Vocabulary Notes to text

1. tribal - підсудний

2. manslaughter — ненавмисне вбивство

3. rape - згвалтування

4. lay magistrate – мировий суддя

5. theft – крадіжка

6 burglary — нічна крадіжка зі виломом

7. indictable offence — правопорушення, що підлягає розгляду в суді

8. to try summarily — розглядати справу в суді у порядку сумарної юрисдикції.

2. Translate the micro texts “Criminal Courts”, “Magistrates’ Courts” in written form.

Criminal Courts

There are two main kinds of courts, and two kinds of judicial officers, to correspond with them. Courts of first instance are presided over by magistrates, who are normally Justices of the Peace (JPs); higher courts ('crown' courts) by judges, or in some cases, senior barristers specially appointed to perform judicial functions for part of their time.

Magistrates' Courts

Every person charged with an offence is summoned to appear before a local magistrates' court, which may impose a fine up to a general limit of 2,000 or twelve months' imprisonment, though for some specified offences the laws prescribe maximum penalties below these limits. With 98 per cent of cases the magistrates on the bench decide on guilt or innocence, and if necessary what penalty to impose. With more serious cases the magistrates can decide only to send them for trial in a crown court. A person accused before a magistrates' court may demand to be sent for trial court in some of the more serious cases with which in general the magistrates could have dealt themselves.

A magistrates' court normally consists of three Justices of the Peace (occasionally, two or four more). The JPs are ordinary but worthy citizens who have been appointed to their positions by the Lord Chancellor on the advice of local appointing committees. JPs have no formal qualifications; they are chosen merely for their good reputation, often with the support of political parties or approved voluntary bodies. Once appointed, they are expected to attend courses of instruction about their work. There are 28,000 JPs in England; each of them works in the court on about 30-50 days a year.

Commentary and Notes

1. JP = Justices of the Peace — мирові судді

2. to demand — вимагати

3. worthy citizens — гідні громадяни

4. The Lord Chancellor — Лорд-канцлер (головна суддівська посадова особа, спікер палати лордів, член кабінету міністрів)

5. to approve — схвалювати

1. Read and translate the text "Courts in England and Wales" and discuss it.

Courts in England and Wales (part II)

There are 63 full-time, legally qualified stipendiary magistrates who may sit alone and usually preside in courts in urban areas where the workload is heavy.

Cases involving people under 17 are heard in juvenile courts. These are specially constituted magistrates' courts which either sit apart from other courts or are held at a different time. Only limited categories of people may be present and media reports must not identify any juvenile appearing either as a defendant or a witness. Where a young person under 17 is charged jointly with someone of 17 or over, the case is heard in an ordinary magistrates’ court or the Crown Court. If the young person is found guilty, the court may transfer the case to a juvenile court for sentence unless satisfied that it is undesirable to do so.

The Crown Court deals with trials of the more serious cases, the sentencing of offenders committed for sentence by magistrates' courts, and appeals from magistrates’ courts. It sits at about 90 centres and is presided over by High Court judges, full-time 'circuit judges^’ and part-time recorders. All contested trials take place before a jury. Magistrates sit with a circuit judge or recorder to deal with appeals and committals for sentence.

The Government is planning to alter court procedures regarding of serious or complex fraud with a view to by-passing full committal proceedings in magistrates' courts at the discretion of the prosecution, but with a special procedure under which the accused would be able to the Crown Court to be discharged on the ground that there was no case to answer.

1. Read the text "Courts in Scotland" and make comments on it.