Vocabulary and Speech Exercises
Find the English equivalents for the following word-combinations; memorize them.
совершать преступление
суд присяжных
назначать судей
судебное дело
уголовный суд
гражданский суд
признать невиновным
оплачивать убытки
быть открытым для общественности
закрытое заседание суда
неповиновение судье
штраф
суд, действующий по нормам статутного и общего права
наказание
правонарушение, деликт
правосудие, справедливость
нарушать закон страны
уважение к суду
II. Read the text again to find out if the following statements are true or false. Correct the false ones.
A person who commits a crime and breaks the law must be taken to court.
A court usually consists of one judge sitting alone.
Courts are classified into Criminal and Civil courts according to the type of cases they handle.
Crimes are wrongful acts that break the law of the land.
All courts deal with making decisions about the care of children.
Most courts are closed to the public.
Disobedience to the judge can be punished by the monarch.
One of the principles of law is that justice should be only done and never be seen to be done.
III. Study the following notes and retell the text.
innocent or guilty
i
s
open to the public …
is a place …
consists of …
COURT
since
…
cases involving children
in the public interests can be classified
according to …
legal principle may be divided …
Read the dialogue and act it out with a partner.
Dialogue
A.: Welcome to Money Watch. Today’s topic is prenuptial agreement, and with me is Alison Farmer, a lawyer who is an expert in family law.
B.: Good morning.
A.: First of all, what exactly is a prenuptial agreement?
B.: Well, it’s like a divorce contract couples sign before they get married. They agree how they’ll divide up their property and money if they ever get divorced.
A.: Well, don’t most couples just get 50 per cent each of everything they own?
B.: Not usually, no. A prenuptial agreement gives people a chance to decide what to do before they get themselves into that situation.
A.: Can you tell if a prenuptial agreement is a legal guarantee?
B.: Not in the UK, no. People don’t always get what was written in the prenuptial agreement.
A.: Oh, I see. But they are in, you know, places like the USA, aren’t they?
B.: Well, no, actually they’re not. Even in countries where prenuptials are often used in court. Australia and the USA, for example, people can get more or less than it said in the prenuptial agreement.
A.: Can you give an example?
B.: Well, Boris Baker, the famous tennis player, and his wife Barbara Feltus got married in 1993 and split up in the year 2000. When they got married Boris was worth 65 million pounds. According to the prenuptial agreement, Barbara was supposed to get about five million pounds, but she actually got ten million, a one point eight million pound home in Florida and two thousand five hundred pounds a month for their children.
A.: That probably helped her get over the divorce, I would think!
B.: Yes, probably. Steven Spielberg’s ex-wife, Amy Irving, received a hundred million dollars when they split up after only four years.
A.: But if prenuptials aren’t a guarantee, what’s the point of having one? Isn’t it another way for lawyers to make money out of people?
B.: No, not really. If both husband and wife agree to follow the prenuptial agreement when they get divorced then they don’t need a lawyer at all. And when you think you can buy a prenuptial agreement online for £50, it’s actually much cheaper than hiring a divorce lawyer.
A.: OK. Thanks a lot. Good bye.
Express your point of view on prenuptial agreements. Work in pairs.
Read the text.