Слова по теме

Rule	Правило
Individual	Частное лицо
Court	Суд
Court system	Судебная система
To litigate	Оспаривать в судебном порядке
Criminal jurisdiction	Уголовная юрисдикция
Civil jurisdiction	Гражданская юрисдикция
Case / matter	Дело
Magistrates’ Court	Мировой суд
Justice of the peace / magistrate	Мировой судья
Legally trained	Имеющий юридическое образование
Judge	Судья
To be empowered	Быть уполномоченным
To hear / try / deal with cases	Рассматривать дела
Minor case	Незначительное дело
Serious crime	Тяжкое преступление
Bank robbery	Ограбление банка
Murder	Умышленное убийство
Punishment	Наказание
The Crown Court	Королевский суд
Jury	Присяжные
To bring a verdict	Выносить вердикт
Guilty	Виновный
To hear appeals	Заслушивать апелляции
Domestic proceedings	Разбирательства по бытовым вопросам
County court	Суд графства
Tort	Гражданское правонарушение
Inferior court	Нижестоящий суд
Appellate jurisdiction	Апелляционная юрисдикция
The High Court of Justice	Высокий суд правосудия
Appellate court	Апелляционный суд
Subordinate court	Нижестоящий суд
The Court of Appeal	Апелляционный суд
Defendant	Обвиняемый
To be found guilty	Быть признанным виновным
Upper house	Верхняя палата
The Supreme Court	Верховный суд
Judicial functions	Судебные функции
Special court	Суд особой юрисдикции
Tribunal	Суд
To make a decision	Принимать решение
Dispute	Судебный спор
Youth Court	Суд по делам несовершеннолетних
Offender	Преступник, правонарушитель
Employment tribunal	Суд по трудовым спорам
Employer	Работодатель
Employee	Наемный работник

Вопросы для контроля и самоконтроля

1. What is law?

2. What is the court system?

3. What are the jurisdictions of English court system?

4. What kinds of cases do Magistrates’ courts consider?

5. Who tries cases in a Magistrates’ court?

6. What kinds of cases does the Crown Court try?

7. What is the jury?

8. What are the main civil courts in England and Wales?

9. What is the role of the High Court of Justice?

10. What is the function of the Court of Appeal?

11. When was the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom established?

12. Are there any special courts in Britain?

The us Government

1. The USA is the presidential republic. By the Constitution of 1787 and the amendments to it the government of the USA is composed of three branches: the executive one, the legislative one and the judicial one.

2. The highest executive power in the US is vested in the President, who is elected for a term of 4 years. The President of the USA must be a native-born citizen, resident in the country for 14 years and at least 35 years old. The Presidential election is held every four years in November. Anyone who is an American citizen, at least 18 years of age and is registered to vote may vote.

3. The duties and powers of the President are the following: the President is the Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces, he carries out the programmes of the Government, recommends much of the legislation to the Congress, appoints Federal Judges, ambassadors to other countries and heads of various government departments called secretaries, who form the Cabinet. There are a number of executive departments: of State, Treasury, Defence, Justice, Interior, Agriculture, Commerce, Labor, Health and Human Resources, Housing and Urban Development, Transportation, Energy and Education.

4. The legislative power belongs to the Congress of the US consisting of two chambers: the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Senate is composed of two members from each state (100 in a whole) elected for a term of 6 years. The head of the Senate is the Vice-President who is elected for four years. The number of representatives from all states to the House of Representatives is 435, it depends on the number of people in each particular state. They are elected every two years. The head of the House is the Speaker.

5. Any congressman in either house, or the president, may initiate new legislation. The proposed legislation or bill is first introduced in the House of Representatives, then referred to one of the standing committees, which organizes hearings on it and may approve, amend or shelve the draft. If the committee passes the bill, it is considered by the House of Representatives as a whole. If passed there, it goes to the Senate for a similar sequence of committee hearings and general debate. Once passed the bill is signed by the Speaker of the House and by the Vice-President of the Senate. Finally, it must be signed by the president, who has the right to veto it. If the president vetoes a bill, it can still become a law – but only if it is passed by a two-thirds majority in both houses of Congress.

6. Three branches of government are separate from each other, but the powers given to each are carefully balanced by the powers of the other two. Each branch serves as a check on the others. This must keep any branch from gaining too much power or from misusing its powers. This system is called “checks and balances”. For example, the Congress has the power to make laws, but the President may veto any act of the Congress. Besides the legislative function the Congress is entrusted with the power of ratifying or rejecting all treaties made by the President, declaring war, constituting tribunals inferior to the Supreme Court, deciding upon taxes, etc. The courts have the power to determine the constitutionality of all acts of the Congress and of Presidential actions and to strike down those they find unconstitutional.

7. Each state has a constitution similar to the Constitution of the entire nation and all the power in each state is divided into executive, legislative and judicial. The head of each state is the governor of the state.