Unit 15 Enforcing the Law in Britain
Before you read
Discuss these questions.
1What is the meaning of the term ‘Legal system’?
2How do you understand the purpose of legal system?
3Do you trust your legal system?
Text A
The English Legal System
It is often said that the English legal system looks very fair in theory,
but in practice it is difficult for ordinary people to use. Firstly, it is extremely
expensive: a good lawyer costs two hundred pounds per hour. Secondly, it
is very formal with all sorts of rules in the court. Until recently the judge
and the lawyers used to wear extraordinary old-fashioned costumes: black
robes, high white collars and white wigs. The inside of the court is rather
like a church, with the judge looking down from a seat above the court.
The English legal system gives the judge a lot of freedom in deciding
on the sentence. The lightest sentence possible is community service. This
means unpaid work for a fixed number of hours, on jobs such as painting
hospital buildings or gardening for elderly people. There are also fines for
smaller things like parking in the wrong place, and these fines are usually
not big.
But fines can be used for serious crimes, too, if a criminal can not be imprisoned – for example, when a company breaks the law. Then rich people or organizations sometimes pay millions of pounds.
The standard punishment for serious offences is prison. Many people feel that criminals should go to prison, but it is far from the perfect answer to the problem. When prisoners are released, they often carry on with their lives of crime; in fact, they meet other criminals inside, get ideas from them, and make useful contacts. The prison system is extremely expensive. Yet judges continue to send large number of people there.
There is no death penalty in Britain. It was abolished more than 40 years ago. Although some people think that it must be introduced again, it will hardly ever happen.
Vocabulary
abolish v отменять
carry on with v продолжать
community service n общественные работы
cost v стоить; обходиться
death penalty n смертная казнь
fine n штраф
hardly ever почти никогда
it is far from отнюдь не; ничуть не; далеко не
prison n тюрьма (долгосрочного заключения); prisoner n заключённый
punishment n наказание
robe n мантия
wig n парик
Reading tasks
Answer these questions.
1Why is the legal system in Britain difficult for ordinary people to use?
2How much does a good lawyer cost?
3What did the judge and the lawyers used to wear?
4What is the lightest sentence possible in Britain?
5In what cases is an offender liable to a fine in Britain?
6What is the standard punishment for serious offences?
7Why is the prison system far from perfect?
8What is the public sentiment about the death penalty in Britain?
Text B
The British Police
Police forces in Britain developed throughout the centuries, taking various forms.
After much deliberation in Parliament, the British statesman Sir Robert Peel in 1829 established the London Metropolitan police, which became the world's first modern organized police force.
The force was guided by the concept of crime prevention as a primary police objective; it also embodied the belief that such a force should depend on the consent and cooperation of the public, and the idea that police constables were to be civil and courteous to the people. The Metropolitan police force was well organized and disciplined and, after an initial period of public skepticism, became the model for other police forces in Great Britain. Several years later the Royal Irish Constabulary was formed, and Australia, India, and Canada soon established similar organizations. Other countries followed, impressed by the success of the plan, until nations throughout the world had adopted police systems based on the British model. The development of the British police system is especially significant because the pattern that emerged had great influence on the style of policing in almost all industrial societies.
The British police officer is a well-known figure to anyone who has visited Britain or who has seen British films. Policemen are to be seen in towns and cities keeping law and order. In the past, policemen were often known as ‘bobbies’ after Sir Robert Peel, the founder of the police force. Nowadays, common nicknames include 'the cops', 'the fuzz', 'the pigs', and 'the Old Bill' (particularly in London). Few people геаlize, however, that the police in Britain are organized very differently from many other countries.
Most countries, for example, have a national police force which is controlled by central Government. Britain has no national police force, although police policy is governed by the central Government's Home Office. Instead, there is a separate police force for each of 52 areas into which the country is divided. Each has a police authority – a committee of local county councellors and magistrates.
The forces co-operate with each other, but it is unusual for members of one force to operate in another's area unless they are asked to give assistance. This sometimes happens when there has been a very serious crime.
