Law. Police. Society (Право. Полиция. Общество). Часть III. Учебное пособие по английскому языку

The rise of nationalism that began in the 11) ______initiated the necessity to state legal principles in the exact form as a code. It led to the adoption of distinct civil codes for each European country. The 12)_________of 1804 is the most famous of such works and had many successors. In 13)______

14) _____ and ____ adopted similar codes. The subject matter of all these codes is almost identical with the first three books of the Corpus Juris Civilis. Codification took place in most civil law countries, with the French Civil Code and the German BGB being the most influential civil codes.

Task 2. Find in the text words and word combinations which are of the same meaning as those given in the box:

a) originate; b) Body of Civil Law; c) civil issues; d) to return legal system to an original condition; e) actions of explaining by lawyers; f) law scientists; g) to bring Roman legal system back into use; h) patriotic feelings; i) the collection of the principles of a law system into one body; j) German Civil Code; k) (German) Bürgerliches Gesetzbuch

Glossary to the text “Historical Development of Civil Law” adopt [ə'dOpt] — принимать, перенимать, усваивать, заимствовать adoption — принятие, усвоение

century ['senC(ə)rI] — столетие, век

constitute — составлять, учреждать, принимать (закон) decrease [dI'krJs] — уменьшаться, убывать, сокращаться eventually [I'venCuəlI] — в конечном счете, в итоге, со временем flourish ['flArIS] — цвести, расцветать, процветать, преуспевать

fusion ['fjHZ(ə)n] — интеграция, объединение, слияние, сращивание generation — поколение

influence — n влияние, действие, воздействие; v оказывать влияние, влиять, воздействовать

initiate [I'nISIeIt] — начать, приступать, положить начало inscribe — записывать, вырезать, начертать на дереве, камне interpretation — интерпретация, истолкование, трактовка invader [In'veIdə] — захватчик, оккупант

legal statement — заявление в суде nationalism — национализм, патриотизм

occur [ə'kE:] — происходить, случаться, совершаться reconsider — пересматривать, изменять (решение)

reconquer [rJ'kOŋkə] — отвоевывать, освобождать, захватывать restore — возвращать в прежнее состояние, восстанавливать resurface — всплыть, снова заставить о себе говорить reunify[rJ'jHnIfaI] — воссоединять, воссоединяться, объединяться

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revive [rI'vaIv] — оживать, восстанавливать, оживлять; возрождать revival [rı'vaıv(ə)l] — возрождение

successor [sƏk'sesƏ] — правопреемник, преемник, наследник throughout [θru:'aut] — повсюду, везде, все время, в течение всего времени

in writing — в письменной форме

Text B

Task 3. Read the text “What is Civil Law?” Which of these statements are true? Correct the false ones.

1.Civil Law is one of the most common global legal systems.

2.The difference between Civil Law and Common Law is based on different types of cases under the jurisdiction of each.

3.Civil Law deals with disputes and wrongdoings of criminal nature.

4.The term of Civil Law can be interpreted in two aspects: the first covers the system of Continental Law and the second deals with sets of laws regulating civil disputes.

5.Common Law system is prevalent in the UK, the US and other Eng- lish-speaking countries.

What is Civil Law?

Civil Law or Continental Law or Romano-Germanic law is the predominant system of law in the world. The term Civil Law has two meanings. One meaning of the term refers to a legal system prevalent in Europe that is based on a written code of laws. Civil Law in this sense is contrasted with the common-law system used in England, Canada and most of the United States. The main difference between the two systems is that common law draws abstract rules from specific cases, whereas civil law starts with abstract rules, which judges must then apply to the various cases before them.

The second meaning of Civil Law refers to the body of laws governing disputes between individuals, as opposed to those governing offenses that are public and relate to the government — that is Civil Law as opposed to Criminal Law. Civil Law, in this sense, usually refers to redress to Civil Law courts (as opposed to criminal courts) and is often used as a means to resolve disputes involving accidents (torts such as negligence), libel and other intentional torts, contract disputes, the probate of wills and trusts, child custody, paying alimony and any other private matters that can be resolved between private parties. Violations of Civil Law are considered to be torts or breaches of contract, rather than crimes and they are not criminal in nature. Civil Law and Criminal Law are two broad and separate entities of law with separate sets of laws and punishments.

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Task 4. Choose the main idea of the text.

1.Civil Law is a term that can be used to describe two different legal concepts.

2.Civil Law is a separate entity of law.

3.There is a difference between Civil Law and Criminal Law.

4.Civil Law opposes to common law.

Task 5. Find English equivalents in the text:

преобладающая правовая система; относиться к; в этом смысле; представляет (формирует) отвлеченные правовые нормы на основании частных случаев; совокупность правовых норм, которые разрешают споры между физическими лицами; в отличие от; возместить ущерб; клевета; умышленные гражданские правонарушения; утверждение завещаний и доверенностей; опека над детьми; частные дела; частные лица; отдельные отрасли права; свод законов.

