ENGLISH-IN-LAW. Textbook

TASK 1 a) ACTIVE VOCABULARY. Read and translate the text. Consult a dictionary to find the meanings of the following words and word combinations:

blend n. mixture n. charter n. agreement n.

jury n,. jurisdiction n., judiciary n. practice n., practise v.

suit n. legal adj.

eventually adv. reinforce v. shape v. conformity n. amendment n. supreme adj.

b) Use the correct word in the appropriate grammar form from the list above.

1.Johnson has filed … against her.

2.The committee has …over all tax measures.

3.Divorce finally became … there in 1992.

4.Parliament passed the bill without further …

5.Success in the talks will … his reputation as an international statesman.

6.Gemma … now … as a lawyer.

7.The company must act in … with local regulations.

8.It’s an excellent team, with a nice … of experience and youthful enthusiasm.

9.The … found him not guilty.

10.The town’s … was granted in 1838.

11.Failure to reach an … will result in a strike.

12.Seventy-two percent of people … found work, but mainly in low-paid service jobs.

13.The … has the function of interpreting the law and applying it to specific cases.

14.The man had a leading role in … party policy.

15.The Constitution is the … law of the land.

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TASK 2 a) Study the meanings of the following words:

expertise n. special skills or knowledge in a particular (in smth.) subject, that you learn by experience or

training.

subject adj. 1) likely to be affected by smth. esp. smth. bad.

2) under the authority of smb./smth. subject v. to force a country or group of people to be

ruled by you, and control them very strictly. subject smb. to to force smb./smth. to experience smth. very smth. phr. v. unpleasant, esp. over a long time.

b)Define the meanings of “subject” in the following sentences. Translate the sentences:

1.Police subjected him to hours of questioning.

2.Flights are subject to delay because of the fog.

3.The Roman Empire subjected most of Europe to its rule.

4.As a diplomat, he is not subject to local laws.

c)Insert the correct word (“expertise” or “subject”) in the appropriate grammar form:

1.The city … … to heavy bombing.

2.All such gatherings … … to the laws on political meetings.

3.The Aztecs … the neighbouring tribes.

4.He … … to torture.

5.His business … will be of great help to us.

TASK 3 a) Match the words on the left with their synonyms on the right:

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b) Match the words on the left with their antonyms on the right:

TASK 4 Add as many nouns as possible to the following verbs to form word combinations. Use the word combinations to speak about your desirable job or place of employment:

practise, subject, reinforce, shape

TASK 5 Consult a dictionary and use the correct preposition from the box to complete the phrases below. Some prepositions can be used more than once. Make up your own sentences to outline courses you have already taken or are going to take at your university:

with, to, in, on, against

1.expertise … business.

2.to reach an agreement … arms reduction … the US.

3.to be subject … laws.

4.to file a suit … the company.

5.European laws … equal opportunities.

6.to act … conformity … local regulations.

7.an amendment … the Civil Rights Act.

TASK 6 Change the structure of the sentences without changing sence:

1.The first English colonists brought English customs with them, but there was little expertise in law.

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2.But there were few men trained in the law.

3.The colony of Rhode Island accepted English law in full, subject to local legislation.

4.Legal battles before the American Revolution were fought on common-law principles.

5.After the revolution many Americans wanted to divorce themselves from English practices.

6.Along with the development of the common-law tradition in the United States, there has also arisen an enormous body of statute law on the federal, state and local levels.

TASK 7 Add negative prefixes to the following words:

legal, constitutional, conformity, equal adj., trained, accepted, significant, certainty

TASK 8 a) Study the information:

1.“much”, “little” are used with uncountable nouns: much time, little money.

“many”, “few” are used with countable nouns: many friends, few cars.

2.“little”, “few” (without “a”) express negative ideas: Hurry up! We’ve got little time (=not enough). He is not popular. He has few friends. (=not enough friends).

“a little”, “a few” express positive ideas: Have you got any money?- Yes, a little. Do you want to borrow some? (=not much but enough for you to borrow some). I enjoy my life here. I have a few friends and we meet quite often. (=not many but enough to have a good time).

b) Find “(a) little”, “(a) few” in the text and explain their usage.

TASK 9 Complete the sentences with “little/a little”, “few/a few”:

1.The lecture was boring. … people really understood what the lecture was about.

2.Would you like … cake?

