English_for_Lawyers_2011

Unit 2. Appellate Review. Section 1. Rules of Appellate Review

III. VOCABULARY STUDY

1. Search the text to find the words that: a) have the same roots as:

to view; motion; to consider; sure; law; to defend; to respond; to permit;

b) have similar meanings to:

during; demand; to be centered on; to apply for; to finish; permission; to lodge; basis; respondent;

c) have opposite meanings to:

satisfied; to agree ; to refuse; to complete; initial; d) mean the following:

−a party in whose favour a lower court decision was rendered

−a party who files an appeal

−a counterpart of an appellant

−a judgment deciding a procedural matter

2.Give English equivalents to the following Ukrainian words and

phrases:

перегляд справи в порядку апеляційного оскарження; підстави; оскаржувати рішення; подавати апеляцію; апеляційне провадження; апеляція по праву (на розсуд сторони); апеляція, яка може бути порушена лише за дозволом суду (на розсуд суду); звертатися за дозволом на апеляцію; процесуальна помилка; помилка в питаннях права; відповідати закону; скасовувати (відміняти) рішення; право діяти на власний розсуд.

3.Who or what are the following words and phrases connected with? Give one general name to each group:

1)to initiate an appellate proceeding; to file an appeal; to disagree with the trial results; to move for a leave to appeal; to challenge court decision; to seek an appellate review; to refer to a higher court; dissatisfied party;

2)jurisdiction; to render a judgment; to consider a case; due process; ruling; discretion; order(s); to grant or refuse demand to appeal; trial; judge; jury; verdict.

4. Find words not connected with an appeal process:

appeal, trial, briefs, to overturn, to challenge, claimant, to execute, to stand, damages, review, to change, defendant, pleadings, to question

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witnesses, objections, defences, claim, to dismiss claim, verdict, examination of evidence, pre-trial conference, execution of judgment, to bring a lawsuit, to discover evidence, error of law, to overturn court decision.

5.Think of one word only which can collocate with all the words in each group. Make up various possible word combinations.

6.Check that you can use your active vocabulary appropriately: use word combinations from the previous exercise to make up your own sentences and then arrange them in certain logical order of your choice.

7.Translate the text into English using active vocabulary of this Section for the underlined words:

Апеляційне провадження у цивільних справах

В Україні апеляційною інстанцією у цивільних справах є цивільні судові палати апеляційних судів загальної юрисдикції, у межах територіальної юрисдикції яких знаходиться місцевий суд, який ухвалив оскаржуване рішення.

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Unit 2. Appellate Review. Section 1. Rules of Appellate Review

Сторони у справі мають право оскаржити в апеляційному порядку рішення суду першої інстанції повністю або частково.

Апеляція на ухвалу суду першої інстанції може бути подана окремо від рішення суду у випадках, передбачених статтею 293 Ци- вільно-процесуального Кодексу.

У всіх інших випадках апеляції на проміжні рішення суду, які стосуються процесуальних питань, включаються до апеляційної скарги.

IV. GRAMMAR FOCUS

1.Point out Participle I in the text, explain the usage and translate the sentences.

2.Explain grammar phenomena of the underlined words in the text and translate them.

V. SPEAKING

1.Explain the difference between the following notions using necessary information from the text and the phrases below:

X is/means …, while/whereas Y is/means … . X differs from Y in the following way… .

The difference between X and Y is that … . X and Y are different kinds of … .

X and Y are both (mean)…, but the former is/means …, and the latter is/means … .

−f nali judgment and interlocutory judgment

−appeal as of right and appeal by leave

−appellant and respondent

−appealable and reviewable

−loosing party and prevailing party

2.Imagine you need to explain features of appellate procedure of your system, different or broadly similar, to a colleague from

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another legal system. Compare the main aspects of your country’s procedural law with an equivalent in the UK or the USA. Get ready for the conversation using the phrases below:

Different from: you have …, that’s what we could call …; we don’t have …, but/instead we have …; we have …, but it differs from (your)… in the following way …; there is no comparable … in our/your system.

Similar to: this is comparable to …; this is similar in …; in (our/your system) this is referred to as…/known as …; this is slightly/rather/basically/ very similar to…/like …; in your system … is/means … and the same is true in my country.