The London police is known as Metropolitan Police with the headquarters known as Scotland Yard – or simply “the Yard”.
In most countries the police carry guns. In Britain, however, this is extremely unusual. Policemen do not, as a rule, carry firearms in their day-to-day work, though certain specialist units are trained to do so and can be called upon to help the regular police force in situations where firearms are involved, e.g. terrorist incidents, armed robberies, etc. The only policemen who routinely carry weapons are those assigned to guard politicians and diplomats, or special officers who patrol airports.
In certain circumstances specially trained police officers can be armed, but only with the signed permission of a magistrate.
All members of the police must have gained a certain level of academic qualifications at school and undergone a period of intensive training.
Each police force has its own Criminal Investigation Department (CID). Members of CIDs are detectives, and they do not wear uniforms. The other uniformed people you see in British towns are traffic wardens. Their job is to check that people do not park their cars in the wrong place or for longer than is allowed.
The duties of the police are varied, ranging from assisting at accidents to safeguarding public order and dealing with lost property. One of their main functions is, of course, apprehending criminals and would-be criminals.
Vocabulary
assign v назначать; предназначать
bobby n разг. полисмен; полицейский
consent n согласие
constable n констебль; полицейский
cop n сленг полицейский
county n 1графство (в Великобритании); 2 округ (в США)
councellor n советник
courteous [‘k3:tiəs] adj вежливый, учтивый
crime prevention n предупреждение преступности; предотвращение совершения преступления
criminal n преступник; apprehended criminal задержанный преступник;
would-be criminal лицо, способное / готовое совершить преступление
Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Управление уголовных расследований (Скотланд-Ярд)
deliberation n 1обсуждение; 2 совещание
embody v включать в себя
emerge v возникать
firearm n огнестрельное оружие
fuzz n сленг полицейский; детектив; полиция
gain v овладевать; приобретать
gun n пистолет; ружъе
Home Office n Министерство внутренних дел
magistrate n мировой судья; судья полицейского суда
Metropolitan policen столичная полиция
nickname n прозвище; кличка
patrol v патрулировать
pattern n образец, модель
pig n сленг офицер полиции; полицейский
police authority n полицейский орган
police force n полиция; полицейское подразделение
statesman n государственный деятель
traffic warden n контролёр счётчиков на автомобильных стоянках
Reading tasks
Answer these questions.
1Who was the founder of the British police?
2What are the main police functions in Britain?
3Is there a single police force organized by central government?
4What is the major difference in police organization between Britain and some other countries?
5When do British police forces co-operate with each other?
6What is the name of London’s police headquarters?
7In what situations can policemen carry arms?
8What is the job of CID officers?
9What are the duties of traffic wardens?
Language focus
Read what the police officer says about his job. Fill in the blanks with have to, don’t have to, or can’t.
Being a police officercan mean very different things, depending on what area of the city you work in. In the suburbs, it's pretty quiet – from time to time you 1) _____ deal with car thefts or break-ins, but on the whole, it's very safe and you 2) _____ worry about getting attacked. But there are some areas where it's very dangerous – lots of drug crime, armed gangs – and that can be a problem for us because we 3) _____ use weapons – all we have is a truncheon*. So if we 4) _____ go and deal with a crime in an area like that, we 5) _____ go alone because it's too dangerous. We always 6) _____ take a partner or go in larger groups, and we 7) _____ stay in radio contact all the time in case anything goes wrong.
* truncheon = a short, heavy stick
Vocabulary tasks
ARead the text and fill in the blanks with the appropriate words and expressions from the box.
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In Britain different areas have different 1) _____. For instance, the Metropolitan police operate in London, but there are different police forces in the counties outside London.
British police are normally not 2) _____. In special cases, when their work becomes dangerous, they can be given 3) _____however.
