VII. Translate the sentences from English into Russian.

1. This agency will carry out the administrative and support tasks for the Court of Appeal, High Court, Crown Court, and county courts.

2. Certain other distinguished judges, for example the Lord Chief Justice and the Master of the Rolls, may also sit in 'the Lords'. All the Law Lords are Life Peers, created from the ranks of judges.

3. The Law Lords may reach their decisions by a majority, and it is not unusual for the court to decide its cases by a majority of 3-2.

4. Lord Chancellor Falconer said the object of the creation of this 'new free-standing Supreme Court will be to 'separate the highest appeal court from the second house of Parliament, and remove the Lords of Appeal in Ordinary from the legislature ... the proposed new Court will be a United Kingdom body legally separate from the England and Wales courts since it will also be the Supreme Court of both Scotland and Northern Ireland'.

5. Consultation Paper prepared by the Department for Constitutional Affairs refers to: questions about whether there is sufficient transparency of independence from the executive and legislature to give people the assurance to which they are entitled about the independence of the judiciary.

6. The considerable growth of judicial review in recent years has inevitably brought the judges into the political eye. It is essential that our systems do all that they can to minimize the danger that judges decisions could be perceived to be politically motivated.

7. It therefore follows that a High Court Judge in the Queen's Bench Division is likely to find the year divided up into periods when he or she will be in London, or say, Leeds, Manchester, Cardiff or Winchester trying either serious criminal cases or important civil cases, or sitting in the Court of Appeal, assist­ing the Lords Justices to hear criminal appeals.

8. Circuit Judges may be specially approved to try cases involving certain types of serious criminal offences, such as murder, rape, child abuse, and fraud.

9. Members of the public sit as magistrates as an act of public duty.

10. In cases of difficulty, where, for example, the circumstances of death may point to someone being to blame, a jury will be sworn to give a verdict as to the cause of death.

6. Complete the sentences with the words from the box.

1. decision(2); 2. recognizes; 3. law; 4. Tribunal; 5. binding(2); 6. judges(2); 7. precedent; 8. sentencing; 9. injustice; 10. co-ordinate jurisdiction; 11. per incuriam; 12. development; 13. Court of Appeal; 14. follow; 15. settlements; 16. free; 17. entered into; 18. criminal jurisdiction; 19. court's opinion; 20. criminal; 21. duty; 22. principle; 23. conflicting; 24. rule(2); 25. decided; 26. criminal cases; 27. House; 28. Parliament; 29. a question; 30. court; 31. civil side; 32. previous decision; 33. applicant; 34. conflicting; 35. members; 36. misunderstood; 37. tribunals; 38. statute; 39. force; 40. binding; 41. determination; 42. review; 43. in ignorance; 44. unanimous; 45. bound; 46. entitled; 47. first instance; 48. inferior; 49.overruled.

JUDICIAL DECISIONS AS AUTHORITIES

1. The decisions of the House of Lords upon questions of ________ are normally considered by the House to be _________upon itself, but because too rigid adherence to __________ may lead to __________ in a particular ___ and unduly restrict the proper ____________ of the law the House will depart from a previous __________ when it appears right to do so, although it bears in mind the danger of disturbing retrospectively the basis upon which contracts, property ___________ and fiscal arrangements have been ______________and the especial need for certainty as to the _________law.

2. When a broad ________ has been clearly decided by the ________, the decision should not be weakened or frittered away by fine distinctions, and an erroneous _________ of the House upon a __________ of law can be set right only by Act of ___________.

3. A decision of the House of Lords occasioned by __________ of the House being equally divided is as ________ on the House and on all inferior _________ as if it had been _________.

4. Decisions of the House of Lords are binding on every court ________ to it.

5. The decisions of the __________ upon questions of law must be followed by Divisional Courts and courts of ___________, and, as a general _____, are binding on the Court of Appeal until a contrary __________ has been arrived at by the House of Lords.

