Text Russia’s Legal System (I)

(Part I)

There are 3 branches of power in the Russian Federation: the legislative, the executive and the judicial.

The judicial branch is independent of the other branches. It consists of the Constitutional Court, The Supreme Court, the Supreme Arbitration Tribunal and federal courts.

The duties of the legal system are:

1. to defend the rights and freedoms of Russia’s citizens;

2. to decide whether laws passed by the State Duma and the Acts of the executive power agree with the Constitution;

3. to guarantee legal and just execution of laws.

The justice presents a strict order of dealing with suits, criminal and civil cases and administrative offences in courts. Russia’s legal system is indivisible. The subjects of the Russian Federation are prohibited to establish the types of courts not specified in the legal system law. The Constitution defines the highest bodies of the legal system.

Vocabulary

legislative executive judicial independent of consists of Constitutional Court Supreme Court Supreme Arbitration Tribunal Federal court duty to defend right freedom to pass law to agree with… to deal with … suit criminal case civil case administrative offences indivisible to prohibit to define bodies of the legal system

законодательная (власть) исполнительный судебная (власть) независимый состоять из… Конституционный суд Верховный суд Высший арбитражный суд Федеральный суд обязанности защищать право свобода принимать закон быть в соответствии иметь дело иск, тяжба криминальное дело (в суде) гражданское дело (в суде) административные нарушения неделимый запрещать определять органы юридической системы

Exercise 1. Choose the correct word from the options:

1. The judicial branch is …. of the other branches.

1. Indivisible b) important c) independent d) impossible

2. The duty of the legal system is to decide whether laws passed by the State Duma … with the Constitution.

1. depend on… b) agree with c) to preside over d) to impose

3. The …. of the Russian Federation are prohibited to establish the types of courts not specified in the Constitution.

1. courts b) judges c) subjects d) duties

Exercise 2. Answer the following questions:

1. What does the judicial branch consist of?

2. Which duties of the legal system do you know?

3. Is Russia’s legal system divisible and dependent of the other branches of power?