Иностранный язык в сфере юриспруденции. Учебно-методическое пособие по английскому языку

2. Read and translate the text.

A contract is an agreement between two or more people to exchange something of value. In a contract each person is legally bound to do what is promised. If one party to a contract does not carry out the promise, the other party is entitled to a remedy.

Elements of a Contract

A legally binding contract must have certain elements. There must be an offer by one party and an acceptance by the other. In addition, the two parties must agree exactly to the terms of the contract. This is called mutual agreement. To have mutual agreement, the parties do not always have to say “we agree”. The law infers agreement from certain actions, such as signing a contract or beginning to carry out the terms of the bargain.

In every valid contact, there must also be an exchange of consideration. This means something of value is given for something else of value. For example, when you buy an item at a store, your consideration is the money you pay, and the merchant’s consideration is the item you are buying. The values of the items being exchanged do not have to be the same. The law allows consumers to make both good deals and bad deals.

People entering into a contract must be legally competent to make contracts. This means they cannot be mentally ill or intoxicated. Also, agreements to do something illegal or against public policy are not enforceable in court.

If Lorenzo says to Sally, “I will sell you my motorcycle for $150,” this is an offer. If Sally says, “OK”, if she pays the $150 to Lorenzo, or if she signs an agreement to pay $150, there is an acceptance. They have agreed to the exact terms. The motorcycle being exchanged for the money is the exchange of consideration. Both parties are competent, and the agreement is not illegal or against public policy. Therefore, a contract has been made.

You should not be too quick to enter into a contract. Be sure you understand and agree with all the terms before you accept; otherwise, it may be too late to back out of the deal.

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Minors and Contracts

A minor is a person under the age of legal majority (18 in most states). Minors may make contracts. However, as a general rule, they cannot be forced to carry out their promises and may cancel or refuse to honor their contracts. Minors who cancel contracts usually must return any goods or consideration still in their possession. This rule is designed to protect minors from being taken advantage of because of their age and lack of experience.

Minors may, however, be held to contracts that involve necessities, such as food, shelter, clothing, or medical aid. Minors can be required

3. Find the equivalents for the following words and expressions in the text.

Выполнять обещание, условия контракта, взаимное соглашение, подразумевать, компенсация, дееспособный, заключать договор, уклониться от сделки, совершеннолетие, выполнять условия контракта, защитить несовершеннолетних, медицинская помощь, ратифицировать контракт.

4. Answer the questions.

1.What is a contract?

2.What happens if one party to a contract does not carry out the promise?

3.Why is it important to understand how contracts are formed?

4.What elements of a contract do you know?

5.Explain the term ‘mutual agreement’.

6.What is an exchange of consideration? How does it work?

7.Why must people entering into a contract be legally competent?

8.Why shouldn’t you be too quick to enter a contract?

9.Can minors make contracts? What is special about such contracts?

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5. A) Look at the structure of the following sentences and pay attention to the use of the construction ‘there is / there are’.

There must be an offer by one party and an acceptance by the other. In every valid contract there must also be an exchange of consideration. If she signs an agreement, there is an acceptance.

B) On the basis of the ideas from the text make sentences of your own using this construction.

7. Translate the following sentences into English.

1.По условиям контракта обе стороны обязаны сделать то, что они обещали.

2.Важно понимать, как заключаются контракты и как они отражают наши права.

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3.Каждый контракт имеет определенные элементы. Вопервых, это предложение с одной стороны и соглашение с другой. Во-вторых, обе стороны должны согласиться с условиями контракта.

4.Каждый законный контракт подразумевает взаимную компенсацию.

5.Люди, заключающие контракт, должны быть дееспособны,

т.е. находиться в здравом уме и трезвой памяти.

6.Не следует заключать контракт слишком поспешно. Убедитесь, что вы понимаете все его пункты, иначе будет слишком поздно уклониться от исполнения его условий.

7.Лица, не достигшие совершеннолетия, могут тоже заключать контракт. Однако они вправе отказаться от выполнения контрактных обязательств или расторгнуть контракт.

8.Prepare the retelling of the text, paying attention to the main concepts of the text and their definitions.

Text 10

Written and Oral Contracts

(Present Simple and Future Simple)

1. Find out the meaning of the following words.

Written contracts, oral contracts, enforceable, to sign a contract, a party, unclear, to enter into a contract, illegal, unconscionable, agreements, within a year, unfair.

