ЮРИДИЧНА СИСТЕМА ВЕЛИКОБРИТАНІЇ

CONTENTS

1. Тема 1. The Passage of Bills in the British Parliament 4

2. Тема 2. Administration of Justice in Great Britain 7

3. Тема 3. Criminal Law 9

4. Тема 4. System of Prosecution in Great Britain 15

5. Тема 5. The History of Scotland Yard 18

6. Тема 6. Scotland Yard 20

The Passage of Bills in the British Parliament

Every year the Parliament passes about 100 Laws directly by making Acts of Parliament. The Parliament sometimes passes a very general law and leaves a minister to fill in the details. Using the powers given to them by the Parliament ministers become lawmakers themselves. No new law can be made by the Parliament unless it has completed in a number of stages in both the House of Commons and the House of Lords. The Queen also has to sign a Bill to show that it has been given the Royal Assent (a formality). Only after the Royal Assent it becomes a new law or Act of Parliament. Before this it is called a Bill. Bills can begin in the House of Lords or the House of Commons.

There are two main sorts of Bills: Private Bills and Public Bills. Private Bills deal with local matters and individuals. Public Bills deal with matters of public importance. Important Bills are usually sponsored by the Government. One example of a Government Bill is the Sea Fish (Conservation) Bill of 1992-1993 which affects the amount of time that fishing boats may spend at sea. Although a rather old example, it illustrated well how a Government Bill became an Act of Parliament. This particular Bill was introduced into the Commons by the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. This stage is called First Reading. It gives MPs notice that soon the Bill will be coming for discussion. The text is then printed and read by the Members in time for the important Second Reading, Here the main purpose of the Bill is explained by the Minister of State responsible for fisheries, and the Bill is debated by the House. The House then votes to decide whether the Bill should continue its passage through Parliament.

The Bill continues to its Committee Stage where eighteen Members from both Government and Opposition discuss it in detail, considering many possible changes (amendments). This is followed by Report Stage when the committee reports back to the rest of the House. At the Third Reading stage the House decided to pass the Bill as a whole. The Bill cannot be changed at this stage - it is either accepted or rejected. Once a Bill has passed its Third Reading in the Commons, one of the Clerks at the Table carries the Bill to the House of Lords.

The House of Lords has the job of reviewing Bills received from the Commons. A different group of people can often see something in a completely different way. The House of Lords often makes changes to Commons Bills. Once both Houses of Parliament have passed a Bill, then it has to go to the Queen for the Royal Assent. After receiving the Royal Assent the Bill becomes an Act of Parliament. Even after an Act has received the Royal Assent, it may not come into force straight away.

Vocabulary: to provide - забезпечувати, rule - правило, bill - законопроект, to behave - діяти, поводитися, to save – рятувати, Act of Parliament - закон парламенту, lawmaker - законодавець, Royal Assent - королівська санкція, conservation - збереження, First (Second, Third) Reading - перше ( друге, третє) читання законопроекту в парламенті, Committee Stage - парламентський пленум, який обговорює деталі законопроекту, amendment - поправка (до законопроекту), Report Stage - доповідь про законопроект у парламенті перед третім читанням, to accept - приймати, to reject - відхиляти, to obey - коритися, preliminary - попередній.

Task 1. Fill in the blanks.

1. Every country has its own ....

2. People must obey the national ... known as laws.

3. Every year ... passes about 100 Laws directly by making ....

4. A new law in the making is called a ... .

5. Every ... must complete certain ... in Parliament before it becomes a new law.

6. Important ... are usually sponsored by the ....

7. Bills can be introduced into the ... or ... .

8. There are two main types of Bills - ... Bills and … Bills.

9. Once both Houses of Parliament have passed a ... , then it has to go to the Queen for the

10. Once a Bill has received the Royal ... it becomes an ... .

Task 2. Find words and expressions in the text which mean.

1. the approval by the British Sovereign of a Bill which has been passed by both Houses of Parliament;

2. a proposed law - the preliminary version of an Act of Parliament;

3. changes in a rule, document, law, etc.;

4. law or custom which guides or controls behaviour or action.

Task 3. Answer the questions.

1. What is the difference between a Bill and an Act of Parliament?

2. What two types of Bills do you know?

3. What stages should a Bill complete to become an Act?

4. What is the function of the House of Lords in making a law?

5. Which of two Houses of Parliament has more power?

6. When does a Bill become an Act of Parliament?

Task 4. Make up questions to the sentences.

1. Every year the Parliament passes about 100 Laws directly by making Acts of Parliament.

2. The Parliament will pass a very general law and leave a minister to fill in the details.

3. Ministers became lawmakers themselves.

4. This new law has been completed in a number of stages by the Parliament.

5. The Queen signed this Bill last month.

6. It has been given the Royal Assent (a formality).

7. Only after the Royal Assent it becomes a new law or Act of Parliament.

8. Bills can begin in the House of Lords or the House of Commons.

Task 5. Translate into English.

