Task 4. Describe political system of the USA using the diagrams below. What functions does each branch exercise?

http://questgarden.com/92/80/4/091202162313/ (дата обращения 19.11.2015)

 

(В - 2 hours) Warming-up

1. How many branches are there in a political system?

2. What are its responsibilities?

3. What is the system of check and balances?

4. Does it exist in Kazakhstan legal system?

Task 1. Read the text about the system of check and balances in the USA. Does this system exist in Kazakhstan?

The U.S. Constitution establishes three branches for the federal government: executive, legislative and judicial. The three branches work together to help the country. Each branch has its own responsibilities and powers. No branch has more power than the others. They have balanced powers. Each branch has separate duties to check the powers of the other branches.

Congress has the power to make laws, but the President may veto any act of Congress. Congress, in its turn, can pass a law over a veto by two-thirds vote in each house. Congress can also refuse to provide funds requested by the President. The President can appoint important officials of his administration, but they must be approved by the Senate. The President also has the power to name all federal judges: they too must be approved by the Senate.

The system of checks and balances make compromise and consensus necessary. The system protect against extremes. It means, for example that new presidents cannot radically change government policies just as the wish. In the US, therefore, when people think of “the government”, they usually mean the whole system, that is, the Executive Branch and the President, Congress, and the courts.[7]

Task 2.Read the text again and choose the best alternative to answer the following questions correctly.

1. Why is the system of check and balances necessary?

a) because it separates the executive, legislative and judicial branches of

the government

b) because it keeps any branch from using too much power or misusing it

and makes branch check on the others

c) because it limits the President’s powers

2. What is the role of compromise in the American system of running a country?

a) it helps the Congress to pass a law

b) it protects against extreme in government policies

c) it helps the President to veto any act of Congress

Task 3. Give the Kazakh / Russian equivalents to the following phrases:

checks and balances

to have responsibilities and powers

to check the powers of the other branches

to veto an act of Congress

in its turn

to pass the law

two thirds vote

to name the judges

to make compromise and consensus

to protect against extremes

the whole system

to impeach the President

Task 4. Describe political system of the USA using the information from the text and the diagrams below.

Make treaties

Consent treaties

Can impeach the president

http://www.1366x768.net/large/201201/8111.jpg

http://minfin.com.ua/img/2015/5718730/fedc0e7527ed1d571f277492d3470619.jpeg

			Must approve judges

Can say law is unconstitutional

Can impeach judges

Appoints judges

Can say president’s action is unconstitutional

http://prousa.info/images/us_state/state/supreme_court.jpg

Task 5. Put the phrases into three columns: “legislative branch”, “executive branch” and “judicial branch”: make laws, appoint officials, make decision of a case, veto an act, impeach the president, pass a law, name judges, approve officials, decide if law is constitutional.

Task 6. Read the following sentences and decide what law system (Kazakh or American) they refer to.

a) When the President receives a bill from the Congress, he must sign it, and then the bill becomes a law.

b) The Government is exercised by a Prime Minister and his Cabinet.

c) The House of Representatives impeached the President and put him on trial.

d) A new President is 38 years old; he is married and has two daughters.

e) A new draft of the Criminal Code was approved by the deputies of the Mazhilis.

 

Task 7. Make a presentation about the system of check and balances in Kazakhstan. Use the Constitution of the Republic of Kazakhstan, adopted on August 30, 1995.

CIVIL LAW

Hours

Warming-up

1. What is civil law and public law?

2. Is there a clear distinction between them?

 

Task 1. Read the following text

CIVIL AND PUBLIC LAW

One important distinction is between private – or civil law and public law. Civil law concerns disputes among citizens within a country, and public law concerns disputes between citizens and the state, or between one state and another. The main categories of English civil law are:

Law of Contracts: binding agreement between people (or companies);

Law of Torts: wrongs committed by one individual against another individual’s person, property or reputation;

Law of Trusts, arrangements whereby a person administers property for another person’s benefit rather than his own Land Law;

Probate Law: arrangements for dealing with property after the owner’s death;

The main categories of public law are:

Criminal Law: wrongs which, even when commited against an individual, are considered to harm the well-being of society in general;

Constitutional Law: regulations of how the law operates and of the relation between private citizen and government;

International Law: regulation of relations between governments and also between private citizens of one country and those of another. [8]

Learn the new words

English	Kazakh	Russian
civil law	азаматтық құқық	гражданское право
public law	қоғамдық (жария) құқық	общественное (публичное) право
law of torts	деликт құқығы	деликтное право
law of trusts	сеніп берілген меншік туралы заң номалары	правовые нормы о доверительной собственности
probate law	мұрагерлік туралы құқық/заң	право/закон о наследовании
property(n)	меншік, мүлік	собственность, имущество
well being (n)	денсаулық, жақсы тұрмыс, гүлдену	здоровье, благополучие, процветание
a wrong (n)	заңға қарсы әрекет, заң бұзушылық	противоправноедеяние, нарушение
distinction (n)	айырмашылық	различие
inheritance (n)	мұра	наследство
a defendant (n)	жауапкер, сотталушы	ответчик, подсудимый
a plaintiff (n)	талапкер	истец
evidence (n)	дәлелдеме	доказательство
to prove (v) a proof (n) proven standard of proof	дәлелдеу дәлелдеме дәлелденген дәлелдеме нормасы	доказывать доказательство доказанный нормадоказательства
a guilt	кінә	вина
to doubt reasonable doubt	күмәндану ақылға салынған күмән	cомневаться разумноесомнение
party	тарап	сторона
to lose a case	істен жеңілу	проигратьдело
to win a case	істі жеңу	выиграть дело
to bring a (criminal) action	іс қозғау	возбуждать дело
to suspect (v) - the suspect (n)	күдіктену, сезіктену күдікті, сезікті	подозревать подозреваемый
to damage (v)   a damage (n)	зиян келтіру, зақым зардап	нанести ущерб, повреждение ущерб

 

Task 2. Answer the following questions:

1. What is the main distinction between private and public law?

2. What are the main categories of English civil law?

3. What law deals with binding agreements between people?

4. What is meant under the term “torts”?

5. What law deals with the arrangements whereby a person administers property for another person’s benefit?

6. What are the main categories of English public law?

7. What wrongs does the Criminal law deal with?

8. What law regulates the relations between private citizens and the government?

9. What does International law regulate?