Look through the list of things that make a good constitution. Judge English constitution and Russian constitution.
A good constitution must have the following qualities.
1. Clarity or definiteness: Every clause of the constitution should be written in simple language. It should express its meaning clearly without leaving any scope for confusion.
2. Brevity: The constitutions should not be lengthy. It should contain only important things and unimportant things should be left out. But the brevity should not lead to gap in Constitution having some issues unexplained.
3. Comprehensiveness: The constitution should be applicable to the whole country. If it is a federation then it must say the structure and power of the center and provincial government.
4. Flexibility: The constitution should not be too rigid to hinder the process of amendment when needed.
5. Declaration of rights: A good constitution must contain the fundamental rights of the people. In the constitution of countries like India, Russia, China, America and Japan such declaration have been made.
6. Independence of judiciary: Independence of judiciary is another quality of a good constitution. The judiciary should function freely and act as the guardian of the fundamental rights of the people without favour or fear.
7. Directive Principles of State Policy: In a good constitution mention must be made of the directive Principles of the State Policy because, it helps the establishment of a welfare state. These principles also serve as a boon for the government.
Read the text.
Written in Latin, the Magna Carta (or Great Charter) was effectively the first written constitution in European history. Of its 63 clauses, many concerned the various property rights of barons and other powerful citizens, suggesting the limited intentions of the framers. The benefits of the charter were for centuries reserved for only the elite classes, while the majority of English citizens still lacked a voice in government. In the 17th century, however, two defining acts of English legislation–the Petition of Right (1628) and the Habeas Corpus Act (1679)–referred to Clause 39, which states that “no free man shall be…imprisoned or disseised [dispossessed]… except by the lawful judgment of his peers or by the law of the land.” Clause 40 (“To no one will we sell, to no one will we deny or delay right or justice”) also had dramatic implications for future legal systems in Britain and America.
In 1776, rebellious American colonists looked to the Magna Carta as a model for their demands of liberty from the English crown. Its legacy is especially evident in the Bill of Rights and the U.S. Constitution, and nowhere more so than in the Fifth Amendment (“Nor shall any persons be deprived of life, liberty or property without due process of law”), which echoes Clause 39. Many state constitutions also include ideas and phrases that can be traced directly to the historic document.
Source: http://www.history.com/topics/british-history/magna-carta
Find English equivalents in the text.
Великая хартия вольностей, писаная конституция, права собственности, привилегированный класс, отсутствие права голоса, петиция о праве, законное обвинение, правосудие, законодательная система, требование свободы.
Translate the following patterns from Russian constitution into English.
Статья 1
1. Российская Федерация - Россия есть демократическое федеративное правовое государство с республиканской формой правления.
2. Наименования Российская Федерация и Россия равнозначны.
Статья 2
Человек, его права и свободы являются высшей ценностью. Признание, соблюдение и защита прав и свобод человека и гражданина - обязанность государства.
Статья 3
1. Носителем суверенитета и единственным источником власти в Российской Федерации является ее многонациональный народ.