1. Парламент Англії затверджує всі закони статутного права.

2. Члени обох палат можуть запропонувати закони.

3. Тільки члени Палати Громад можуть запропонувати фінансовий закон.

4. Парламент узгодив ці закони в Палатах перед тим як Королева затвердила їх.

5. Принципи загального права можна вивчити дослідженням минулих судових рішень.

6. Статути можуть поміняти і розвинути загальне право.

7. Рішення судів є більш важливими, ніж статутне право.

8. Загальне право створювалось на основі стародавніх традицій.

9. Суди будуть вирішувати, що означає зміст закону.

10. Парламент може прийняти інший закон і змінити його.

Task 6. Fill in the blanks with the following words and phrases.

( Bills, laws, to reject, Members, is accepted, importance, MPs, matters, passage, publicity, Ministry, the Bill, private, locality, passing, Minister, law, PM’s, public, continues, to pass, important, local)

1 .There are two main sorts of Bills: ... Bills and ... Bills.

2. Private ... deal with ... matters and individuals.

3. Public Bills deal with ... of public ....

4. ... Bills are usually sponsored by the Government.

5. First Reading gives ... notice that soon the Bill will come for discussion.

6. The text is then printed and read by the ... in time for the important Second Reading,

7. Here the main purpose of the Bill is explained by the ....

8. The House votes to decide whether ... should continue its ... through Parliament.

9. The Bill ... to its Committee Stage.

10. At the Third Reading stage the House decides ... the Bill as a whole.

Administration of Justice in Great Britain

Persons offending against the law are summoned before a court of law. The summons issued by the court state the charges moved against the offender by the persons sueing him. When a defendant is brought before a court the charge is read out to him and he is asked whether he pleads guilty or not guilty. If he pleads guilty he is sentenced by the court. If he pleads not guilty a jury of 12 persons must be formed and summoned to attend the court.

The trial begins with opening the case for the prosecuting party and hearing the evidence of the witnesses for the prosecution. On the completion of the plaintiff’s case and evidence, the defendant's case is stated and evidence is heard in support of it. The accused is entitled to be defended by the counsel. Witnesses for the prosecution may be cross-examined by the accused or his counsel. The accused may call witnesses or give evidence in his own defence. At the conclusion of the evidence, and after speeches on both sides, the judge sums up the case to the jury. The jury consider the verdict. If they decide that the accused is not guilty, he is immediately discharged. If the jury return the verdict of guilty, sentence is pronounced by the judge.

The following punishments for crime can be inflicted: life imprisonment, imprisonment consisting in corrective training or preventive detention: detention centres for juvenile delinquents, persons between 16 and 21 convicted of offences punishable with imprisonment; fine, a money penalty, generally imposed for minor offences; probation — placing the offender under the supervision of a probation officer and so on. The defendant may appeal against the sentence to the Court of Appeal up to the House of Lords, which is the supreme judicial body of Great Britain.

Vocabulary: to offend - порушувати закон, to summon - викликати в суд, to charge - обвинувачувати, to plead - визнавати, to sentence - засуджувати, a prosecution - обвинувачення, a plaintiff - позивач, a defendant - підзахисний, to entitle - надавати право, witnesses - свідки, a counsel -, to inflict - накладати кару, juvenile delinquents - неповнолітні правопорушники , a fine - штраф, a penalty - покарання, preventive detention - запобіжне затримання, to impose - накладати, a probation - умовне звільнення.

Task 1. Answer the questions.

1. What do the summons state?

2. When is a defendant sentenced by the court?

3. Whom is the accused defended by?

4. For what offences is a fine imposed?

5. What is the supreme judicial body in Great Britain?

Task 2. Put the verbs into the right tense forms.

1. We (to have) a lecture on criminology next Monday. 2. A number of important documents (to sign) already. 3. The accused (to guarantee) the right to defence. 4. When the felon (to commit) the crime he knew it was unlawful. 5. When all the evidence (to (jive) counsels for both sides made speeches. 6. If a barrister (to agree) he will take this case. 7. If he (to be) absolutely sincere with your solicitor he would help you, 8.This man would not (to imprison) if he (not to violate) the law. 9. It is not easy (to cross-examine) all witnesses in a short period of time. 10. Law cannot be (to separate) from the judges who interpret and administer it. 11. It is the Cabinet and not Parliament that (to control and run) the nation's affairs in England. 12. Business contacts as well as cultural ones(to contribute) to mutual understanding and trust among peoples. 13. One must (to observe) the law.