Vocabulary tasks

A Match the English words and expressions with their Russian equivalents.

1 law a суд

2 settle a dispute b обратиться в полицию

3 negotiations broke down c юрист

4 consult the police d несчастный случай

5 lawyer e юридически подразумеваемое положение

6 court f переговоры сорвались

7 accident g закон

8 legal implication h урегулировать спор

B Find in the text the English equivalents for the following words and expressions.

1. консультация юриста

2. международные компании

3. оспаривать решения

4. суды, действующие по нормам статутного или общего права

5. собственность

6. законные средства

7. беженцы

C Complete the text with the words and phrases from the box.

agreements conduct enforcement lawless promoting legislature power personal safety property punishing

A law is a norm for 1) ______ . Law embodies the 2) _______ that a political society has made about how life in that community is to be lived. Law is a method for 3) _____ whatever values a community wishes to achieve – protection of 4) _______, assurance of 5) _______ , clean streets, equal treatment of all races, 6) _______ of contracts. In a 7) _______ community, persons must protect their own lives and property. But law takes over the task of protection by forbidding acts that are socially disapproved, and 8) _______ those acts when they are committed. The first and fundamental positive law of all communities is the establishing of the 9) _______ .

D Complete the following text by translating the words and expressions in brackets.

Use the correct form of the appropriate words and phrases from the box.

flourish sanction live securely libel enforce threaten murder forbid European Union income tax protect make wills international bodies impose restrictions enforce laws disobey the rules pay compensation broken settle disputes govern

The Aims of Law

Law has several aims. They are all concerned with making society more stable and enabling people to (1 – процветать). The law forbids certain ways of behaving like (2 – убийство, 3 – письменная клевета), and requires others, like paying (4 – подоходный налог). If people (5 – не подчиняться правилам) the law threatens them with something unpleasant (often called a (6 – санкция)), like being punished or having to (7 – выплачивать компенсацию). The idea is that within this framework of do’s and dont’s people can (8 – жить в безопасности). If they are more secure they will treat one another better.

A second aim is the following. Laws guarantee to people who buy and sell goods, (9 – составлять завещания), form companies and so on that the state will if necessary (10 – обеспечивать соблюдение) these arrangements.

A third aim is to (11 – разрешать споры) about what the law is and whether it (12 – нарушен). Taking these three aims together, we see that law not only (13 – угрожать) those who do what it (14 – запрещать) but promises to (15 – защищать) people’s interests. It (16 – накладывать ограничения) on them but also gives them certain guarantees.

Lastly, a very important aim of law is to settle what the system of government is to be. Today and for the last few hundred years we have been mainly (17 – управлять) by sovereign states. That is changing. We are now increasingly governed, indirectly or directly, by (18 – международные организации), for example the (19 – Европейский Союз). But the state still occupies centre stage, especially when it comes to (20 – обеспечить соблюдение законов).

E Collocations

1 Look at the expressions in the box below.

Which means…

a suspected of having committed a crime?

b she doesn’t follow rules?

c we are all equal in the eyes of the law?

d take revenge without using the legal system?

e bossing people about?

f what I say must be respected?

g illegal?

h obeying and respecting the law?

i legally?