III. Agree or disagree with the statements:

1. In medieval England there was written law.

2. Each feudal or baron administered justice personally.

3. The laws were different in different places.

5. The English common law began to develop after the conquest of England in the 14-th century.

6. The king was able to establish a system of courts.

7. The rules of law became precedents for settling similar cases.

8. The early common law known as “unwritten law”.

9. The Common law is based on traditions, customs and practices of the people.

10. Law is used to govern a society and to control the behavior of its members.

IV. Answer the questions:

1. Was there any written law in medieval England?

2. How was justice administered in early medieval England?

3. What are precedents?

4. What is Common law based on?

5. Who examines cases and pronounces judgment in the Courts of Equity?

V. Match the first part of the sentence (1-5) with the second one (a-e).

1	The English common law began to develop	a	which enforced a common law throughout England.
2	The rules of law became precedents	b	for settling future, similar cases.
3	The king was able to establish a system of courts,	c	after the conquest of England by William the Conqueror in 1066.
4	Disputes were settled on the basis of	d	administered justice personally.
5	In early medieval England each feudal lord or baron	e	local customs and the baron's judgment.

VI. Make up a plan of the text.

VII. Retell the text in a written form (in English or Ukrainian). Text 27. The magna carta

I. Read and memorize the following words and word combinations:

The Magna Carta – Велика Хартія Вольностей, to force – змушувати, to break away – відділитися, an objective – ціль, Common law – загальне право, Bill of Rights – Біль про права, a trial – судовий розгляд справи.

II. Listen to the text: The Magna Carta

In 1215, the English barons forced the English King John I to sign and adopt the Magna Carta, which provided for them certain guarantees and protection against unreasonable acts of the king. Later, the Magna Carta was revised, and other documents, such as the English Bill of Rights (1689), were adopted.

When the thirteen American colonies broke away from Great Britain after the Revolutionary War, the colonists adopted the principles of the Magna Carta and the common law. These principles became the foundation of the legal system of US federal government and of all the states.

Today, the two great systems of law in the Western world are the Common law of the English-speaking world and the Roman civil law found on the continent of Europe. Both systems have the same objectives, but they differ in origins and methods. The Roman civil law originated in codes (systematic collections of written rules of law) imposed on the people by the emperors of ancient Rome. In contrast, the English common law originated in decisions of judges based on widely held customs of the people. Also, English common law uniquely provides for trial by a jury of one's peers (equals).

The English colonies in America recognized the English common law as governing until July 4, 1776. After that date, existing rules were retained, but further changes in the law were made in the courts of the newly formed American country. The Common Law, with its emphasis on judges making rules of law, continues to serve well till now.