The Supreme Court of Argentina is the nation's highest judicial body. Established in 1863, it issues final rulings on federal and constitutional matters and oversees the uniform ap…
Supreme Court of India The Supreme Court of India is the country’s highest judicial authority, with powers to hear appeals, protect fundamental rights, and interpret the Constitution.
Supreme Court of Israel The Supreme Court of Israel is the country's highest judicial authority, serving as final appellate court and as the High Court of Justice with broad powers of judicial review and…
Supreme Court of Missouri State's highest court, based in Jefferson City since 1820. Exercises exclusive jurisdiction in certain appeals, supervises appellate review, issues precedential opinions, and admin…
Supreme Court of Pakistan: role, structure, history and functions Supreme Court of Pakistan The Supreme Court of Pakistan is the country's highest judicial body. This article outlines its jurisdiction, composition, powers, historical development, and its role in constitut…
Supreme Court of Sweden (Högsta domstolen) Supreme Court of Sweden The highest judicial authority in Sweden for civil and criminal appeals. It decides major legal questions, sets precedent for lower courts, and issues published rulings that guide…
Supreme Court of the Philippines The Supreme Court is the highest judicial body in the Philippines, responsible for constitutional interpretation, final adjudication, and administrative supervision of the lower co…
Supreme Federal Court (Supremo Tribunal Federal) — Brazil's Constitutional Court Supreme Federal Court The Supreme Federal Court (STF) is Brazil's highest court and principal constitutional tribunal, responsible for constitutional review, resolving federal disputes, and trying high…
Survivor's Law II (Hong Kong TV drama) Survivor's Law II Survivor's Law II is a Hong Kong Chinese-language television drama, broadcast December 2007–January 2008. A sequel to the 2003 series, it continues legal-drama themes and features…
Suspect An overview of what a suspect is in criminal contexts: definition, legal status, rights, investigative stages, and distinctions such as prime suspect and defendant.
SWAT team: roles, equipment, history, and tactical operations SWAT team Overview of SWAT teams: specialized police units trained for high-risk operations, their equipment, missions, organization, history, and public-policy considerations.
