Ex.10. Answer the following questions.

1. Is there a single code in England?

2. What do the sources of law include?

3. What are the main classes of trial courts in England?

4. What do Magistrates’ Courts try? Who sits for the trial there?

5. What courts are also called courts of summary jurisdiction?

6. What courts have a double function? What do they try?

7. Who sits for the trial in the Crown Court?

8. What is the Crown Court for London?

9. What is the supreme court of appeal in criminal matters?

Module 4 unit 3

	Text: The United States Court System.
	Grammar: Indirect speech.

THE UNITED STATES COURT SYSTEM

The third branch of the federal government, the judiciary, consists of a system of courts throughout the country, headed by the Supreme Court of the United States. The whole country is divided in­to districts, each having a federal court. The present federal court system includes the Supreme Court, 11 courts of appeals, 91 district courts and 5 courts of special jurisdiction.

The Supreme Court consists of a chief justice and eight associate justices who are appointed by the President and approved by the Se­nate. The responsibility and power of these nine people are extraor­dinary. The Supreme Court is the court of final appeal, its main work is to make the final decision in legal cases in which a charge of violation of the Constitution is made. Supreme Court decisions can affect the lives of all Americans and can change society significantly.

The second highest level of the federal judiciary is made up of the courts of appeals. The United States is divided into eleven judi­cial circuits, each served by a court of appeals. As a rule, the court of appeals sits with three judges on the bench. They review the district courts’ decisions within their areas.

The district courts are the lowest ones in the federal court sys­tem. These courts try most of the criminal and civil cases. They are the only federal courts where trials are held with the jury. Deci­sions of the district courts may be appealed in one of the eleven courts of appeals and in the Supreme Court.

In addition to the federal courts of general jurisdiction it has been necessary to set up courts for special purposes. There are se­parate military courts for members of the armed forces and other specialised courts to handle matters ranging from tax questions to immigration violations.

Besides, each state has established a system of courts, including a state supreme court, to deal with civil, criminal and appellate proceedings. There are also county and city courts. Even the small­est villages have a local judge, called a "justice of the peace", who handles minor legal matters.

The constitution safeguards judicial independence by providing that federal judges shall hold office until they die, retire or resign, although a judge who commits an offence while in office may be impeached in the same way as the president or other officials of the federal government.

Vocabulary

Judiciary	-	судова система; судова влада; судочинство
chief justice	-	головний суддя
associate justice	-	член суду
judicial circuit	-	судова округа
violation	-	порушення
violence	-	насильство, примушення
justice of the peace	-	мировий суддя
minor	-	незначний, неповнолітній, підліток
to handle to resign	-	розглядати, розбирати; керувати піти у відставку
to hold office	-	займати посаду

Ex. 1. Read the words and translate them into Ukrainian.

The Senate, president, extraordinary, final appeal, legal, interpreting, facts, situation, immigration, municipal, local.

Ex. 2. Find the equivalents:

the responsibility	порушення конституції
the final decision	відповідальність
violation of the Constitution	судовий розгляд
trial	правові питання
justice of the peace	мировий суддя
judicial independence	останнє рішення
legal matters	судова незалежність

Ex. 3. Translate the word-combinations into English using the following words.

1. Federal (федеральний уряд, федеральна система судів, федеральне судочинство, федеральні суди, федеральний суддя).

2. Final (останнє рішення, фінальна апеляція).

3. District (окружний суд, рішення окружного суду).

4. Court (Верховний суд, апеляційний суд, окружний суд, суд спеціальної юрисдикції, суд загальної юрисдикції, суд міста, муніципальний суд).

5. Proceeding (кримінальний процес, цивільний процес, апеляційний процес).

Ex. 4. Combine the words into word-combinations and translate them into Russian:

to make	criminal and civil cases
to try	a trial with the jury
to hold	the president
to listen to	the final decision
to consider	testimony
to elect	evidence
to safeguard	judicial independence

Ex. 5. Change the verb phrases to noun phrases and translate them into Ukrainian.

To appoint the Senate, to violate the Constitution, to decide the facts of the case, to establish a court system, to govern the country.

Ex. 6. Add the sentences.

1. The present federal court system includes …

2. The Supreme Court consists of …

3. The main work of the Supreme Court is …

4. The appeals court sits with …

5. The courts of appeals review …

6. The district courts try …

7. The supreme court of each state deals with …

Ex. 7. Practise using “asked if / asked whether”.

Model: Are you married? – (Peter) asked me if I am married.

1. Are you hungry?

2. Did you enjoy your vocation?

3. Do you need any help?

4. Have you ever been to London?

5. Do you think it’s going to rain?

6. Will you be at home tonight?

7. Can you hear me?

Ex. 8. Change the following sentences into Indirect speech as in the model:

Model: Where are you going? –

She asked where I was going.

1. Do you work as a legal adviser or a prosecutor?

2. Has he presented the evidence?

3. Did he have a personal interest in the case?

4. What does the legislative process involve?

5. Where are the members of the House of Lords drawn from?

6. What are the chambers of the UK Parliament?

7. What is the highest court in the United Kingdom?

Ex. 9. Answer the following questions.

1. What is the third branch of the federal government?

2. What does the present federal court system include?

3. What is the highest level of the federal judiciary?

4. What is the structure of the Supreme Court?

5. What is the main work of the Supreme Court?

6. What is the second level of the federal judiciary?

7. What do the district courts try?

8. What is the structure of the state court system?