4.Parliament and Legislation

Legally, Parliament is the supreme law-making body and may make laws on any subject it chooses. To become an Act of Parliament a bill must pass through the House of Commons and the House of Lords and then receive the royal assent. An Act of Parliament may create new law or may affect existing law.

The role of judges is to interpret law made by Parliament and they must be careful not to encroach on this law-making function.

5.Classification of the Courts

Courts are divided into superior courts and inferior courts. A superior court is one with unlimited jurisdiction, both in a geographical and monetary sense. An inferior court has limited jurisdiction. The superior courts are the Supreme Court (previously the House of Lords), Court of Appeal, High Court, Crown Court, Privy Council and Employment Appeal Tribunal; the inferior courts include the magistrates’ courts and the county courts. The major differences between the courts relates to their powers in relation to contempt of court and to the supervision of the inferior courts by a superior court.

6.The Legal Profession

Unlike other European countries, England has two different types of lawyers – barristers and solicitors. The role of the practising barrister is much wider than merely acting as an advocate. Barristers spend a considerable amount of time giving written opinions, in which they state what they consider the law to be. They also draft statements of case, the formal documents which the parties must exchange before a case is heard in court. Barristers tend to specialise either in criminal law or in a particular branch of civil law. They have rights of audience in all civil and criminal courts. Until 1990 barristers had an exclusive right to be heard in senior courts, but now solicitors may also have rights in such courts. Barristers are not allowed to form partnerships. Instead, they operate from chambers, which are offices where a barrister’s clerk, who also negotiates the barrister’s fees, allocates several barristers work. A barrister can only be hired by a solicitor and can only meet the client he represents if the client’s solicitor is also present. This prevents impropriety and should also mean that the barrister keeps an objective view of the case.

Solicitors are the first point of contact for a client with a legal problem. Unlike barristers, solicitors can form partnerships. A solicitor should have a good idea of most areas of law and should know where more information could be found if needed. In the larger firms solicitors would tend to specialise in one particular area of law. Solicitors routinely give their clients legal advice, enter into correspondence on their behalf, draft wills and draw up documents, which transfer ownership of land.

7.Glossary

Judicial  [ʤuː'dɪʃ(ə)l] судебный, законный

Singularity [ˌsɪŋgjə'lærətɪ] оригинальность, своеобразие

Equity ['ekwɪtɪ] право справедливости; правосудие на основе права справедливости

Legislation [ˌleʤɪ'sleɪʃ(ə)n] законодательство

Legal ['liːg(ə)l] юридический, правовой, судебный

Enforce [ɪn'fɔːs] проводить в жизнь; придавать законную силу (правовому акту)

Assent [ə'sent] одобрение, утверждение, санкция

Interpret [ɪn'tɜːprɪt] толковать

Source [sɔːs] источник, документ

Ascendancy [ə'sendən(t)sɪ] власть, влияние, господство

Intervention [ˌɪntə'venʃ(ə)n] вмешательство

Guidance ['gaɪd(ə)n(t)s] руководство

Criteria [kraɪ'tɪərɪə] критерии

Warrant ['wɔr(ə)nt] ордер, предписание, приказ

Civil law гражданское право

Criminal law уголовное право

Redress [rɪ'dres] возмещать

Restitution [ˌrestɪ'tjuːʃ(ə)n] возмещение убытков, востановление в правах

Wrongdoer ['rɔŋˌduːə] преступник, правонарушитель

Inducement [ɪn'djuːsmənt] побуждение

Retribution [ˌretrɪ'bjuːʃ(ə)n] возмездие

The Court of Chancery канцлерский суд

Judicial precedent судебный прецедент

Rigidity [rɪ'ʤɪdətɪ] суровость

Remedy ['remədɪ] средство судебной защиты

Encroach [ɪn'krəuʧ] покушаться, посягать

Monetary ['mʌnɪt(ə)rɪ] валютный

Jurisdiction [ˌʤuərɪs'dɪkʃ(ə)n] отправление правосудия

Contempt [kən'tempt] нарушение норм права

Barrister ['bærɪstə] адвокат, имеющий право выступать в высших судах

Solicitor [sə'lɪsɪtə] стряпчий, адвокат, консультирующий клиента, подготавливающий дела для барристера и выступающий только в судах низшей инстанции

Draw up составлять