Exercise 4

Match each case in the chart with an appropriate court using the information from the texts above.

CASE	COURT
appeals from the magistrates court
complex claims for compensation
consumer disputes, for example, faulty goods or services
financial or housing disputes, family issues, personal injury and breach of contract
some domestic violence cases, but these may also be heard in the magistrates court
libel and slander actions.
race, sex and disability discrimination cases
convictions in the magistrates' court
case involves a point of law
debt problems, for example, a creditor demanding payment
minor theft, criminal damage, public disorder and motoring offences
employment problems, for example, wages or salary, dismissal.
traffic accidents, falling into holes in the pavement, accidents at work
wills, winding up companies, bankruptcy, mortgages, charities cases etc
more serious criminal offences which will be tried by judge and jury
adoption, domestic violence

Exercise 5

Scan the texts to find what judges

• are appointed

• travel to major court centres

• assist the Lord Justices to hear criminal appeals

• full-time members of judiciary

• are appointed by a special panel

• sit in the Crown Court, County Courts and certain specialized sub-divisions of the High Court of Justice

• may be asked by the Lord Chief Justice (LCJ) to sit in the Criminal Division of the Court of Appeal

• deal specifically with criminal or civil cases

• are appointed by the Queen on the advice of the Prime Minister

• are members of the public who are appointed by the government

• don’t have legal education but have been trained to court procedure

Exercise 6

Answer the questions using the information from part Concept, the Diagram above and texts in boxes.

1. What trials do magistrates’ courts deal with?

2. Who presides over magistrates’ courts? Who are Magistrates? What kind of judges are District Judges?

3. What is the jurisdiction of the County Court?

4. What claims can people bring before the County court?

5. Who presides over the trial in the County Court? How can you specify this judge?

6. Who can the parties to County Court trial be and what do they seek?

7. What can be the judge’s decision in the County Court?

8. Where can a loosing party appeal to from the County Court?

9. What is the jurisdiction of the Crown Court?

10. What cases does the Crown Court deal with? What does it mean “indictable” cases?

11. Who are the parties to a criminal case trial?

12. What decision does the Crown Court judge make if the guilt of the offender is proven?

13. Where do the appeals against conviction and sentence from the Crown Court go?

14. What are the three High Court divisions?

15. What cases does each division deal with?

16. Who are High Court judges in each division?

17. What is the function of the Court of Appeals?

18. What cases does the UK Supreme Court hear? What is the title of its judges?

19. How are the UK tribunals classified? What kind of cases do they consider?