19. Work in the court

1. Judges are trained lawyers, nearly always ex-barristers who sit in the Crown Court and appeal courts. The judge rules on points of law and makes sure that the trial is conducted properly.

2. He or she does not decide on the guilt or innocence of the accused — that is the jury’s job. However if the jury find the accused guilty, then the judge will pass sentence.

3. Coroners have medical or legal training (or both) and inquire into violent or unnatural deaths.

4. Clerks look after administrative and legal matters in the courtroom.

5. The most common sentences are fines, prison and probation. Probation is used often with more minor offences. A person on probation must report to a local police station at regular intervals, which restricts his or her movement.

6. A sentence of community service means that the convicted person has to spend several hours a week doing useful work in his locality. Children under 10 cannot be charged with a criminal offence. Offenders between 10 and 17 are tried by special juvenile courts.

7. The death penalty technically still exists in Britain for some rare offences, such as treason, but is no longer used. The punishment for murder is a life sentence. This can be much less than a lifetime in prison, depending on factors such as good behaviour. The most common punishment for crimes — 80 per cent of the total — is a fine.

Choose one paragraph from the following reading that best suits each statement.

20. Solicitors

1. England is almost unique in having two different kinds of lawyers, with separate jobs in the legal system. The two kinds of lawyers are solicitors and barristers.

2. If a person has a legal problem, he will go and see a solicitor. Almost every town will have at least one. In fact there are at least 50,000 solicitors in Britain and the number is increasing.

3. Many problems are dealt with exclusively by a solicitor. For instance, the solicitor deals with petty crimes and some matrimonial matters in Magistrates’ Courts, the lowest Courts. He prepares the case and the evidence. He actually speaks in Court for you.

4. In a civil action he can speak in the County Court, when the case is one of divorce or recovering some debts. In the County Court the solicitor wears a black gown over his ordinary clothes.

5. A solicitor also deals with matters outside Court. He does the legal work involved in buying a house, for instance. He writes legal letters for you and carries on legal arguments outside Court. If you want to make a will, the best man to advise you is a solicitor.

6. To qualify as a solicitor, a young man or woman joins a solicitor as a “clerk” and works for him whilst studying part time for the “Law Society” exams. Interestingly enough, it is not necessary for you to go to university.

7. When you have passed all the necessary exams, you can “practice”, which means you can start business on your own.

Choose one paragraph from the following reading that best suits each statement.