The legal system in England and Wales

(The system т Northern Ireland is similar, but the system in Scotland is quite different and separate)

The House of Lords

3 Law Lords

Civil courts

Criminal courts f ~i т

.----------1----- f. ------ П __________I______________

Court of Appeal 1-3 judges, no jury High Court 1-3 judges, no jury

7,,'

County Courts

1 judge, no juryU-J Crown Court 1 judge + jury [

Magistrates' Courts 3 magistrates, no jury

TASK 2. Find in the text the English equivalents for the words below.

- общее право;

- решение суда;

- уголовный кодекс;

- гражданский кодекс; _Л'

- мировой судья;

- Суд Короны;

- гражданское дело;

- суды графств;

- Европейский суд по правам человека;

- правовая система;

- суд по делам несовершеннолетних;

- правонарушитель;

- насильственная смерть;

- уголовное дело.

TASK 3. Use the information given above to answer the questions.

1. Who is responsible for making laws in Britain?

2. In the United Kingdom, what is the difference between criminal and civil law?

3. What is the most common type of law court in England and Wales?

4. Name three other types of British courts.

TASK 4. Work in pairs and discuss the following.

Which courts do you think would deal with:

a) a bank robbery?

b) a divorce case?

c) a burglary committed by a fifteen-year-old?

d) a drowning?! ^r-^' - <-

e) a case of driving too fast?

Unit IV PEOPLE IN LAW CASES IN GREAT BRITAIN

A. Types of Legal Professions

TASK 1. Read this classification.

SOLICITORS

There are about 50,000 solicitors, a number which is rapidly increasing, and they make up by far the largest branch of the legal profession in England and Wales. They are found in every town, where they deal with all the day-to­day work of preparing legal documents for buying and selling houses, making wills, etc. Solicitors also work on court cases for their clients, prepare cases for barristers to present in the higher courts, and may represent their client in a Magistrates' court.

* BARRISTERS

There are about 5,000 barristers who defend or prosecute in the higher courts. Although solicitors and barristers work together on cases, barristers specialize in representing clients in court and the training and career structures for the two types of lawyer are cfui'te separate. In court, barristers wear wigs and gowns in keeping with the extreme formality of the proceedings. The highest level of barristers have the title QC (Queen's Counsel).

JUDGES,

There are a few hundred judges, trained as barristers, who preside in more serious cases. There is no separate training for judges.

JURY,

С A jury consist of twelve people ("jurors"), who are ordinary people chosen at random from the Electoral Register (the list of people who can vote in

elections). The jury listen to the evidence given in court in certain criminal cases and decide whether the defendant is guilty or innocent. If the person is found guilty, the punishment is passed by the presiding judge. Juries are rarely used in civil cases. /

MAGISTRATES

There are about 30,000 magistrates (Justices of the Peace or JPs), who fjudge cases in the lower courts. They are usually unpaid and have no formal legal qualifications, but they are respectable people who are given some training.

CORONERS

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

, CLERKS OF THE COURT

Clerks look after administrative and legal matters in the courtroom. v **

TASK 2 Choose the correct definition for each legal profession mentioned in the text.

'\ (a) an officer acting as a judge in the lower courts. - (b) a public official with authority to hear and decide cases in a law court.

(c) a group of people who swear to give a true decision on issues of in a law court.

(d) an official who investigates the cause of any death thought to be violent or unnatural causes.

(e) a lawyer who has the right to speak and argue in higher law courts.

(f) a lawyer who prepares legal documents, advises clients on legal and | speaks for them in lower law courts.