III. Agree or disagree with the statements:

1. The local government looks after the interests of the popula­tion as a wholeю

2. The county councils usually look after planning, transport, highways, traffic regulations, health, education, and fire services.

3. Local authorities have limited control over the local police.

4. The police are usually responsible for environmental health, housing and refuse collection.

5. Each local authority has the freedom to organize and admi­nister services as it thinks will best suit the area.

6. Each authority is composed of elected councillors, who form the governing body.

7. Councillors are elected for four years and are unpaid.

8. Just over 90 per cent of local government expenditure is fi­nanced from central government.

9. The system of both central and local finance is highly compli­cated and controversial.

10. The system of central and local finance often leads to tension between central government and local democracy.

IV. Answer the questions:

1. What are the responsibilities of the national government?

2. Who looks after the interests of the people in a particular part of the country, such as a county or a town?

3. What are the district councils usually responsible for?

4. Is there a standard system of local government?

5. What body finances local government expenditure?

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

1	The system of both central and local finance	a	over the local police.
2	District councils are usually responsible for	b	transport, health, education, and fire services.
3	The local authorities have control	c	is highly compli­cated and controversial.
4	The county councils usually look after	d	local government deals with the needs of people in a particular part of the country.
5	The national government looks after the interests of the popula­tion as a whole,	e	environmental health, housing and refuse collection.

VI. Make up a plan of the text.

VII. Retell the text in a written form (in English or Ukrainian). Text 36. The judiciary in great britain

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

Offence – правопорушення, prosecution – обвинувачення, судове переслідування, punishment – покарання, justice of the Peace – мировий суддя, minor crime – незначний злочин, imprisonment – ув’язнення, to appeal – подавати апеляцію, to convict – обвинувачувати.

II. Listen to the text: The Judiciary in Great Britain

The court system in Britain is divided between civil and criminal cases, though many courts hear both types of cases. Criminal law defines offences against the state and regulates their prosecution and punishment. Civil law is connected with relations between pri­vate parties.

In criminal cases, there are two main types of courts: magistrates' courts (or courts of first instance), which deal with about 95 per cent of criminal cases, and Crown Courts for more serious offences. In civil cases, magistrates' courts deal with certain minor ques­tions, while more important matters are dealt with in the County Courts.

There are about 700 magistrates’ courts in the country, served by approximately 28 000 unpaid magistrates or justices of the Peace (JPs). JPs are ordinary citizens chosen from the commu­nity, who often have no legal qualifications, although they are ad­vised on points of law by a legally qualified clerk. They may not impose a sentence of more than six-month imprisonment or a fine of more than 2 000 pounds, and may refer cases requiring a heavier penalty to the Crown Court (in criminal cases) or the County Court (in civil cases).

A Crown Court (or a High Court) is presided over by a judge, but the verdict is reached by a jury of twelve citizens, randomly selected from the local electoral rolls. The judge must make sure that the trial is properly conducted. Underlying the whole process lies the assumption that a person charged with an offence is pre­sumed to be innocent until the prosecution can prove guilt “beyond all reasonable doubt”.

A person convicted in a magistrates' court may appeal against its decision to the Crown Court (the County Court). The highest court in the land is the House of Lords. In practice the Lords are represented by five or more of the Law Lords.