Text 5. Administration of Justice in the UK

I. Read and translate the following text.

The highest judicial body in the British judicial system is the House of Lords. The Law Lords are life peers who hear appeals as members of the Appellate Committee of the House of Lords.

Most prosecutions in Britain are initiated by the police. As soon as a person is arrested, he must be brought to court with the minimum of delay. If the case is not serious and can't be tried quickly, an arrested person is granted bail. Judges are appointed from practicing lawyers, nearly always ex-barristers. Law magistrates try less serious criminal cases. The more serious cases are tried by the jury. The jury is a group of ordinary citizens, traditionally 12 in number and chosen at random, who decide on guilt or innocence. The accused person is considered innocent until his guilt is proved.

The most common punishments are fines, probation, a suspended sentence and a sentence of community service. Long-term and life imprisonment are the penalties for the most serious crimes. Capital punishment in Great Britain was suspended in the XX century, but a lot of people nowadays think that the death penalty for certain categories of murder should be reintroduced.

Vocabulary

judicial body life peers Appellate Committee prosecutions to be granted bail   law magistrate jury guilt innocence common a fine probation a suspended sentence a sentence of community service long-term imprisonment life imprisonment capital punishment to suspend the death penalty to reintroduce

судебный орган пожизненные пэры апелляционный комитет уголовное преследование, иски получить временное освобождение под залог, денежное обязательство мировой судья суд присяжных вина невиновность распространённый штраф условное освобождение на поруки условный приговор приговор к определённому сроку принудительных общественных работ долгосрочное тюремное заключение пожизненное тюремное заключение смертная казнь отменить смертная казнь, смертный приговор возвратить, ввести вновь

II. Answer the following questions.

1. What is the highest judicial body of the British judicial system?

2. Where are appeals heard?

3. Who are members of the Appellate Committee of the House of Lords?

4. Who are prosecutions most often initiated by?

5. In what cases is an arrested person granted bail?

6. Who are the most serious cases tried by?

7. What are the most common punishments?

8. What are the penalties for the most serious crimes?

III. Choose the correct variant.

1. The Law Lords are
a) hereditary peers b) life peers

2. Bail is granted in
a) serious cases b) less serious cases

3. Judges are appointed from
a) ex-barristers b) solicitors

4. Law magistrates try
a) serious cases b) less serious cases

5. The jury are chosen from
a) people with a legal education b) rank-and-file people

6. The accused person

a) is considered guilty until his b) is considered innocent until his guilt innocence is proved is proved

7. One of the most common punishments is
a) a fine b) life imprisonment

8. One of the penalties for the most serious crimes is
a) long-term imprisonment b) a sentence of community service

9. People's views on capital punishment

a) have always been the same b) are undergoing changes at present

 

Lesson 3. Organisations Fighting Crime

Text 1. A letter from Alex

I. Read the letter and do the task following it.

 

Hello, Steve,

Thank you for the texts you sent me with your last letter. I’ll certainly make use of them in my work. In my turn, I am sending you a text about teenage hate crimes in Russia nowadays.

It was a pleasant surprise to learn you are so athletic. As for me, I am not doing any particular sport in a big way, but I am really fond of football, which I play with my group mates all the year round. I also enjoy swimming in summer and skiing in winter. I am fond of bicycling, too, and I like lessons of physical education.

I quite agree with you that sport makes us better. I, for one, feel that I am getting more self-disciplined and organised. These are valuable qualities for me because I am often pressed for time. I was very busy last term, studying at the Academy and taking driving lessons several times a week. I’ve got a small car of my own, but, for the time being, I prefer travelling to the Academy by public transport because of the parking problem and traffic jams, especially in the rush hours. Now I have an opportunity to travel to the Academy by the metro. It’s very convenient and saves a lot of time. Besides, travelling by the metro, I can avoid traffic jams and come to the lessons on time. It takes me half an hour or so to get to the Academy in the morning. But I love driving, too, and I am planning to do a lot of travelling by car in summer.

By the way, if it’s not too much trouble for you, send me some material about world-known organisations fighting crime.

I know you are reading for the exams now, and I wish you all the luck.

Hope to hear from you soon.

Yours,

Alex.

II. Find in the text of the letter English equivalents to the following
Russian words and word combinations.

1.часы пик

2. весь год

3. ценные качества

4. брать уроки вождения

5. проблемы с парковкой

6. пробки на дорогах

7. удобно

8. экономит время

9. что касается меня

10. мне требуется полчаса

 

 

Text 2. Interpol

I. Read and translate the text.

Interpol is the shortened name of the world's largest international police organisation. It is the second largest (after the UNO) international organisation with 192 members, including the Russian Federation. It was formed in 1923, and the shortened variant of its name appeared in 1956. Its mission is to enable police around the world to work together in order to make the world a safer place to live. It protects the basic rights of every citizen.

Interpol is not under the control of any government.

It plays a great role in fighting such serious crimes as international terrorism, sky-jacking and drug-traffic. It also deals with murder, burglary, assault, larceny, car thefts, bank frauds, embezzlement, forgery and counterfeiting.

