Text 1 the court system of england and wales

Exercise 1.1 Study the vocabulary:

legal system	1) правова система
legal action	2) судова справа, позов
trial	3) судовий розгляд
family court	4) сімейний суд
juvenile court	5) суд у справах неповнолітніх
reassessment	6) переоцінка
Crown Court	7) Суд корони
County Court	8) суд графства
Magistrates Court	9) магістратський суд, мировий суд
Queen’s Bench Division of the High Court	10) відділення королівської лави високого суду
minor case	11) незначна справа
parking violation	12) порушення правил паркування
offence	13) злочин, правопорушення
defendant	14) підзахисний
jury	15) суд присяжних
coroner	16) медик судової експертизи
solicitor	17) солісітор (юрист, що консультує клієнтів; має право виступати в нижчих судах)
death penalty	18) смертна кара, syn. capital punishment

Exercise1.2 Read and translate the text:

In all legal systems there are institutions for creating, modifying, abolishing and applying the law. Usually these take the form of a hierarchy of courts and its capacity to make decisions is strictly defined in relation to the other courts.

There are two main reasons for having a variety of courts. One is that a particular court can specialise in particular kinds of legal actions – for example, family courts and juvenile courts. The other is so that a person who feels his case was not fairly treated in a lower court can appeal to a higher court for reassessment.

English courts are different from the courts of other countries. In general, the division between civil and criminal law is reflected in English court system. The Crown Courts, for example, deal exclusively with criminal matters, the County Courts – with civil. However, the Queen’s Bench Division of the High Court considers appeals from lower criminal courts, as well as civil matters, and the Magistrates Courts, while mostly concerned with criminal cases, also deal with some civil matters. The highest court, the House of Lords, deals with all matters and serves as a highest court of appeal.

A criminal case usually begins in a Magistrates Court. As the lowest criminal court, a Magistrates Court is empowered to hear certain cases only. Some minor cases, such as parking violations, are dealt with only by the magistrates. Some serious crimes, like murder, cannot be heard by the magistrates and must go to the Crown Courts. And there are some offences where the defendant is given the choice of having his case heard in the Magistrates Court or the Crown Court. It takes much longer to have a case in the Crown Court, but some defendants prefer it because the facts of the case are decided by a jury, that is, ordinary members of the public.

In a Crown Court trial there are twelve jurors. These are ordinary citizens selected at random. It is not necessary for a juror to know anything about the law. This is because the job of the jury is to listen to the case and to decide questions of fact. It is the judge’s responsibility to guide them on questions of law.

Exercise 1.3 Decide if the statements are true or false:

1. The division between criminal and civil law is reflected in the court system.

2. The Crown Courts deal exclusively with criminal matters.

3. The County Courts deal both with criminal and civil cases.

4. The House of Lords is the highest court of appeal.

5. A criminal case usually starts in Crown Court.

6. Magistrates Court can deal with minor offences.

7. A defendant is never allowed to choose the court for having his case heard.

8. The jurors are in a Crown Court trial.

9. The jurors must have a legal qualification.

Exercise 1.4 Choose the correct answer:

1. What cases do the magistrates courts deal with?

1. criminal;

2. civil;

3. criminal and civil.

2. Which is the supreme lawmaking body in Great Britain?

1. Parliament;

2. Queen;

3. courts.

3. What courts deal exclusively with criminal matters?

1. magistrates courts;

2. county courts;

3. Crown courts.

4. What courts deal with civil cases?

1. magistrates courts;

2. county courts;

3. Crown courts.

5. What courts consider appeals from lower criminal courts, as well as civil cases?

1. High Court;

2. magistrates court;

3. Crown court.

6. Where does a criminal case usually begin?

1. Crown court;

2. magistrates court;

3. county court.

7. How many jurors are there in a Crown Court?

1. 10;

2. 15;

3. 12.

8. In what court can you be tried by jury?

1. Crown Court;

2. magistrates court;

3. House of Lords.

Exercise 1.5 Read the text again and choose the best variant:

1. If you want legal advice in Britain, you go to a ____________.

1. solicitor;

2. barrister;

3. judge.

2. At the end of the ________, the judge ordered the twelve men and women of the jury to retire for consideration.

1. court;

2. trial;

3. interrogation.

3. The jury must consider their _________, guilty or not guilty.

1. verdict;

2. decision;

3. sentence.

4. Men or women who look after prisoners in prison are called prison officers or _________.

1. guards;

2. wardens;

3. warders.

5. If a person dies in unusual circumstances, an ________ is held at a special court, and the “judge” is called a _______.

1. inquest; coroner;

2. interrogation; coroner;

3. trial; coroner.

6. A policeman who investigates serious crime is called a _________.

1. solicitor;

2. detective;

3. investigator.

7. A detective wears ________, not uniform.

1. plain clothes;

2. gown;

3. suit.

8. In some countries murderers are executed, other countries have abolished the ________.

1. imprisonment;

2. death penalty;

3. fine.

Exercise 1.6 Match the beginning of the sentence with the best ending:

One reason is that a particular court	a) ordinary members of the public.
Having arrested someone	b) not allowed to serve as jurors.
Parking violations are dealt with	c) go to the Crown Court.
Some serious crimes must	d) to decide questions of fact.
The jurors are	e) only by the magistrates.
Certain people, such as solicitors, are	f) the police decide if they have enough evidence to make a charge.
The job of the jury is	g) can specialize in particular kinds of legal actions.

Exercise 1.7 Match the words with their definitions:

Civil law	a) to make a formal accusation
Defendant	b) a lowest criminal court in England and Wales
Criminal law	c) a court which deals with criminal cases only
Magistrates court	d) a group of people who decides whether the defendant is guilty or innocent
Crown Court	e) a court which hears civil cases
County Court	f) a court which deals with offenders under 17
Jury	g) a person who is accused of committing a crime
Juvenile court	h) law which regulates the legal relationships between the state and individual people or bodies
To charge with	i) law which concerns disputes among citizens within a country