Coroner’s Courts
violent; unnatural deaths; an inquest; examination; natural causes; circumstances; to establish; alone; sudden; suspicious; fatal; to instruct |
Coroners investigate _____ and _____ _____ or sudden deaths where the cause is unknown. Deaths may be reported to the local coroner (who is either medically or legally qualified, or both) by doctors, the police, the registrar, various public authorities or members of the public. If the death is sudden and the cause unknown, the coroner need not hold _____ if, after a post-mortem _____ has been made, he or she is satisfied that the death was due to _____ _____. Where there is reason to believe that the deceased died a violent or unnatural death or died in prison or in other specified _____, the coroner must hold an inquest and it is the duty of the coroner’s court _____ how, when and where the deceased died. A coroner may sit _____, or in certain circumstances, with a jury. In Scotland the local procurator fiscal inquires privately into all _____ and _____ deaths and may report the findings to the Crown Office. In a minority of cases _____ accident inquiry may be held before the sheriff. For certain categories (such as deaths in custody) a fatal accident inquiry is mandatory. In addition, the Lord Advocate has discretion _____ an inquiry in the public interest in cases where the circumstances give rise to public concern.
Text Study
Ex. 1. Complete the following sentences:
The judicial power is represented by a system of courts spread throughout the country and ... .
By the Constitution the courts have the power ... .
One of the most important duties of the Supreme Court is to decide ... .
The United States is divided into 11 separate regions, each of them ... .
Almost all persons accused of committing federal crimes ... .
Another important special court is the Customs Court, which has exclusive ... .
Ex. 2. Find out whether the statement is true or false according to the information presented above.
Congress has the authority to create and abolish federal courts as well as to determine the number of judges in the federal judicial system.
The federal judges are appointed by Congress for life, in practice, until they die, retire or resign.
The Supreme Court consists of a Chief Justice and eight Associate Justices.
Most of the cases heard by the Supreme Court are appeals from the lower federal courts.
Each state has at least two district courts.
Usual claims are for unpaid salary, property taken for public use, contractual obligations, and personal injuries for which the Federal Government is allegedly responsible.
Another important special court is the customs court, which has exclusive jurisdiction over cases connected with monetary problems.
Ex. 3. Choose the best way to complete the following sentences:
1. District court cases are heard by ...
a) a single judge
b) a judge and a jury
c) a magistrate
2. Several special courts have ... over certain types of cases.
a) general jurisdiction
b) original jurisdiction
c) special jurisdiction
3. All the federal judges are appointed ...
a) for 10 years term
b) for 2 years term
c) for life terms
4. Most crimes and violations of private life, civil law cases are matters for …
a) state court adjudication
b) district court adjudication
c) tax court adjudication
5. Courts of limited jurisdiction hear ...
a) serious civil and criminal cases
b) minor civil and criminal cases
c) appeals
6. Decisions of the district courts may be appealed ...
a) to the state court
b) to the Supreme Court
c) to the 13 US courts of appeal
7. The federal courts have exclusive jurisdiction ...
a) over traffic, juvenile and small claims
b) over bankruptcy , patents and copyright
c) over taxation, incomes and large sums of money
Ex. 4. a) Examine the chart.
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US Supreme Court Opinions Approximately 140 signed opinions |
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Original jurisdiction Approximately 10 cases |
Requests for review Approximately 4200 petitions and appeals |
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From Federal Administration Agencies |
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US Courts of Appeals 36,000 cases |
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State Courts of Last Resort 60,000 cases |
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State Intermediate Appellate Courts 130,000 cases |
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US District Courts 94 Courts 280,000 cases |
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State Trial Courts 27,000,000 cases |
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b) Speak on each stage of the court system using words and phrases from the text.
Ex. 5. Answer the following questions:
Who is responsible for making laws in the US?
Name the American courts you know in the descending order.
How are federal courts organized?
Where do the Americans start litigation from?
What does the word "to appeal" mean?
What is the attitude of an average American to the United States Supreme Court?
What methods of selecting judges in the US do you know?
What is the basic difference in the jurisdiction of federal and state courts?
Ex. 6. Points for discussion:
Analyze the judicial branch of power in the United States.
Examine the federal court system.
The Supreme Court – the highest court of the country.
Describe the structure and functions of Appeal Courts.
State the role of the district courts.
Examine special courts and their functions.