Listen to the VOA program THIS IS AMERICA devoted to the Supreme Court, make notes, answer the questions.

1) Which of the Supreme Court rulings do the authors consider to be surprising? Why?

2) What opinions did two opposing groups of people hold regarding the recount of disputed ballots?

3) What are the composition and main duties of the Supreme Court?

4) How many cases were to be heard for the term described?

5)What is the Supreme Court to decide? What decision was made by the Supreme Court regarding the condemned man in North Carolina? How did the Supreme Court delay his execution?

7) What law was approved by Congress in 1990?

8) What did they rule on Miss Wiliams’s case against Toyota?

9) Why did the Supreme Court decide what makes a person disabled?

10)What does the trial procedure in the Supreme Court involve? What happens if some justice disagrees with majority-shared opinion?

11) When was the Supreme Court established? What powers did the American Constitution assign to each branch of power?

12) How did Chief Justice John Marshall change the Supreme Court responsibilities and role within the divisions of power?

13) What cases does the Supreme Court consider? Can their decisions be vetoed?

14) Are Supreme Court justices elected? What kind of loyalty are they supposed to demonstrate?

15) What decision were made by Supreme Court justices in 1896 and 1954? What do the authors refer to these two rulings?

16) How can American presidents’ influence change in the Supreme Court? Why do they try to nominate justices who share their political beliefs?

17) How did the Court change under Chief Justice Earl Warren?

18) What cases can according to some experts be passed under Supreme Court jurisdiction?

                         

                               Text 3 UK judicial system

Before you read think:

- How many judicial systems do you think UK legal system comprises?

- Do you happen to know the difference between common and civil law?

-What could be a jurisdiction of Family Court or Queen’s bench?

 

 

Read the following text. Translate the underlined passage (s) into Russian.

Actually, there are three legal systems in the United Kingdom. English law, which applies in England and Wales, and Northern Ireland law, which applies in Northern Ireland. These legal systems are based on common-law principles. Scots law, which applies in Scotland, and thus the Scottish legal system is based on civil-law principles, with common law elements.

Common law was developed by judges through decisions of courts and similar tribunals rather than through legislative statutes or executive action. In common law, the court is bound to follow the reasoning used in the prior decision if a similar dispute or precedent has been resolved in the past.

In civil law laws are codified, and not determined by judges. The principle of civil law is to provide all citizens with an accessible and written collection of the laws which apply to them and which judges must follow.

Since October 2009 the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom is the highest court in the land for all criminal and civil cases in England and Wales and Northern Ireland.

In England and Wales, the court system is headed by the Supreme Court of England and Wales, consisting of the Court of Appeal, the High Court of Justice (for civil cases) and the Crown Court (for criminal cases). The Courts of Northern Ireland follow the same pattern.

In Scotland the chief courts are the Court of Session ^[1], for civil cases, and the High Court of Justiciary ^[2], for criminal cases. Sheriff courts have no equivalent outside Scotland as these Courts deal both with criminal and civil caseloads.

The Judicial Committee of the Privy Council ^[3] is the highest court of appeal for several independent Commonwealth countries, the British overseas territories, and the British Crown dependencies. It also hears cases concerning questions relating to the powers and functions of the devolved legislatures. The 'devolution' function will be transferred to the new Supreme Court.

There are also immigration courts with UK- wide jurisdiction — the Asylum and Immigration Tribunal ^[4]and Special Immigration Appeals Commission. The former was constituted in the United Kingdom with jurisdiction to hear appeals from many immigration and asylum decisions. It was created on 4 April 2005, replacing the former Immigration Appellate Authority. The Employment tribunals ^[5] and the Employment Appeal Tribunal have statutory jurisdiction to hear many kinds of disputes between employers and employees. The most common disputes are concerned with unfair dismissal, redundancy payments and employment discrimination.

Civil courts

Civil cases at first instance are heard in the County Courts (for minor claims) or the High Court, which is divided into three divisions: Queen's Bench ^[6], Family and Chancery. Cases may be appealed to the Court of Appeal (Civil Division). Cases may be appealed from the County Court to the High Court.

The work of the Queen's Bench Division consists mainly of claims for: damages in respect of personal injury, negligence, breach of contract, libel and slander non-payment of a debt etc.

The House of Lords used to be the supreme court of appeal. Its judicial functions are quite separate from its legislative work, and cases are heard by up to 13 senior judges known as the Lords of Appeal in Ordinary ^[7], or Law Lords. It shares its function as the supreme appellate court with.

However the Constitutional Reform Act 2005 provides for the establishment of a Supreme Court to replace the judicial function of the House of Lords with an independent appointments system, thereby making a constitutional separation between the legislature and the judiciary.

Criminal courts

Criminal cases are heard at first instance in the Magistrates' Courts, with more serious ones being hears in the Crown Court. Appeals are heard in the Court of Appeal Criminal Division.

Exercises

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