Vocabulary Practice.

1. Choose the necessary word and put it in the sentence.

1.English law and judicial system have a)trial

been made by the .... and Parliament. b)cases

2.At the present time the English judicial c)the House of Lords

system is .... in organization. d)judges

3.There are two separate systems of .... e)pyramidal

courts in England : one for criminal f)County courts

cases, the other for civil cases. g)magistrates` court

4.The most common type of law court in h)appeals

England and Wales is the ....

5.Civil cases are dealt with in ....

6. .... are heard by higher courts.

7.The highest court of appeals in England

and Wales is ....

8.Certain .... may be referred to the

European Court of Justice in Luxembourg.

2. Translate into English.

Судова система Англiї була створена суддями та Парламентом. За нашого часу англiйська судова система має пiрамiдальну органiзацiю. В Англiї iснують двi окремi судовi системи: одна для кримiнальних справ, iнша для громадянських справ. Кримiнальними справами займаються Суд Корони, як суд загальноi юрисдикцii, та магiстратури, якi мають тiльки обмежену юрисдикцiю. Громадянськими справами - Вищий Суд та суди графств. Найбiльш поширений тип судiв в Англii та Уельсi – мирові суди. Бiльш cерйознi кримiнальнi справи надходять до Суду Корони, який має 90 фiлiй в рiзних мiстах. Громадянськими справами (наприклад, розлучення або банкрутство) займаються суди графств. Апеляцiї розглядаються вищими судами. Найвищий апеляцiйний суд в Англii та Уельсi - це палата лордiв. До правовоi системи Англii також належать суди з справ неповнолiтнiх (якi мають справу з правопорушниками, яким ще не виповнилося 17 рокiв) та суди коронерiв (якi розслiдують насильницькi, раптовi або неприроднi смертi).Також iснують адмiнiстративнi трибунали, якi мають справу з професiйними нормами або суперечками мiж приватними особами та урядовими вiддiлами.

TOPIC 6

The American Court System

WORD LIST

judicial system – судова система

coexist – співіснувати

distinct – різний

precedent – прецедент

tier – ряд, ярус

circuit – судовий округ

Associate Justice – член Верховного суду

Chief Justice – голова Верховного суду

Justice of the peace – мировий судя

litigation – судовий процес

preliminary hearing – попереднє слухання.

Lexical exercises

1. Match the given English noun phrases with their Ukrainian equivalents:

1. district court 1. Верховний суд

2. Associate Justices 2. судовий прецедент

3. courts of appeals 3. суди штатів

4. Chief Justice 4. мирові судді

5. civil case 5. члени Верховного суду

6. the Supreme Court 6. кримінальна справа

7. state courts 7. попереднє слухання

8. criminal case 8. районний суд

9. federal courts 9.голова Верховного суду

10. judicial precedent 10. апеляційні суди

11. justices of the peace 11. цивільна справа

12. preliminary hearings 12. федеральні суди

2.Match the given verbs and English verb phrases with their Ukrainian equivalents:

1. to apply laws 1. переглядати справу

2. to hear a case 2. бути головою у суді

3. to create laws 3. відповідати(за)

4. to decide a case 4. застосовувати закони

5. to interpret the meaning of laws 5. призначати довічно

6. to review a case 6. розглядати справу

7. to preside over a court 7. створювати закони

8. to try a case 8. слухати справу

to have responsibility (for) 9. вирішувати справу

10. to appoint for life 10. тлумачити значення

законів

3.Translate the folloving words and word combinations:

judicial system, magisrate, district courts, the court of appeals, circuit, the Supreme

Court, Justice, Chief Justice, justices of the peace, civil case, preliminary hearings, criminal case.

4.Translate the following verbs and verb phrases:

to coexist, to interpret the law, to apply the law, to try a case, to appoint for life, to create laws, to appeal, to approve, to review cases, to preside over a court, to decide cases.

5. Give English equivalents for the words below.

Співіснувати; суди штатів; федеральні суди; ярус, ряд; судовий розгляд; окружні суди; апеляційні суди; вищі суди; нижчі суди; мировий суддя.

6. Read and translate the text.

The American Court System.

The United States of America has the most complex judicial system in the world . It has a dual court structure and two distinct systems of law, state and federal. The federal courts coexist with the state courts. As a matter of fact, the nation has fifty-one sets of courts (in fifty states and District of Columbia), fifty-one systems of law, and fifty-one collections of judicial precedents for magistrates to follow.

The state court system consists of a variety of state courts in each of the fifty states. These courts have responsibility for interpreting and applying laws in accordance with each state’s constitution. The federal court system has responsibility for interpreting and applying the laws created by the federal government under the authority of the constitution of the United States.

The federal courts are organized in three tiers, like a pyramid. At the bottom of the pyramid are the US district courts, where litigation begins. There are about ninety district courts in different parts of the United States. In the middle of the pyramid are the US courts of appeals. The country is divided into eleven “circuits”, each of these being served with a court of appeal. To appeal means to take a case to a higher court. The highest court in the country is the US Supreme Court. The Supreme Court of the United States is composed of eight associate justices and the Chief Justice, all of whom are appointed by the President for life, and the appointment must be approved by the Senate. The courts of appeals and the Supreme Court are appellate courts, with few exceptions, they review cases that have been decided in lower courts. Most federal courts hear and decide a wide array of cases; the judges in these courts are known as generalists.

At the base of the state judicial system are the courts presided over by justices of the peace. Justices of the peace are local officials usually without formal legal training who are elected for a two- or four-years term. They try minor civil and criminal cases and conduct preliminary hearings in some more serious cases. Their jurisdiction usually extends throughout the country.

According to the US judicial doctrine, “justice is a relationship in which each citizen or group receives due respect and return”.

Comprehension Questions.

1. What are the main systems of law in the USA?