As is well known, the 4) _____ of the British policeman is blue, with a tall helmet. These days, though, you can see a different uniform in the streets. This is the uniform with the yellow hatband worn by 5) _____ _____. Their job is simply to control the 6) _____ _____.
The most famous name connected with the British police is 7) _____ _____ . It is the 8) _____ of the London police force. Besides dealing with local police matters, the London police also help all over England and Wales with difficult 9) _____. They do this at the request of the local police.
BRead the police bulletin.
Crime: Armed Robbery
Location: Brixton & Park Streets
Date: August 13, 2003
The public's assistance is requested in identifying the person or persons responsible for an armed robbery on the southwest corner of Brixton and Park Streets intersection.
This crime occurred at 1:30 p.m. on August 13, 2003.
At about 1:30 p.m. the victim, a young visitor to the city, was walking along Brixton St.
At the southwest corner of Brixton and Park Streets, the suspect jumped in front of the victim, pulled a knife from his jacket and said, "Give me your purse or you 're stuck!" The victim handed it over and the suspect fled the scene of the crime.
The suspect is described as a white male, 20–25 years old, medium build, 5'2", moustache, blue eyes, short brown hair, flat nose. He was wearing a red baseball cap with a Montreal Canadians logo, a dark blue jacket, green jeans and white sneakers.
This man is armed and therefore dangerous. If you can identify the man in the photofit picture, or have any information on this or any crime, contact the local Police Department or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-555-8477, and you may be eligible for a cash reward.
CFind in the text above the English equivalents for the following words and expressions.
• подозреваемый
• жертва
• вооружённое ограбление
• фоторобот
• денежное вознаграждение
• опознать
• скрыться с места преступления
DFind in the text the description of the criminal and compose an opposite one: e.g.
"The suspect is described as black, very tall..." Use some of the expressions given
below.
FACE –long, round, oval, thin, plump, fleshy, puffy, wrinkled, pasty, pimpled, pock-marked, clean-shaven
FEATURES – clean-cut, delicate, forceful, regular / irregular, large, small, stern
COMPLEXION – fair, pale, dark, sallow
HAIR –curly, wavy, straight, receding (scanty), rumpled, shoulder-length, medium-length, short-cut, crew-cut, bobbed, dyed, bald, fair /dark-haired
FOREHEAD – high, low, narrow, square, broad
EYES – hollowed, bulging, close-set, deep-set, sunken, wide-apart, crossed-eyed
EYEBROWS – thin, thick, bushy, arched, pencilled, shaggy
EARS – small, big, jug-eared
NOSE – prominent, straight, pointed, hooked, flat, aquiline, snub-nosed
LIPS – full, thin, painted, cleft lip
TEETH – even / uneven, sparse, artificial
CHEEKS – plump, hollow, ruddy, stubby
CHIN – square, pointed, double, massive, protruding
BEARD – full, bushy, spade beard, grey-bearded, heavy-bearded
MOUSTACHE – thin, thick, tooth-brush, walrus
HEIGHT – tall, short, of medium height
BUILT – average, medium built, well-built, plump, skinny
DISTINGUISHING FEATURES – birthmarks, freckles, scars, wooden leg, humpback, pot-belly
EComplete the newspaper extract below using the words and phrases from the box.
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Martine Moon murdered
MARTINE MOON, internationally renowned star of film and stage, was 1) _____ in her New York apartment last night. Sources report that the actress was found with bad 2) _____ to her head and body. So malicious was the attack, it is reported that 3) _____ who found the body were unable to 4) _____it immediately as that of the actress. A 5) _____ is underway.
Miss Moon, who had recently been 6) _____ to star in a new Hollywood blockbuster, is reported to have been found surrounded by photographs 7) _____ her with a number of male co-stars. Such was the attention she received from admirers around the world, it is thought that jealousy is the 8) _____ behind the murder…
Work with a partner. Finish the story.
Over to you
For discussion:
"Imprisonment is revenge, but not rehabilitation."
Write a paragraph containing two arguments for and two against this statement. Then discuss your answer with other students.