6. There are, however, three, and only three, exceptions to this rule; thus (1) the Court of Appeal is _________ and bound to decide which of two __________ decisions of its own it will follow; (2) it is ________ to refuse to follow a decision of its own which, although not expressly _____, cannot, in its opinion, stand with a decision of the House of Lords; and (3) the Court of Appeal is not ______ to follow a decision of its own if given __________.

7. Unlike the House of Lords, the Court of Appeal does not have liberty to ________ its own earlier decisions.

8. A decision is given per incuriam when the _______ has acted __________ of a ____________of its own or of a court of ____________ which covered the case before it, in which case it must decide which case to _________; or when it has acted in ignorance of a House of Lords decision, in which case it must follow that decision; or when the decision is given in ignorance of the terms of a__________ or rule having statutory ________.

9. In its _______________ the Court of Appeal applies the same principles as on the _________, but _________ that there are exceptions (a) where the _______ is in prison and in the full _____________ wrongly so; (b) where the court thinks that the law was ___________ or misapplied; and (c) where the full court is carrying out its _______ to lay down princi­ples and guidelines in relation to __________.

10. A Divisional Court is bound by its own previous decisions, regardless of how many ________ are sitting, with limited exceptions in __________, subject always to the per incuriam ______. Faced with ________ earlier decisions the court is _____ to decide which to follow.

11. Divisional Court decisions bind _______ of first instance, even of a different division, but not the Employment Appeal __________.

9. Fill in the gaps with the appropriate prepositions from the box.

in(5); from(4); by(5); on(2); with(3); of(5); over; off; for(2); to(4); into; at(2).

1. But unlike those peers who support one political party or another, ____ tradition the Law Lords do not become involved _____ politics, and will generally only concern themselves _______ legislation which relates ____ legal matters.

2. The Judicial Committee of the Privy Council is also the final court of appeal _____ ecclesiastical courts and prize courts; it hears appeals ___ certain professional bodies, who have the power to strike members ____ their registers.

3. Their courts are those in which the proceedings are commenced and which actually hear the first trial, unlike the appellate courts which deal only ____ cases ___ appeal.

4. The Court Service Agency carries out the administrative and support task ____ the Court of Appeal, High Court, Crown Court and county courts and is a branch ____ the Lord Chancellor’s Department. Its head or Chief Executive is responsible _____ the Lord Chancellor.

5. Appeals in criminal cases are heard ____ the Criminal Division ____ the Court, the Court will be presided _____ by the Lord Chief Justice. The office of Justice of the Peace is one of the oldest ____ the country, and could date back ____ 1195, when Richard I made a royal proclamation that “knights of the peace” should assist the sheriff ____ the keeping of law and order.

6. Anyone who wishes to become a JP may apply to the Lord Chancellor’s Department. They must be supported ______ references, and will be interviewed to determine their suitability.

7. _______ the eyes _______ the public JPs have one great advantage that they are free _____ the habits of thought, speech and bearing which characterize professional lawyers and which most people find ____ a greater or lesser extent repellent.

8. Mental health review tribunals are responsible ______ reviewing cases _____ patients who suffer ______ mental illness and who have been compulsorily detained in hospital.

9. A coroner’s duty is to hold an inquiry _____ the manner of death of anyone who appears to have died _____ violent or unnatural means.

10. ______ one time coroners could actually charge people _____ murder or manslaughter, and have them committed _____ the local assize court _____ trial.

11. Decisions of judges sitting _____ first instance trying cases _____ the High Court are binding _____ all inferior courts.

10. Translate the sentences from Russian into English using the active vocabulary.

1. Высшим судом страны является палата лордов. Палата лордов – это последняя инстанция, где рассматриваются апелляционные жалобы как по гражданским, так и по уголовным делам.

2. Отделение королевской скамьи занимается рассмотрением сложных гражданских дел в первой инстанции и апелляциями на приговоры магистратских судов. В состав отделения входят 60 судей Верховного суда, а возглавляет его судья-председатель отделения королевской скамьи Высокого суда.

3. Каждая апелляция по гражданским делам рассматривается коллегией из трех судей, заседающих вместе. Обычно они выносят решение единогласно, в случае если все согласны с ним, однако возможно принятие решения большинством голосов в соотношении 2:1.