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Text 14

THE STATE

The state has an important part to play in making and enforcing law. But what is a state? It is a political unit with a territory that the international community treats as independent, for example the United Kingdom, Barbados or Japan. Law settles how the state is to be governed (its constitution), what duties it owes its citizens, and what duties they owe to one another and to it. The law of the state consists, therefore, of a system of government, together with a framework for making the life of citizens more secure and for enabling them to flourish.

Since each state has its own system of law, there are many legal systems; the law of the United Kingdom, Barbados, Japan etc. The laws of states differ a bit but also have much in common. Legal systems are called systems because in each state or part of a state with its own laws there are official bodies concerned with the whole of its law. These bodies — the branches of the state — are the legislature, which makes laws, the executive government, which puts laws into effect, and the judges, who decide disputes about the law. These branches of government try to see that the laws do not conflict with one another. In other words, they treat the laws as parts of a system that hangs together.

International law

International law is an extra system on top of the state systems. It presupposes state law, and could not exist without it, because international law can only be enforced if states are prepared

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to put it into effect. But it serves a different community: the international community. International law is about the relations between independent states. It treats them as equals, whatever their population, wealth and power, so that in international law Barbados is on a level with Japan.

Like state law, international law consists of several elements. Again all of them aim at stability in international life and the encouragement of trade and other contacts between states. International law lays down how international bodies such as the United Nations are set up, and what powers they have (their constitution). It also says how states must treat one another, how they must behave to international bodies and how the international bodies must behave towards them. It provides facilities for states to make binding agreements (treaties) and for the settlement of disputes.

TASK 1 USEFUL VOCABULARY:

state, n – sovereign political power, the government

hang together, v – if a set of ideas or a system hangs together, it is well organized and its different parts go well together presuppose, v – to presume, to depend on smth. that is thought to be true

branch, n – a part of a government or other organization set up, v – to establish, to organise, to found

binding agreement – an agreement that must be obeyed encourage, v – to sanction, to inspirit, to stimulate community, n – society and the people in it

TASK 2 Match the words on the left with their synonyms on the right:

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TASK 3 Find which word in each group is the odd one:

1.state — territory — independence — unit

2.trade — business — traffic — industry

3.power — treaty — convention — pact

4.law — chaos — statute — enactment

5.relation — connection — association — breach

6.variable — equal — like — adequate

TASK 4 Complete the following sentences:

1.The state is to ... .

2.The state law can ... .

3.The International law could not ... .

4.The states must ... .

5.The legislature is to ...

6.The executive government must ... .

TASK 5 Translate the following sentences with Modals:

1.What can be done, what cannot be done, permissible acts, forbidden acts have all been spelt and are within the consciousness of that community.

2.The existence of customary rules can be advanced from the behaviour and practice of states.

3.A Government is to be watched and its actions are to be questioned.

4.Whether a law ought to be passed or not depends on public opinion.

5.The court will have to determine which law is to be applied: English or French.

6.The rules of private international law will have to be consulted.

7.The ultimate verdict of the jury must be based on the evidence.

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8.Montesquieu, the French philosopher, argued that the powers of government must be separated into legislative, executive and judicial divisions if the liberties of the people are to be preserved.

9.The idea or concept of law is not confined to civilised peoples but is to be found, though often in grotesque forms, in primitive communities.

10.A man cannot know all the law, but he should know the fundamentals for his own protection.

TASK 6 Answer the following questions:

1.What is the role of the state in law?

2.How is state defined in the text, and in legal dictionaries?

3.What problems does the law settle?

4.Why do the laws of states differ? Why do they have much in common?

5.When can International Law be enforced?

6.How does International Law treat states?

7.What principles does International Law establish?

TASK 7 Discuss the following issues:

1.State law.

2.International law.

TASK 8 a) Retell the text:

The United Nations

The United Nations also has a role to play in Europe, even though it’s a global organisation. The UN has tried to negotiate peace settlements in troubled areas, such as the former Yugoslavia. It has provided peace keeping forces in several areas of Europe, including Georgia, Kosovo and Cyprus. UN peace keepers are also involved throughout the world in countries such as Chad, Sudan and Liberia in Africa, whilst they are also involved in parts of Asia and the Middle East.

The UN also does a great deal of work with refugees throughout the world. In 2010, it was involved in Sudan, Ethiopia and Kenya amongst others.

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