Task 22. Answer the following questions .

1. Who does an MP represent?

2. How many MPs are there in the House of Commons?

3. What does the job of an MP consist of?

4. What is the equivalent of MPs in Ukraine? What does their work involve?

 

Task 23. Prepare to describe the legislative system ofGovernment in Ukraine. Use the elements of the UK system of government as a guide & make brief notes if you like. Include the following points:

The head of State: appointment, functions and powers, relationship with other state organs.

Legislature: composition, functions and power, relationship with other organs.

 

Task 24. Think the new information about the legislative system you’ve got to know & make up a list of their specific features.

Task 25. Work in pairs & discuss the most important points concerning the activity of the Legislative branch of the UK, share your ideas with other groupmates.

Task 26. a)Give the third person form of the verbs in these sentences.

b)Show whether you would pronounce the third person form as [s], [z], [iz]:

1. They perform certain important acts.

Queen performs certain important acts. [z]

2. They summon and dissolve Parliament.

She … . [ ]

3. We give formal assent to laws passed by Parliament.

She … . [ ]

4. They play the major part in lawmaking.

The House of Commons … . [ ]

5. They choose a number of ministers.

The Prime Minister … . [ ]

6. The members of the second largest party become the Official Opposition with it’s leader and “shadow cabinet”

The second largest party … . [ ]

 

SUPPLEMENTARY READING

Task 1. Review the text.

The monarchy is the most ancient secular institution in the United Kingdom.

Prerogative rights are of legislative, executive and judicial character. The Monarch must give the Royal Assent before a Bill which has passed all its stages in both Houses of Parliament can become a legal enactment (Act of Parliament). The Monarch's consent and approval is required before a Cabinet can be formed or a minister take up office. As Head of State the Monarch has the power to sign international agreements, to cede or receive territory, and to declare war or make peace. The Monarch confers honours and makes appointments to all important offices of state, including judges, officers in the armed services, diplomats and the leading positions in the Established Church. As the 'fountain of justice', it is only the Monarch who is able to remit all or part of the penalties imposed upon persons convicted of crimes through the exercise of the prerogative of mercy on the advice of the appropriate minister. At the present time the Monarch, although exercising residual authority by consent of Parliament and according to the advice of the government of the day, is regularly informed and consulted on many aspects of public affairs. The Privy Council is the body on whose advice and through which the Monarch exercises most statutory and many prerogative powers. There are about 330 members of the Privy Council, which, however, only meets as a full body on the death of the Monarch. It conducts much of its business in committees at which the Monarch may not constitutionally be present. All Cabinet ministers are members; other members are appointed by the Monarch on the recommendation of the Prime Minister.

 

Task 2. Read & comprehend the text.

ENGLISH TITLES

The British, like other nations, like to honour their distinguished countrymen and countrywomen by awards, decorations, and titles, The Order of Merit, for instance, has 24 members only, and so it is rare to see O.M. after anyone’s name. The titles conferred, such as "Sir" and "Lord", are usually the same as the hereditary ranks which were established far back in British history.

It is much more usual today, however, to confer titles which are not heritable, e.g. there are many "life peers" who have done out­standing public work and are given the title so that they may sit in the House of Lords and help it with their knowledge and experience. For example C. P. Snow (whom Russians know as Charles Snow) recently became Lord Snow, as a life peer. Life peeresses, with the title "Lady", are also created. Also, since peers cannot sit In the House of Commons, it has now been made possible for persons who have inherited, for example, the rank of "Lord", to resign that rank for their own lifetime; this is owing to the efforts of Mr.Wedgwood Benn, an active Labour member of the House of Commons, who did not want to become Lord Stansgate on the death of his father.

The correct use of titles on formal occasions is often found puzzling by foreigners and indeed, now that British manners have become so informal, by British people also.

 Peers or noblemen, all members of the House of Lords, are of five ranks: in ascending order—baron, viscount, earl, marquees, and duke. Their wives are baroness, viscounts, countess, marchioness, and duchess. There are very few dukes or marquises, and the other three ranks are more often referred to as "Lord", e.g. Lord Attlee (Prime Minister, ds Mr. Attlee, 1945-51), rather than Earl Attlee, Wives of these three ranks are also more often referred to as "Lady".

Titles in these five ranks are inherited by the eldest son, unlike the custom in many European countries where all sons acquire the title. If there is no male heir the title usually becomes extinct.

Confusion arises because the children of peers have "courtesy titles". The children of a duke or marquees put "Lord" or "Lady" as a prefix in front of their first name and family name. Thus at the end of last century one of the sons of The Duke of Marlbprough was Lord Randolph Churchill, but as he was not the eldest son he did not succeed to the dukedom, and his son was plain Mr. Winston Churchill (until, after the last war, he was knighted and became Sir Winston Churchill). Persons with courtesy titles are not counted as peers, and may sit in the House of Commons until they inherit a peerage.

The only heritable honour apart from a peerage is a baronetcy. Baronets have the title "Sir" in front of their first name and family name, and usually add "Baronet" or "Bart.", or "Bt." after it.

Knights, of whom there are many, are also known as "Sir", but this title is not inherited. The peculiarity about knights and baronets is that the title "Sir" is used with the first name, and never with the family name alone. Sir John Falstaff is "Sir John" if one does not use his full name; "Sir Falstaff" is the typical foreigner's mistake. The same applies to the title "Dame" which was invented during this century to give distinguished women the equivalent of a knighthood in their own right. Thus the actress Edith Evans is Dame Edith Evans or "Dame Edith"; "Dame Evans" is impossible.