2. Read and translate the text.

Most contracts may be either written or oral (spoken). However, certain kinds of contracts must be in writing to be enforceable. These include contracts for the sale of land or real estate, contracts for the sale of goods priced at $500 or more, agreements to pay another person’s debt, and agreements that cannot be performed within a year from the date of the agreement.

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The law favors written contacts. For your protection, it is always better to have a written contract. Otherwise, it can be difficult to prove that a party promised to do something. If there is a written contract, a court will not listen to evidence of promises made before the signing of the contract except when the written contract is unclear or one party was tricked into entering the contract.

Illegal contracts

Some contracts are unenforceable in court because they are illegal or against public policy. For example, an agreement between two people to sell drugs illegally could never be enforced in court.

In addition, courts sometimes find that a contract is so unfair, harsh, and oppressive that it should not be enforced. Such a contract is considered to be unconscionable.

Courts will usually not refuse to enforce a contract simply because it requires someone to pay a very high price for something. As noted earlier, the law allows for freedom of contract, and consumers are allowed to make bad deals as well as good ones. On rare occasions, though, a court may not enforce an extremely unfair contract (or the unfair clause in a contract).

A court is more likely to find a contract unconscionable when

(1) the consumer is presented with a contract on a take-it-or-leave- it basis and (2) there is very uneven bargaining power between the parties (as when an experienced seller is dealing with an uneducated consumer).

3. Find the equivalents for the following words and expressions in the text.

Устный контракт; обеспеченный правовой санкцией; закон поддерживает; заставить заключить контракт обманным путем; контракт, претензии по которому не могут быть заявлены в суде; незаконный контракт; несправедливый контракт; пункт контракта; недобросовестный контракт; торг на неравных условиях; опытный продавец; резкий; репрессивный.

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4. Answer the questions.

1.What two main types of contracts do you know?

2.What kinds of contracts must be in writing to be enforceable?

3.Should courts enforce an oral agreement to buy a car?

4.Why does the law favor written contracts?

5.Why are some contracts unenforceable in court?

6.What can courts do if they find that a contract is unfair, harsh and oppressive?

7.Will courts refuse to enforce a contract if it requires someone to pay a very high price for something?

8.When is court likely to find a contract unconscionable?

5. Translate the following sentences into English.

1.Чтобы быть обеспеченными правовой санкцией, контракты должны быть заключены в письменном виде.

2.Это относится к тем контрактам, действие которых длится более года.

3.Для вашей безопасности всегда лучше иметь письменный контракт. В противном случае будет нелегко доказать, что стороны давали обещание что-либо сделать.

4.Если существует письменный контракт, суд не будет рассматривать те обещания, которые были сделаны до подписания контракта.

5.Контракт на продажу незаконного товара не может быть приведен в исполнение по суду.

6.Условия некоторых контрактов суд находит настолько несправедливыми и нечестными, что они не могут приводиться

висполнение.

7.Подобные контракты признаются несправедливыми.

6. A) Look at the use of tense forms in the following sentences and try to find the difference.

Courts sometimes find that a contract is so unfair. The law favors written contacts.

Courts will usually not refuse to enforce a contract simply because it requires someone to pay a very high price for something.

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B) Find more examples of Present Simple and Future Simple Tenses in the text.

7. Prepare the retelling of the text.

Text 11 Warranties (If-clauses)

1. Find out the meaning of the following words.

Warranty, to remedy a problem, to live up to promises, seller, to breach, to perform, statement, bargain, demonstration, exaggeration, to cover, repair, duration.

2. Read and translate the text.

A warranty is a promise or guarantee made by a seller concerning the quality or performance of goods offered for sale. A warranty is also a statement of what the seller will do to remedy the problem if the product does not perform as promised. If the seller does not live up to the promises made in the warranty, the warranty is said to be breached.

Warranties give consumers very important rights. You should always be aware of the warranties that exist when you make a purchase.

Not all warranties are the same. It’s worthwhile to compare warranties when shopping. When you look at a warranty, consider the duration (how long does it last?), the scope (what parts or problems are covered or excluded?), and the remedy (what do you get under the warranty and what must you do to get the remedy?). Sometimes laws give you rights that are not in the warranty.

There are two types of warranties: express and implied.

