Additional texts on the topics

Additional texts on the topic 1” The Judicial System of the UK”

The Judicial System of the UK

The structure of the court system in Britain is many-layered and almost incomprehensible. There is no comprehensive law regulating the organization and competence of the courts. The legal system for England and Wales (there are separate ones for Scotland and Northern Ireland) does not have a criminal or civil code. It is founded upon two basic elements: Acts of Parliament or statute law, and common law which is the outcome of past decisions and practices based upon custom and reason.

The courts of Britain are divided into two large groups: criminal courts and civil courts. Besides, there are many special tribunals, for example, industrial tribunals dealing with labour disputes and industrial injury compensation.

CRIMINAL COURTS are magistrates' courts and Crown courts. Magistrates' courts are courts of first instance. They deal with about 95 per cent of criminal cases. There are about 700 magistrates' courts in England and Wales. They are served by approximately 28,000 unpaid or 'lay' magistrates or Justices of the Peace (JPs), who have been dealing with minor crimes for over 600 years. JPs are ordinary citizens chosen from the community. A court normally consists of three lay magistrates who are advised on points of law by a legally qualified clerk. They may not impose a sentence of more than twelve months imprisonment or a fine of more than 5,000 pounds, and may refer cases requiring a heavier penalty to the Crown court. A Crown court is presided over by a judge, but the verdict is reached by a jury of twelve citizens, randomly selected from the local electoral rolls. Crown courts try serious cases such as murder, rape, armed robbery, fraud and so on. A person convicted in a magistrates' court may appeal against its decision to the Crown court.

CIVIL COURTS include county courts as courts of first instance and the High Court as a higher court. Briefly, the High Court has: the Chancery Division, dealing with company law, bankruptcy and the administration estates of those who have died; the Family Division, concerned with family law, divorce, custody of children, etc.; and the Queen's Bench Division, considering appeals from lower criminal courts, as well as civil matters.

Appeals against decisions of the High Court and the Crown court may be taken to the Court of Appeal with its Criminal and Civil Divisions.

The highest court of the country is the House of Lords, which will consider a case referred from the Court of Appeal where a point of general public importance seems to be at stake. In practice, the Lords are represented by five or more of the thirteen Law Lords. Their decisions on both criminal and civil matters bind all other courts.

Questions on the topic:

1. How can one describe the court system of the UK? 2. What is the court system based on? 3. What groups are the courts divided? 4. What courts belong to the group of criminal ones? 5. What courts are courts of first instance? 6. How many cases do they try? 7. How many magistrates' courts are there in England and Wales? 8. How many Justices of the Peace work in them? 9.What sentences may magistrates impose? 10. How is the verdict reached in the Crown court? 11. Who may work as a juror? 12. What cases are tried by a Crown court? 13. What courts are called civil? 14. What divisions does the High Court consist of? 15. What cases does each of the divisions examine? 16. What can you say about the Court of Appeal? 17. What is the highest court of the country?

Additional texts on the topic 2 "The Profession of a Lawyer":

The Profession of a Lawyer

One of the most popular professions among the young people of our country is the profession of a lawyer. The profession of a lawyer is very interesting and diverse. Our country is building a rule-of-law state, and a lawyer should play a very important role in this process. The profession of a lawyer is quite necessary for regulating social relations in the state.

Graduates of different law schools can work at the Bar, in the organs of the Prosecutor's Office, in different courts, in notary offices, in legal advice offices, in organs of tax inspection, in organs of militia, as well as in different firms, companies, banks, enterprises, etc. They can work as advocates, judges, notaries, investigators, prosecutors, jurisconsults, inspectors, customs officers, traffic officers, and other workers of law enforcement agencies.

To be a good specialist a lawyer should know many laws and their proper application. So, would-be lawyers study many subjects important for their future work. They study theory of state and law, civil law, civil procedure, criminal law, criminal procedure, labour law, criminalistics, criminology, and many others. Besides, any lawyer is expected to know human psychology as throughout his/her career a lawyer will meet different people: children and adults; the sick and the healthy; the poor and the rich; educated and uneducated persons; people of different nationalities, languages and religions; victims, witnesses, suspects; first offenders and recidivists; prisoners and general public. A lawyer has to deal with a variety of people and situations. That's why the profession of a lawyer may be considered to be very difficult and noble at the same time.