The function of Interpol is to disseminate information, primarily the information about dangerous criminals who are being searched for in different parts of the world. Interpol helps police to track offenders internationally. It has a large collection of fingerprints and other means of identification of international fugitives.

Interpol offers its member countries specialised tools to help identify victims from photos and films. It is especially useful in fighting crimes against children, which represent a huge challenge for police worldwide.

The main office of Interpol is in Lion, France. 80 per cent of the Interpol staff is French. It has offices all over the world.

Nowadays Interpol is helping its member countries in fighting organised crime, environmental and pharmaceutical crime (manufacturing and selling fake medicine), cybercrime (computer crimes), in providing support after terrorist attacks and natural disasters, in rescuing victims of human trafficking and in securing borders.

Vocabulary

to enable sky-jacking drug-traffic to disseminate information office to track offenders internationally challenge murder burglary assault larceny car theft bank fraud embezzlement forgery counterfeiting fugitive environmental crimes pharmaceutical cybercrime natural disaster human traffic to secure borders

давать возможность угон самолёта торговля наркотиками распространять информацию отделение выслеживать преступников в международном масштабе трудная задача убийство кража со взломом нападение хищение угон автомобиля банковские махинации растрата, присвоение имущества подлог фальшивомонетничество беглец экологические преступления фармацевтический кибернетическое преступление стихийное бедствие торговля людьми охранять границы

II. Answer the following questions.

1. What kind of organisation is Interpol?

2. What is the main mission of Interpol?

3. What is the function of Interpol?

4. How does it help to fight crimes against children?

5. Where is the main office of Interpol situated?

6. What crimes does Interpol deal with?

7. What crimes is Interpol helping its member countries to fight nowadays?

III. Choose the correct variant.

1. Interpol was formed in
a) 1956 b) 1923

2. It is the second largest international organisation after
a) the United Nations Organisation b) the European Council

3. Interpol helps other countries with
a) personnel b) information

4. It offers its member countries
a) specialised tools of investigation b) modern weapons

5. The majority of the Interpol staff is
a) international b) French

6. Interpol's offices are to be found in
a) France b) in many parts of the world

IV. Match the following.

1. to track 2. to disseminate 3. drug traffic 4. to embezzle 5. to provide support 6. on the staff 7. to forge 8. counterfeiter 9. fraud 10. to rescue 11. fake medicine 12. to burgle 13. to identify 14. hacker 15. a huge challenge

a) подделывать b) растратить c) оказывать помощь d) мошенничество e) спасать f) фальшивомонетчик g) поддельные лекарственные средства h) опознать i) совершить кражу со взломом j) хакер k) сложная задача, проблема l) распространять m) выслеживать n) числиться в штате o) торговля наркотиками

Text 3. Scotland Yard

I. Read and translate the text.

Scotland Yard is the symbol of the British Police which was formed by Sir Robert Peel in 1829. It is the headquarters of the Metropolitan Police Service and the largest police agency in the country, having 27 000 people on its staff and being responsible for the territory of 787 square kilometers. It consists of 4 departments and is headed by the Commissioner.

Originally, it was the courtyard of a residence owned by the Kings of Scotland and used as a police station. It was also the name of the place where Scottish royalty used to stay visiting the English Court.

Scotland Yard is responsible for crime detection and emergency service. It has the famous 999 system which provides immediate contact with police cars in any part of the city.

Another remarkable feature is the Central Crime Map in which all violent crimes are registered.

Scotland Yard has the Mounted Branch and the Branch of Police Dogs. The 200 horses of the Mounted Branch take part in ceremonial occasions, and the dogs are especially useful in the detection of drugs.

There is also the River Police which handles crimes on the Thames and on the territories within the river boundaries.

The Rogue Gallery is Scotland Yard's sight of interest. It contains the records of all known criminals in the United Kingdom.

There is also a museum of crime instruments in Scotland Yard.

The nickname "bobby" means a policeman and is related to Sir Robert Peel, the founder of the British Police (Bobby - Бобби isthe diminutive form of Robert).

Scotland Yard is known for its efficiency. It operates in contact with Interpol. The main duties of Scotland Yard are to prevent and detect crime, keep public order and supervise road traffic.

Vocabulary

headquarters the Metropolitan Police royalty the English Court department the Commissioner crime detection emergency service violent crime the Mounted Branch detection of drugs to handle crimes rogue bobby efficiency founder

главное управление городская полиция в Лондоне члены королевской семьи Королевский двор в Англии отдел комиссар раскрытие преступлений неотложная полицейская помощь насильственное преступление конная полиция обнаружение наркотиков расследовать преступления жулик, мошенник разг. полисмен эффективность, оперативность, результативность основатель

II. Answer the following questions.

1. What does the name of Scotland Yard symbolise?

2. Whose name is the formation of Scotland Yard associated with?

3. What is the structure of Scotland Yard?

4. How large is the organisation?

5. What is the history of its name?

6. What is Scotland Yard remarkable for?

7. Who is the nickname "bobby" related to?

8. What are the main duties of Scotland Yard?

III. Match the following.