4. Апелляции по наиболее сложным уголовным делам рассматриваются судьей-председателем отделения королевской скамьи Высокого суда, заседающего вместе с двумя судьями Высокого суда. При рассмотрении апелляций по уголовным делам все три судьи выносят общее решение. Это означает, что если один из них не согласен с остальными, он не может принять решение согласно своему особому мнению, а должен подчиниться общему решению.

5. Апелляционный суд также выполняет функции Военного апелляционного суда. В этом случае в нем рассматриваются апелляции, поступившие из различных военных трибуналов армии, военно-морского флота и военно-воздушных сил.

6. Трибуналы (специализированные суды, суды специальной юрисдикции) являются независимыми юридическими органами, учрежденными парламентом для рассмотрения различного вида жалоб, поступающих от должностных лиц и организаций.

7. Каждый, желающий стать мировым судьей, может обратиться в ведомство Лорда-Канцлера. Репутация претендента должна быть подтверждена рекомендациями, и он должен пройти собеседование для определения его профессиональной пригодности.

8. Некоторые профессиональные организации имеют свои собственные суды специальной юрисдикции, которые занимаются вопросами профессиональной дисциплины и имеют полномочия временно или полностью отстранить от занимаемой должности члена коллектива, если его поведение не соответствует требуемым нормам.

9. Коронер (следователь, специальной функцией которого является расследование случаев насильственной или внезапной смерти) должен быть барристером, солиситером или практикующим врачом с не менее чем пятилетним стажем. В его обязанности входит проведение расследования, которое еще называют коронерским расследованием (дознанием), обстоятельств смерти человека, чья гибель оказалась результатом насильственных действий или была внезапной.

10. Священный принцип английского права – это принцип ‘прецедента, имеющего обязательную силу’. То есть, когда суду представлены факты по делу, судьи обязаны решать дело, используя принципы права, применяемые при решении предыдущего дела с аналогичными обстоятельствами.

Grammar Revision

Exercises

Translate the sentences from English into Russian paying attention to the Passive Voice construction.

1. A person or thing performing an action is called the subject of the action. A person or thing acted upon is called an object of the action.

2. In the English language the verb has two voices: the Active Voice and the Passive Voice.

3. The Active Voice is used when the person or thing denoted by the subject of the sentence is the subject of the action expressed by the predicate.

4. The Passive Voice is used when the person or thing denoted by the subject of the sentence is an object of the action expressed by the predicate.

5. The tenses of the Passive Voice are formed by means of the auxiliary verb to be in the corresponding tense and Past Participle (Participle II) of the main verb.

6. The Future Continuous and the Perfect Continuous tenses are not used in the Passive Voice.

7. The tenses of the Passive Voice are used according to the same rules as the corresponding tenses of the Active Voice.

8. The Passive Voice is used when the speaker wants to say something about the object (not about the subject of the action). In this case the subject of the action is mostly not mentioned at all; otherwise it is expressed by a noun or pronoun with the preposition by or with.

9. A verb which may have a direct object is a transitive verb. A verb which is not used with a direct object is intransitive. In Russian only transitive verbs are used in the Passive Voice -- the subject of a passive construction corresponds to the direct object of the active construction.

10. In English not only transitive but many intransitive verbs are used in the Passive Voice. The subject of a passive construction in English may correspond not only to a direct object of the active construction but also to an indirect or prepositional object.

11. The passive verb-forms are translated into Russian:

a. by verbs with the particle -ся (-сь);

b. by combinations of the verb быть with a short form of the Past Participle Passive (краткое причастие страдательного залога);

c. by verbs in the Active Voice in indefinite-personal sentences;

d. if the subject of the action of a passive construction is indicated, the English Passive Voice may be rendered in Russian by the verb in the Active Voice in a definite-personal sentence.

1. The new Department for Constitutional Affairs (formerly the Lord Chancellor's Department) is responsible for the organization and smooth running of the courts, although much of the day-to-day running of the courts is carried out by Her Majesty's Courts Service.