Text C

Task 6. Read the international words and name the Russian equivalents: organization, party, company, corporation, process, compensation, initiate, document, method, attorney, reporter, argument, expert, photograph,

jury, dispute, alternative, resolution, arbitration, restitution, selection.

Task 7. Read the text “Civil litigation” and answer these questions:

1.What is the definition of civil litigation?

2.What are two opposing parties of a civil litigation?

3.What does the term “complaint” mean?

4.Is the meaning of “burden of proof” the same or different in civil and criminal cases?

5.What types of trials are applied in civil jurisdiction in the USA?

6.What are the stages of civil litigation?

7.Why is the “case-in-chief” stage considered to be the heart of the civil trial?

8.Why does a judge try to persuade parties to reach a pre-trial agree-

ment?

9.Can you specify the difference between opening statements and closing arguments?

10.Which stage is the most and the least essential in your opinion?

Civil Litigation

In Civil Law a case begins when a complaint is filed by a party, which may be an individual, an organization, a company or a corporation against

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another party. The party complaining is called the plaintiff and the party responding is called the defendant and the process is called litigation. In civil litigation the complaint describes the plaintiff's injury, he explains how the defendant caused the injury, and asks the court to order the defendant to remedy a wrong to the plaintiff. The remedy is often given in the form of monetary or other types of compensation such as restitution, specific performance, or an injunction.

The plaintiff in a civil case is the party who initiates the suit and carries the burden of proof. The burden of proof is very different in a civil case than it is in a criminal case. In a criminal case the evidence of a defendant’s guilt must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt. The burden of proof in a civil case is a “preponderance of evidence”. In layman’s terms, this means that a plaintiff must prove that the allegation against the defendant is more likely to be true than not true and if it is so, a court can uphold a civil claim.

To prepare a case for trial, the litigants may conduct “discovery”. In discovery, the litigants must provide information to each other about the case, such as the identity of witnesses and copies of any documents related to the case. One common method of discovery is a sworn deposition. In a deposition a witness swears an oath to answer questions about the case asked by the lawyers.

Except in cases that are tried only before a judge, one of the first steps in any civil trial is the selection of a jury which is an attribute of some civil practices particularly in the USA. Once a jury is selected, the first “dialogue” in a personal injury trial comes in the form of two opening statements — one from the plaintiff's attorney, and the other from an attorney representing the defendant. No witnesses testify at this stage, and no physical evidence is ordinarily utilized. The plaintiff's opening statement is usually given first, and is often more detailed than that of the defendant.

The focus of any civil trial is called the “case-in-chief,” the stage at which each party presents its key evidence and arguments. It is at this point that the plaintiff may call witnesses and experts to give testimony, in order to strengthen the case. The plaintiff may also introduce physical evidence, such as photographs, documents, and medical reports. After direct examination, the opposing party has an opportunity to question the witness through “crossexamination”.

Similar to the opening statement there is a closing argument at the end of the trial. The closing argument offers the plaintiff and the defendant in a civil dispute a chance to “sum up” details of the case.

After both sides have presented their arguments and made a closing argument, either the judge or jury consider whether to find the defendant liable for the plaintiff's claims, and if so, to what extent. The judge decides what le-

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gal standards should apply to the defendant's case, and returns a verdict based on the evidence presented during the trial.

To avoid the expense of having a trial, judges encourage the litigants to reach an agreement resolving their dispute. As a result, litigants often decide to resolve a civil lawsuit with an agreement known as a “settlement”, alternative dispute resolution (ADR) processes like arbitration and mediation, or through dismissal of the case.

Task 8. Read the text and match the terms and expressions in the bold to their definitions in the box (a–q). Choose a Russian equivalent below the box for each bold lexical unit:

a)a person who brings a case against another in a court of law

b)a person against whom an action or claim is brought in a court of law

c)the duty placed upon a party to prove a disputed fact

d)the legal document that usually begins a civil lawsuit

e)compulsory disclosure, at a party's request, of facts that relate to the litigation

f)a legal dispute between two or more parties that seek money damages or other compensation rather than criminal sanctions

g)the giving of testimony on oath

h)to start a civil proceeding/ lawsuit

i)greater weight of the evidence, the common standard of evidence in civil cases

j)the part of a trial in which a party presents evidence to support its claim

k)a statement saying that someone has done something wrong

l)evidence given by a witness, esp. orally in court under oath

m)a person appointed to act for another in business or legal matters

n)questioning of a witness by a party other than the one who called the witness

o)the compensation that may be given or ordered by a court for a wrong

p)the determination of a dispute by mutual agreement without legal proceedings

q)termination of a proceeding without considering the issues of the matter

Russian equivalents: судебный процесс по гражданскому делу; истец; ответчик; бремя доказывания; жалоба; урегулирование; обязательное представление документов суду; перекрестный допрос; возбудить иск; перевес доказательств; версия, выдвинутая стороной при допросе вызванных ею свидетелей; показание под присягой; заявление в суде против ответчика; свидетельское показание; доверенное лицо; возмещение; прекращение дела.