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Unit 2. Appellate Review. Section 2. Appellate Court Powers and Procedures

Unit 2. Appellate Review

Section 2. Appellate Court Powers

and Procedures

I. LEAD-IN

1.Think over the following questions and prepare to discuss them in class:

−Can you name courts of appellate jurisdiction in Ukraine?

−Try to describe presumable/probable route of an appeal in civil cases in your country.

−What is the final appeals instance (in Ukraine, Great Britain and the USA)?

−Are there any opportunities to change final decisions of the highest national judicial body on civil cases outside the national court system (in Ukraine, in other countries)?

2.The text you are going to read contains information on appellate proceedings on civil matters in common law legal system. Before you read, think over the subject and try to predict notions or terms you might meet. For a minute make a list of 10 topicrelated words and phrases.

3.Did your list include any of these terms, which appear in the text? Match each term to the correct translation:

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Quickly skim the text (don’t read it in detail) to decide what each of its parts is about in general and put the following headings into the correct order (1-3):

A routes of appeals

B hearing in an appellate tribunal C appellate court powers

TEXT 2

Notes:

1 to be reluctant to do smth. – робити щось неохоче

2 decision “below” – рішення суду нижчої інстанції

3 judge of appropriate level – суддя відповідного рівня

4 by order – (за) наказом

APPELLATE COURT POWERS AND PROCEDURES

1. In relation to an appeal the appellate court has all the powers of the lower court. Appellate tribunals can affirm, set aside or vary any order made or judgment given by the lower court; refer any claim or issue for determination by the lower court; order a new trial or hearing; make orders for the payment of interest and costs orders. Appellate tribunals are usually reluctant1 to overrule lower courts decisions on questions of fact, unless they are clearly erroneous, and so will focus on the application of the law to those facts. Generally speaking the appellate court decides whether the decision was legally sound or not; consequently argument on appeals can be directed towards legal errors allegedly committed at the trial.

If the appellate court finds no defect, it "affirms" the judgment. If there is a legal defect in the decision "below"2, it may "modify" the ruling to correct the defect, or it may nullify ("reverse" or "vacate") the whole decision or any part of it. It may, in addition, send the case back ("remand" or "remit") to the lower court for further proceedings to remedy the defect. Sometimes,

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Unit 2. Appellate Review. Section 2. Appellate Court Powers and Procedures

the appellate court finds a defect in the procedure the parties used in filing the appeal and dismisses the appeal without considering its merits.

2.Though the specific procedures for appealing can vary greatly from country to country however generally there is no trial in an appellate court. In modern practice most appeals are limited to a review of the decision of the lower tribunal; a full rehearing is allowed only in some circumstances. The appellate court examines a transcript or note of the evidence heard in the trial and the law applied; records of all pre-trial and trial proceedings are also reviewed.

When a case is appealed, the appellant has the opportunity to present arguments for the granting of the appeal and the respondent can present arguments against it. Arguments of the parties to the appeal are presented in written appellate briefs normally submitted by their appellate lawyers. The appellant is limited to arguing only the narrow points of law, or law and fact, on which the appeal has been granted. The opposing party is required to respond to the petition, oral arguments and legal briefs of the counterpart. In general, a respondent takes the procedural position that the lower court decision should be upheld but he may bring a cross-appeal as well.

After the briefs are reviewed, attorneys for each party may argue their positions in oral arguments before a panel of judges at a hearing. At such hearings each party is allowed a brief presentation at which the appellate judges ask questions based on their review of the record below and the submitted briefs. Then the judges make a decision and issue a formal opinion.

3.In England and Wales appeals are heard by a judge of the next most appropriate level 3, rather than the next highest court. A circuit judge in the county court is able to hear appeals from the small claims track decided by a district judge. Civil appeals from High Court masters, district judges, and county court circuit judges are usually considered by a single High Court judge, but, as an exception, they may lie to the Court of Appeal (e.g. a final decision in a multi-track claim). Two or more High Court judges have jurisdiction to hear appeals sitting as a Divisional Court. From the High Court cases may go on appeal to the civil division of the Court of Appeal or, when points of law of general public importance are involved, to the House of Lords, bypassing the Court of Appeal. The Court of Appeal (Civil Division) is able to hear appeals from the county courts under the leapfrog procedure and appeals from the High Court. The House of Lords

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will hear appeals primarily from the Court of Appeal but can hear leapfrog appeals from the High Court. The Lord Chancellor is able “by order”4 to vary routes of appeal if he considers it appropriate.