2. The House of Lords is more correctly called the Appellate Committee of the House of Lords.

3. Only those cases, in which 'leave to appeal' (special permission) has been given, either by the Court of Appeal or by the House of Lords itself, will be heard there.

4. The extraordinary term 'In Ordinary' simply means that they receive their salary from the ordinary Consolidated Fund (the Exchequer account at the Bank of England into which all revenues are paid); they are not paid by the House of Lords itself.

5. Normally, each appeal is heard by five Law Lords, although in some, rare instances cases are heard by a panel of seven or even nine.

6. The Judicial Committee of the Privy Council was established by statute in 1833 to hear appeals from 'any dominion or dependency of the Crown in any matter, civil or criminal'.

7. Other senior judges have also been co-opted to sit in this court, as have distinguished judges from abroad. In February 2001 Dame Sian Elias, Chief Justice of New Zealand, became the first woman to sit in the Privy Council, when she was invited to spend two weeks as a member of the court.

8. The rulings of the Privy Council are normally not binding on other courts, but they are of strong persuasive authority (the rulings do not have to be followed, but should be given attention and great respect when courts are deciding what the law is).

9. The first sitting of the new Supreme Court was planned to take place in 2008; until then the House of Lordsl continued as the final court of appeal.

10. The Queen's Bench Division consists of about 80 High Court Judges, and from October 2005 has been headed by the new office of President of the Queen's Bench Division.

11. County courts were introduced in 1846 to enable civil claims for small amounts to be heard quickly and cheaply.

12. This 'regularity' in standing by decisions has been described as "a 'sacred principle' of English law, and it is rooted in the natural, human inclination of people to regard past experience and decisions as guides to future action, and to be able to conduct themselves with a degree of certainty about what the legal consequences of their actions, if any, will be.

Speaking

Exercises

1. Say whether the following statements are true or false. Explain why.

1. The Court Service Agency is responsible for the organization and smooth running of the courts.

2. The Judicial Committee of the House of Lords deals with all the cases of public importance.

3. The Judicial Committee of the Privy Council hears appeals from all the “dependent territories of the Crown in any matter civil or criminal”.

4. In the UK Lords Justices of Appeal always deliver unanimous judgment.

5. Recorders sit as part-time judges only in the Crown Court.

6. Nowadays JPs hear both civil and criminal cases in England.

7. The only difference between а JP and а District judge is that the latter is paid а stipend.

8. Tribunals sit quite informally, they have to make а variety of important decisions which can’t be challenged in the High Court.

9. The police will be expected to investigate the case thoroughly if the coroner’s court reaches а verdict of “unlawful killing”.

10. The main legal principal in the UK is known as stare decisis.

2. Answer the questions about the text.

1. What is a tale of two committees about? Give a detailed description of the committees.

2. What does the Court of Appeal deal with? Which different functions does it comprise? To what extent does it submit to the House of Lords?

3. What was the rationale behind the establishment of the Supreme Court?

4. What are the judicial aims of the Supreme Court?

5. How do appeals in Civil Cases differ from appeals in Criminal Cases?

6. Where does the importance of a dissenting judgment lie?

7. What rules are judges run by while hearing appeals in civil and criminal cases?

8. How does the Court of Appeal function?

9. What divisions does the High Court of justice consist of? What does the activity of these divisions encompass?

10. What does the phrase “to try cases at first instance” mean?

11. How does a High Court Judge put into practice the principle “Justice must be seen to be done”?

12. How do the Crown and county courts work? Which requirements are they to meet?

13. What is the role of High Court Judges and Circuit Judges within the frame of the Crown Court?

14. What are the functions of the magistrates’ courts?

15. Where does the difference lie between a magistrates’ court and a county court?

16. Who are the cases in magistrates’ courts heard by?

17. What is the notion “Justices of the Peace” rooted in?

18. What are tribunals set up for?

19. What are the types of tribunals? What matters do they deal with?

20. What are the coroner’s duties?

21. When are juries involved in the work of the coroner’s court?

22. Why is the coroner’s court so important nowadays?

23. What is the clerk of the court responsible for? When is the clerk a particularly important figure?

24. What is the principle of binding precedent based on? How does it work in practice?