As for me, I decided to become a lawyer because of the family tradition. My father graduated from the Sverdlovsk Institute of Law many years ago and he has been working as a prosecutor since. He told me much about the profession of a lawyer, about his work, about all the pros and cons of being a lawyer. I am sure in my choice. And I want to become a judge and work in a court. I know that under the Constitution of Russia I'll be able to work as a judge only after graduation from a law higher school, at the age of over 25, having five-year experience in law, and after passing the qualification exam. In this case I can be appointed judge of a district court. In performing my duties I'll have to be guided by law. In deciding a case I'll have to examine all the case evidence, interrogate the defendants, interview victims and witnesses, hear the experts' findings, examine the physical evidence and do many other things. And I'll have to pass sentence which must be lawful, grounded and just.

The Bar

In accordance with the Constitution, the main task of the Bar is rendering legal assistance to citizens and organizations. The Bar promotes the protection of the lawful rights and interests of citizens and organizations, the administration of justice, the observance of laws.

Advocates are united into professional organizations - colleges of advocates (the Bar). A college is built on the principle of self-government, which means its right to decide its internal affairs independently.

Members of the Bar give advice on juridical matters, oral and written information on legislation, draw petitions, complaints and other legal documents; act as their clients' representatives in court, arbitration and other state organs for civil and administrative cases; participate in the preliminary investigation and in court in criminal cases as counsels for the

defence; represent victims, plaintiffs, defendants.

As a rule, colleges have their own legal advice offices.

Notary Service

There are many notary offices in our country. Their task is to check the legality of all transactions or documents they witness and to give legal advice and to render assistance to institutions, enterprises, organizations and individuals in protecting their legitimate interests. In doing so, notary offices establish identity, legal capacity and legal ability of the parties concerned, and the authenticity of their documents.

The notaries and the entire staff of the notary offices are bound to keep all the matters they handle or come across in performing their duties, professional secret.

Their duty also consists in helping applicants to make wills, in drawing deeds of gift, conveyance, purchase and sale. They attest wills, deeds and writings; verify copies of documents; certify translations of documents into foreign and native languages.

Besides, they make measures to guarantee the safety of the property left by deceased persons, and they issue certificates granting the right to inherit this property.

The Prosecutor's Office

The Prosecutor's Office in the tsarist Russia was established in 1722. The Russian Prosecutor's Office was founded in 1922. It exercises general supervision over observance of laws. Its main function is to see that all laws are correctly and uniformly applied throughout the country.

Any citizen of the Russian Federation can complain to the Prosecutor's Office against violation of his/her rights. Any citizen of the Russian Federation can complain to the Prosecutor's Office against violation of his/her rights. A prosecutor also has the right to appeal against all unlawful decisions and actions of state organs and officials.

The Prosecutor's Office institutes criminal proceedings and investigates criminal cases. Investigators ascertain the circumstances under which crimes were committed, collect evidence against the perpetrators of crimes and their accomplices. Then courts try the cases submitting to them by the Prosecutor's Office, and the prosecutor brings a charge before the court in the name of the state. After the trial the prosecutor checks the sentences and judgments handed down by the court as to their legality. He has the right to enter any appeal if in his opinion the sentence or judgment is erroneous.

Police

Police is the organization which is responsible for the safety of the public. Itmust provide full degree of security for the society and its citizens.Its tasks are: to maintain public order; to combat, investigate and preventcrime; to protect personal safety of citizens; to protect state, public,municipal, private and other forms of property; to regulate traffic, etcThe police is now divided into the Criminal police and the Service ofPublic Security.

When information about a committed crime is got, an investigative operative group goes out to the crime scene. The group usually consists of an inspector on duty, an investigator, a field-criminalist, a medical expert. If necessary, some other experts join them. At the crime scene members of the group find, collect and protect evidence (fingerprints, footprints and other traces of the criminal act) by means of investigative technique. They take pictures of the crime scene,

make diagrams, etc. In short, they try to reconstruct the happening as to "what, when, how, why and who". The crime scene examination is usually ended with drawing up a record.

Questions on the topic:

1. What is one of the most popular professions nowadays? 2.How can you explain it? 3. What higher schools train lawyers? 4.Where can graduates of law schools work? 5. What professions of lawyers do you know? 6. What is necessary to become a good lawyer? 7.Why is it very important to know human psychology? 8. What profession of a lawyer have you chosen and why? 9. Where do you want to work after graduation from the Academy? 10. What will be your duties?

Рекомендуемая литература

1. Зеликман А.Я. Английский для юристов. М., изд-во Феликс,2009.

2. Шевелёва С.А. Английский для юристов.М.,2004г.

3. Голицинский Ю. Сборник упражнений. изд-во КАРО,Спб,2011

4. МУЛЬТИТРАН- электронный словарь, раздел” Юриспруденция”

5. . Новый англо-русский юридический словарь / Ю. Ф. Березовенко и др. К., 1993