In matters of European Community law, the European Court of Justice has the authority to overrule any national civil court decision. Individuals, groups, or organizations who consider themselves to be victims of a breach of the European Convention on Human Rights, and who have failed to find a remedy in the national courts, may appeal to the Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg.

II. DEVELOPMENT

1.Scan the text to find the words which mean:

− процесуальний суперник − помилковий

− підтримати рішення нижчого суду − скасувати рішення нижчого суду − зустрічна апеляційна скарга

2.What is the usual order of these events?

To review the briefs; to move for a leave to appeal; to submit written appellate briefs; to issue a formal opinion; to file an appeal; to argue the procedural position in oral arguments; to examine a transcript and review records; to respond to the petition of the counterpart.

3.Use the information from the text to draw a scheme illustrating routes of civil appeals in England and Wales court system.

4.Write the words/phrases associated with the parties of appellate proceeding in correct column:

5.Test your vocabulary completing the passage with the words from the box.

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Appeals and other Methods of Review

orders, instance, defaulted, trial court, evidence, rendered, judgment, review, motions, appeal, proceeding,

final decision, trial, merits

A judgment of a court of first …1 may be attacked either by an …2 to a higher court or by a request for some form of …3 of the judgment by the court that …4 it. Thus, it is quite generally possible for a defendant who has …5 to ask a court to reopen the case and hear it on its …6. In Anglo-American courts, it is frequently possible to ask for a new …7. In some cases, if, for example, there is newly discovered …8, procedures analogous to …9 for a new trial exist in European countries. The party to any …10 should determine if the judgment may be appealed, because not every decision of a …11 can be appealed. In general, only final judgments or final …12 may be appealed. In certain countries and in some states of the United States, an appeal of a …13 that is not a …14 can be made in addition to appeals of final decisions.

6.Choose 5 key words you will likely need for writing and speaking on appellate review proceeding. Then write down all collocates for each selected word.

Example: appeal: to file an appeal; initial appeal …

7.You are a counsel for the defence (in the UK or in Ukraine). Explain a possible route of an appeal against a court judgment to a foreign client.

8.Translate the extract from the article to be published in Ukrainian Law Journal:

Сучасний цивільний процес в Україні

Цивільний процес в Україні регулюється Цивільно-процесуаль- ним Кодексом, який був прийнятий 1 вересня 2005 року. Чинний Кодекс містить цілу низку змін, які мають дуже важливе значення під час звернення до суду за захистом або поновленням порушених прав.

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Основні стадії у вирішенні справи включають: порушення справи (початок процесу), підготовчі дії, сам судовий розгляд, прийняття рішення, забезпечення його виконання.

Особливу увагу слід приділити апеляційному судовому процесу. По-перше, протягом установленого часу слід подати заяву про апеляційне оскарження, яка є наміром подати апеляцію на рішення суду, а потім і апеляційну скаргу. Апеляційний суд перевіряє законність і обґрунтованість рішення суду першої інстанції в межах доводів апеляційної скарги.

За наслідками розгляду апеляційної скарги апеляційний суд має такі повноваження: відхилити апеляційну скаргу і залишити рішення без змін; скасувати рішення суду першої інстанції та ухвалити нове рішення по суті позовних вимог; змінити рішення; постановити ухвалу про повне або часткове скасування рішення суду нижчої інстанції і направити справу на новий розгляд до суду першої інстанції.

ІІІ.PRACTICE AND EXPERIENCE

1.You are a barrister in the UK instructing a young European lawyer.

A. Make a list of things to do and features he should pay attention to preparing for appellate proceeding. There are also some

expressions to help you to describe chronologically the possible procedure:

First of all, …; then usually … and … . After that, … and …; then it’s necessary that … and finally … . However, … .

B. What are the procedures for appealing on civil matters in Ukraine? What sort of problems may a foreign lawyer experience in your legal system?

2.You are an appellate lawyer who is in doubt as to a real prospect of success of the appeal. Make up a micro dialogue of a lawyer and a client.

Think of a situation which might be possible in real life and explain your client the merits of the case and what the appeal will likely result in this situation. Think about possible strategies and propose a solution.

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