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Task 9. Choose a correct word partnership based on the English text and correspond to its Russian equivalent. The example is given in bold.

Task 10. Which English equivalents in the text correspond to the following Russian word combinations?

Иск подается одной стороной процесса против другой; сторонаответчик; причинить вред и ущерб; возместить ущерб, причиненный истцу; судебный процесс по гражданскому делу; выступать в заключительных прениях в суде; гражданское судопроизводство; избегать расходов; вмешательство с целью примирения; разрешение конфликтных ситуаций; говоря непрофессиональным языком; более вероятно, чем нет, что…; прекращение дела; дела рассматриваются исключительно судьей.

Glossary to the text “Civil Litigation” allegation — утверждение, заявление (обычно перед судом) attorney [ə'tə:ni] — прокурор, адвокат, атторней, доверенное лицо

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beyond a reasonable doubt — при отсутствии разумных оснований для сомнения

burden ['bE:dn] — ноша, груз, тяжесть, бремя burden of proof — бремя доказывания

claim — n требование, претензия, заявление права, иск; v требовать, заявлять претензию

civil claim — гражданский иск

complain (of/about) — жаловаться (на что-либо), подавать жалобу complaint — иск, жалоба

to file a complaint — заявить, подать жалобу complainant — жалобщик, истец

damage — n ущерб, убыток, вред; v причинять ущерб, убыток, вред, повреждать

defendant — ответчик, обвиняемый, подсудимый deposition — снятие показаний под присягой

discovery — обязательное представление документов суду dismissal — прекращение (дела)

injunction — судебный запрет, предписание, приказ

injury ['InG(ə)rI] — вред, повреждение, ущерб, нарушение права другого лица

initiate — инициировать, начинать, запускать, основывать liable ['laIəbl] — обязанный, ответственный

litigant — сторона в гражданском процессе, истец или ответчик litigation — тяжба, гражданский судебный спор, судебный процесс civil litigation — судебный процесс по гражданскому делу

party — сторона

plaintiff — истец (лицо, подающее иск)

preponderance of evidence — наличие более веских доказательств, перевес доказательств

remedy ['remədI] — n средство судебной защиты, возмещение; v предоставлять средство правовой защиты, исправлять, возмещать

restitution — возмещение убытков, восстановление в правах swear an oath — приносить присягу

suit [s(j)Ht] — иск, преследование по суду, судебное дело, судебная тяжба, судебный процесс

testify ['testIfaI] — давать показания, свидетельствовать testimony — свидетельское показание

trial ['traIəl] — судебное разбирательство, судебный процесс, суд

try — судить, привлекать к судебной ответственности; разбирать, рассматривать, расследовать

uphold — поддерживать, удовлетворять (жалобу, иск и пр.) utilize['jHtIlaIz] — использовать, расходовать, употреблять

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III. Listening

Task 1. Listen to the speaker who tells about the civil litigation in the text “What is Civil Litigation?” and fill in the blanks.

Civil litigation is a broad term that is used to describe the legal process which is a) ________ __ _____. Civil litigation is a b) ______ in which a party seeks c)_______ from the other party, which can be in d) _____ or in any other form. The party that e) ____ ___ _____ is known as the

f)______and the party which is accused of the damage is known as the

g)______. Some instances when an individual or an entity may proceed with a civil litigation is h) ______disputes, i)_______charges, debt-settlement,

j)_______ ______, k)_________etc. This was in brief about what is civil litigation; now let's move onto the l)____ _____ _____.

Task 2. Listen to the speaker who tells about the civil litigation procedure in the second text. What stages does he mention?

Task 3. Fill in the blanks with the appropriate stage and put the sentences in the order of succession the speaker presents.

a)_________. In this process, each side comes up with substantial evidence to support their claims.

b) _________. This is the step when a petition is filed by the defendant to claim that the evidence presented by the plaintiff is insufficient and does not support the claim against the defendant.

c)___________. This stage starts with the plaintiff filing a complaint against the defendant.

d)________. The stage when each party presents their case, after which the court allows the attorneys from both sides to have close speeches to sum up details of the case.

e)_________. In this stage the jury holds deliberations and then a judge passes the sentence.

f)________. The next step is that the defendant needs to be tried in a court and a formal examination of evidence begins.

IV. Speaking

Task 1. List the stages of a civil trial, entitle each of the stage and comment on its role in the civil litigation.

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Task 2. Does a civil litigation in your country include the presence of jury while conducting the trial? Discuss with your partner whether it is necessary to conduct a civil trial with jury or not.

Task 3. Study the chart below. Analyze criminal law and civil law systems and complete the Comparison Chart using phrases given in the box to define the difference between civil and criminal proceedings. Discuss these differences with your partner.

Comparison Chart

V. Writing

Task 1. Write the list of characteristics of Civil Law distinguishing it from the other types of law.

Task 2. What are the stages of the civil litigation procedure? Plan a civil litigation process and write about each of the stage in brief.

Task 3. You are playing a role of a complainant. Discuss with your partner a content of a potential complaint and file your own complaint.

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