Express Warranties. An express warranty is a statement (written, oral, or by demonstration) concerning the quality or performance of goods offered for sale that becomes a part of the bargain between the parties. For example, if a salesperson tells you “This TV will not

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need any repairs for five years,” this salesperson has created an express warranty. Similarly, an express warranty is created if you purchase a vacuum cleaner from an appliance store after seeing a demonstration of the vacuum picking up small particles from a deep shag rug. Since oral warranties and warranties by demonstration are difficult to prove, it is always best to get a written warranty.

Sellers do not have to give written warranties However, if they do, warranties must: 1) disclose all the essential terms and conditions in a single document, 2) be stated in simple and easy-to-read language, and 3) be made available to the consumer before a sale. Written warranties must also tell you exactly what is included and what is not included. For example, the warranty must explain what repairs are covered and who will make them.

Warranties are labeled either full or limited. Under a full warranty:

■■A defective product will be fixed or replaced free, including removal and reinstallation, if necessary.

■■The consumer will not have to do anything unreasonable (such as shipping a piano to a factory) to get the warranty service.

■■ The product will be fixed within a reasonable time after the consumer complains.

■■If the product can’t be fixed after a reasonable number of attempts, the consumer can get a refund or a replacement.

■■The warranty applies to anyone who owns the product during the warranty period.

Any protection less than this is called a limited warranty. For example, the limited warranty on a video recorder might cover the cost of new parts but not labour.

Implied warranties. In many cases, however, consumers are

protected — even though they may not realize it — by an implied warranty. An implied warranty is an unwritten promise, created by law, that a product will do what it is supposed to do. In other words, the law requires products to meet certain minimum standards of quality and performance, even if no express warranty is made. Implied warranties apply only to products sold by dealers, they do not apply to goods sold by casual sellers.

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3. Find the equivalents for the following words and expressions in the text.

Гарантия, действовать согласно обязательствам, невыполнение гарантийных обязательств, знать о существующих гарантийных обязательствах, продолжительность гарантийного периода, возмещение, прямая гарантия, связанная гарантия, очевидное преувеличение, гарантия в письменной форме, отремонтировать бесплатно, переустановка, получить назад деньги, заменить товар, полная гарантия, ограниченная гарантия, совершить покупку.

4. Answer the questions.

1.What is a warranty?

2.What happens if the seller does not live up to the promises made in the warranty? Have you ever come across such situations?

3.Why should you always be aware of the warranties that exist when you make a purchase?

4.What should you pay attention to when you look at a warranty?

5.What types of warranties do you know?

6.Explain the meaning of the term ‘express warranty’.

7.Why is it always best to get a written warranty?

8.What is the first thing to do when something goes wrong with an item you purchased?

9.What is the difference between full and limited warranty?

5. Pay attention to the use of tenses after ‘if’ and explain the difference between them. Then find more examples in the text and make your own sentences.

…what the seller will do to remedy the problem if the product does not perform as promised.

An express warranty is created if you purchase a vacuum cleaner from an appliance store after seeing a demonstration…

6. Translate the following sentences into English.

1.Гарантия — это обещание продавца относительно качества

итехнических характеристик товара, а также его обязательства

по исправлению неполадок в случае их возникновения.

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2.Перед совершением покупки необходимо узнать о предоставляемых гарантиях (длительности гарантийного периода, устранение каких неполадок включает в себя гарантия и что потребуется от покупателя в случае возникновения неполадок).

3.Существует два типа гарантийных обязательств — прямая

исвязанная гарантия. Прямая гарантия является частью сделки при покупке товара.

4.Поскольку устные гарантийные обязательства всегда очень трудно доказать, лучше иметь письменную гарантию

5.Гарантия должна содержать все необходимые условия, быть написана понятным языком и предоставляться покупателю до совершения покупки.

6.По условиям полной гарантии неисправный товар должен быть в краткие сроки отремонтирован или заменен бесплатно (включая доставку и установку). Если отремонтировать товар невозможно, покупателю возвращают деньги.

7.Во многих случаях права покупателей защищены связанной гарантией. Подобная гарантия распространяется на товары, приобретенные у официальных дилеров.

7. Prepare the retelling of the text.

Text 12 Credit (Terms)

1. Find out the meaning of the following words.

Credit, to lend, to borrow, in exchange for, creditors, debtors, interest, fee, additional money, unsecured credit, secured credit, to repay, collateral, loan, usury, penalties, variable interest rates.

2. Read and translate the text.

Using credit means buying goods or services now in exchange for a promise to pay in future. It also means borrowing money now in exchange for a promise to repay it in the future. People who lend

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