Самостоятельная работа — копия
.docxTask 1.
Law serves many purposes and functions in modern society. Below is a list of its major functions. Match the functions with the paragraphs.
Establishing Standards
Protecting Liberties and Rights
Changing Society or Individuals
Maintaining Order
Giving power
Resolving Disputes
The law is a guidepost for minimally acceptable behavior in society. Some activities, for instance, are crimes because society through a legislative body has determined that it will not tolerate certain types of behavior that injure or damage persons or their property. For example, under the law, it is a crime to cause physical injury to another person without justification—doing so generally constitutes the crime of assault.
Apart from establishing standards of conduct and morality, the law serves to order and regulate the affairs of all individuals, corporations or governments. Some resemblance of order is necessary in a civil society and is therefore reflected in the law. The law—when enforced—provides law and order consistent with society’s guidelines.
Conflicts and disputes are unavoidable in a society made of persons with different needs, wants, values, and views. A dispute is a disagreement between two or more parties. Disputes can arise over many issues; however the most common forms of dispute concern money, property, employment, accidents, marriage breakups and family separations. The primary purpose of law is to resolve these disputes through the system of courts and, in a simple sense, to decide who is ‘right’ and who is ‘wrong’.
The Constitution of the Russian Federation grants to its people several rights and liberties and gives them constitutional and legal protection. Thus, the purpose of law is to protect these various rights and liberties from violations or unreasonable intrusions by persons, organizations, or government. For example, the Chapter on Rights and Liberties lays down that no law can be made by the state against the basic rights and liberties of the people: “No laws denying or belittling human and civil rights and liberties may be issued by the Russian Federation”.
One of the major functions of law is to serve as an instrument of conscious change, either of society or of particular individuals in that society. In order for law to be used as an instrument of conscious social change, some individual or individuals must desire the change and use law as an instrument to effect that change. In a democracy the persons consciously desiring change may be a majority of the politically active people or an elite group of opinion leaders, while in an authoritarian government it is the primary power-holders who may initiate that change.
Law establishes and recognizes specific institutions, body of persons and individuals and gives them authority to exercise certain powers on behalf of the state. Under the doctrine of the separation of powers, there are three arms of government which include the legislative, the executive and the judiciary. These three arms have the specific functions they perform. The legislative exercises its legislative power, the executive exercises its executive power, and the judiciary is expected to exercise the judicial power.
Task2.
Below is a list of tasks carried out by solicitors and barristers. Classify them into the appropriate column.
1. resolving disputes between the parties through arbitration or mediation 2. preparing proceedings and documents for court, including legal arguments and plead 3. making arrangements for buying and selling commercial and residential property 4. advocacy in all courts 5. advocacy in the lower courts 6. handling serious criminal cases 7. performing office-based work, such as drafting legal documents and contracts 8. dealing with court-related matters
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I. Solicitors |
II. Barristers |
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Task 3.
Complete the text using the words and phrases from the box.
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How a Bill becomes law in Russia
In Russia a bill usually passes through several stages before it becomes law.
Once a bill has been introduced, it should survive three readings in __ 1 __. During the first reading, fundamental provisions of the draft are addressed. After introductory speeches and debate, the deputies of the State Duma __ 2 ___the bill and send it to a committee where __ 3 ____proposed during the first reading are made. Then the draft is presented for a second reading where each article is considered in detail. The third reading consists solely of a vote on the draft bill in its entirety. To pass, a federal law requires ___ 4 ___of the members of the State Duma.
A federal law passed by the State Duma, ___ 5 ___, is transferred within five days to __ 6 ___, the upper house. The Constitution of the Russian Federation provides that the Council has 14 days to examine a federal law passed by the State Duma and to approve, dismiss or ___ 7 ____.
In case the Federation Council votes in favor of the bill, it is transferred to the President who has 14 days to ___ 8 ___ and publicly announce the adopted federal law. The law __ 9___with its official publication in the Collected Legislative Acts of the Russian Federation and in Rossiiskaya Gazeta.
Task 4.
Complete the text using the words and phrases from the box.
The American Constitution
The American Constitution is based on the doctrine of the __ 1 __ between the __ 2 __, __ 3 __, and__ 4 __. The government institutions – __ 5 __, __ 6 __ and __ 7 __ - were given limited specific powers; and a series of __ 8___, whereby each branch of government has certain authority over the others, were included to make sure these powers were not abused. Government power was further limited by means of a dual system of government, in which the __ 9 __ was only given the powers and responsibilities to deal with problems facing the nation as a whole. The remaining responsibilities and duties of government were reserved to the individual __ 10 _.
Article V allowed for __ 11 __ to be made to the Constitution (once passed by a two-thirds majority in both houses of ___12___ and then ratified by the __ 13 __ of three-fourth of the states. The Constitution finally ratified by all thirteen states in 1791 already contained ten amendments, collectively known as __ 14__ (the freedoms of religion, speech and the press, etc.) to protect the citizen against possible tyranny by the federal government.
a. Congress (2) b. the Presidency c. amendments d. separation of powers e. the Courts f. the Bill of Rights g. the executive h. federal government i. legislative j. legislatures k. judiciary l. checks and balances m. state governments
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