II. Match the words on the left with their definitions on the right.

1.International law	a. basic rights which many societies believe that all people should have.
2.International Court of Justice	b. for not suitable or proper in the circumstances there are penalties for inappropriate behaviour it would be inappropriate for me to comment.
3.Flexibility	c. the materials and processes out of which the rules and principles regulating the international community are developed.
4.Human rights	d. a judicial court of the United Nations which replaced the Cour Permanente de Justice in 1945 and meets at The Hague.
5.Space law	e. the national, or internal, law of a state, as opposed to international law.
6.International dispute	f. willingness to change or compromise the government has shown flexibility in applying its policy in its application and enforcement.
7.Pacta sunt servanda	g. a body of rules established by custom or treaty and recognized by nations as binding in their relations with one another.
8.Contracting party	h. a branch of law that developed alongside common law and is concerned with fairness and justice, formerly administered in special courts.
9.Treaty provisions	i. an integral part of the United Nations Charter, as specified by Chapter XIV of the United Nations Charter.
10.Source of international law	j. a disagreement or argument a territorial dispute between the two countries.
11.To be inappropriate	k. is an area of the law that encompasses national and international law governing activities in outer space.
12.Statute of the International Court of Justice	l. agreements are to be kept; treaties should be observed.
13.Equity	m. a condition or requirement in a legal document which is formally concluded and ratified agreement between states.
14.Municipal law	n. entity who enters into a binding agreement with one or more other contracting parties and thus accepts the benefits and obligations specified therein.

 

III. Fill in the gaps with the words from the vocabulary notes:

1. Accordingly, … – is the form in which the expressed rules of behaviour of the subjects of international relations and who report to these rules as an international legal norms.

2. Traditionally, … is made by sovereign states, for sovereign states. It deals with such matters as diplomatic relations, military issues and state territory.

3. A discussion of the sources of international law typically starts with a key provision in.

4. The best example of successful treaties between the states is probably …, which commands almost universal participation and acceptance.

5. … is much more common in international law than in most domestic legal systems. In a way, this reflects the inability of international law to develop an efficient method of written law making.

6. … are commonly understood as “inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being.”

7. The strongest … to the idea of the highest norms of international law which are unalterable for the parties to an international agreement came from the delegates of the developing nations and from the socialist countries.

8. Recent events in the USA make it seem appropriate once more to discuss the much-debated question of the relation between international law and …. For one school, the dualists … prevails in case of conflict; for the other school, the monists, international law prevails.

IV. Legal Latin:

a) Lawyers use Latin words and expressions when writing legal texts of every kind, from statutes to emails. Latin words and expressions are still relatively common in the legal profession. How many of the meanings on the left can you match with the expressions on the right? Make the sentences of your own using Latin expressions from this table.

1. By the operation of the law. 2. Caught in the act of committing a crime. 3. On the face of it, or as things seem at first. 4. A gift (usually money) with no obligations attached. 5. Starting again. 6. On its own, or all alone. 7. The right to be heard in a court. 8. Among / In addition to other things. 9. A legal action or application pursued by one party only. 10. After the event. 11. Equally, or with no distinction. 12. An act, such as murder, which is a crime in itself. 13. When a threat is implied in a contract, and as a result the contract is invalid. 14. A legal remedy against wrongful imprisonment. 15. Taken as a matter of fact, even though the legal status may not be certain. 16. For a short time. 17. Legal action against a person (for example, one party in a case claims that the other should do some act or pay damages). 18. By this fact, or the fact itself shows this to be true. 19. Acting in place of a parent. 20. A matter on which a judgement has been given. 21. A decision correctly made by a court, which can be used as a precedent. 22. Capable of committing a crime. 23. The duty to prove that what has been alleged in court is true. 24. In total good faith, a state which should exist between parties to some types of legal relationship. 25. A real agreement to a contract by both parties. 26. A situation where the legal title is clear. 27. Referring to the case at law. 28. Mad, or not completely sane. 29. With no owner, or no obvious owner. 30. The mental state required to be guilty of committing a crime. 31. An action done in return for something done or promised. 32. From the beginning. 33. Legal action against a thing (for example, one party claims property or goods in the possession of another). 34. An act forbidden by criminal law. 35. Not capable of committing a crime. 36. The real proof that a crime has been committed. 37. An act which is not a crime, but is forbidden. 38. In good faith. 39. Acting in a way which exceeds your legal powers.

Ab initio actus reus ad litem bona fide(s) bona vacantia consensus ad idem corpus delicti de facto de jure de novo doli capax doli incapax ex gratia ex parte ex post facto habeas corpus in flagrante delicto in loco parentis in personam in rem inter alia in terrorem ipso facto ipso jure locus standi mala in se mala prohibita mens rea non compos mentis onus probandi pari passu per curiam per se prima facie pro tempore quid pro quo res judicata uberrimae fidei ultra vires

 

b) Choose the words that match these definitions. Consult the glossary if necessary:

directive statute ordinance regulations bill

1. rules issued by a government agency to carry out the intent of the law; authorized by a statute, and generally providing more detail on a subject than the statute;

2. a formal written enactment of a legislative authority that governs a town, city or county government;

3. draft document before it is made into law;

4. a legislative act used by the European Union which requires member states to achieve a particular result without dictating the means of achieving that results;

5. formal written law enacted by a legislative body.

 

c) Complete the sentences below using the words in task b:

1. The Town Council will conduct a public hearing regarding a proposed … concerning property tax.

2. Finally a third reading debate at which the … as amended is considered in its entirety.

3. To exercise the Union’s competences, the institutions shall adopt …, …, decisions, recommendations and opinion.

4. According to the … concerning working time, overtime work is work which is officially ordered in excess of 40 hours in a working week or in excess of eight hours a day.

5. Early this year, the government introduced a new … on electronic commerce to Parliament.

6. Before a … becomes law in some countries, it must be agreed upon by the highest executive in the government, and finally published as part a code.

7. A number of changes have been made to the federal... governing the seizing of computers and the gathering of electronic evidence.

8. In the past, many U.S. municipalities enacted a variety of … regulating public morals and behavior.

9. The European Union … on Data Protection established legal principles aimed at protecting personal data privacy and the free flow of data.

10. Rahul Gandhi announced his emergence as the Congress boss rejecting as “complete nonsense” the … to save convicted legislators from disqualification.

 

d) Match these documents (1-9) with their definitions (a-i):

1.affidavit     2.answer   3. brief   4. complaint     5. injunction   6. motion   7. notice   8. pleading   9. writ

a. a document informing someone that they will be involved in a legal process and instructing them what they must do; b. a document or set of documents containing the details about a court case; c. a document providing notification of a fact, claim or proceeding; d. a formal written statement setting forth the cause of action or the defence in a case; e. a written statement that somebody makes after they have sworn officially to tell the truth, which might be used as proof in court; f. an application to a court to obtain an order, ruling or decision; g. an official order from a court for a person to stop doing something; h. in civil law, the first pleading filed on behalf of a plaintiff, which initiates a lawsuit, setting forth the facts on which the claim is based; i. the principal pleading by the defendant in response to a complaint.