The wives of knights and baronets, however, put "Lady" in front of their surnames; the wife of Sir Geoffrey Harrison, British Ambassador in Moscow, is Lady Harrison.

But the same rule about first names applies also to courtesy titles, 'e.g. "Lord Randolph", not "Lord Churchill". It applies to the prefix "The Honourable" which may be used (though it is often ignored) by the children of barons, viscounts, and earls; and also to the prefix "The Reverend" which is usually put instead of "Mr." before the names of ministers any religion, e.g. "The Rev. John Smith", never "The Rev. Smith".

The prefix "The Right Honourable" (used only in formal contexts) means that the person so titled is a member of the Queen's Privy Council, a body older than Parliament, which performs certain formal functions. The title is not hereditary.

Finally there remains in regular use, though less common than formerly, the suffix "Esq.", meaning "Esquire", whose formal use are now understood by very few. It can be written after the name of any adult-male who has no title, e.g. "John Smith, Esq." But if you put "Esq." you must not put "Mr." in front of the name.

I should like to assure readers of Anglia that English life is not cluttered up with titles in ordinary social intercourse; a short time ago I had Colleague (a very good administrator) who was a duke, but in the office we all called him "Charles".

 

Task 3. Review the text.

Statutes

The Sovereignty of Parliament means that Parliament is legislatively supreme and can make and unmake (i.e. repeal) laws to any extent, Moreover, there is no body which can declare its legal enactments to be of no effect; the only limit on the legislative power of Parliament is that it cannot bind its successors in power. This statement is now qualified since Britain's entry to the E.E.C. The E.E.C., now E.U., rules take precedence in the event of conflict with statute or common law.

Any Act passed by Parliament which is of general application is absolutely binding on all persons within the sphere of Parliament's jurisdiction. However controversial a particular statute may be, a judge is bound to enforce its provisions, although there may be some scope for judges to interpret a new statute in a particular way.

A statute may be defined as an express and formal laying-down of a rule or rules of conduct to be observed in the future by persons to whom the statute is expressly, or by implication, made applicable. A statute and a judgment may be contrasted thus:

Statute:	Judgment:
(a) Creates new law (b) Lays down general rules for the guidance of future conduct (c) Is imperative	(a)Usually disclaims any attempt to create new law (b)Usually applies an existing law to a particular set of circumstances (c)Gives reasons

 

The Making of a Statute.

Parliament comprises the Queen, the House of Lords, and the House of Commons. Although legislation may be introduced by both Houses, the effective chamber from which most legislation springs is the House of Commons. This lower House contains some 635 members representing geographical areas of the country called constituencies. Such Members of Parliament are elected at General Elections, held usually every five years, by the vote of all subjects over eighteen years of age, unless disqualified.

The Government is formed by that party gaining a majority of seats in the House of Commons. A Prime Minister is appointed to lead the Government. He then forms his Cabinet from the important members of his party, and appoints junior officials to various posts in the Government. When, however, no one party has a sufficient majority, or when a national emergency occurs, a coalition government may be formed by two or more parties temporarily uniting.

The Cabinet forms its policies of government and turns to legislation as the means of carrying the policies into effect, e.g. The Local Government Act, 1972 (as amended).

 

Task 4. Review the text.

Stages in legislation

The first step in legislation is the drafting of the Bill. This is a skilful and

sometimes long process requiring the services of Parliamentary Counsel, who are lawyers attached to the Treasury.

Once drafted, the Bill passes through the following stages to enable Parliament to consider and reconsider its provisions as thoroughly as possible:

(a) First Reading. This is a formality. The Bill may be read a first time as a result of the House agreeing to a motion for leave to introduce it. The Bill is then printed and published.

(b) Second Reading. Here the Minister or Member in charge of the Bill explains its purpose and the main issues of policy involved. The debate is limited to the purpose of the Bill and the means proposed for giving it effect. The House votes on the Bill. If the Bill survives the vote it passes to the next stage.

(c) Committee Stage. At this stage the Bill is dealt with by (i) a committee of the whole House, or (ii) a Select Committee, or (iii) a Standing Committee. A Select Committee is a committee constituted on a party basis, while a Standing Committee is composed of 20-50 Members appointed to examine Public Bills, which, after a second reading, are not passed to a committee of the whole House or to Select Committees. The purpose of the Committee Stage is to consider the details of the Bill clause by clause.

(d) Report Stage. Having passed the Committee Stage the Bill is formally reported to the House by the chairman of the committee. At the Report Stage the amendments made in the committee are considered by the House, which may make any additional amendments.

(e) Third Reading. At this stage the Bill is reviewed in its final form. The debate is confined to verbal amendments only, not the principles of the Bill.

The House of Lords is the second tier in the legislative process which allows for reflection on the merits or faults of the Bill and for criticism from different points of view.

After its Third Reading in the Commons, the Bill is sent to the Lords where it goes through a procedure similar to that in the Commons. If the Bill is amended in the Lords, it is returned to the Commons for consideration of the amendments. These may be accepted or rejected, though an attempt is made to reconcile the two points of view. If agreement is impossible, the Commons can invoke its powers under the Parliament Acts, 1911 and 1949, whereby it may present the Bill for Royal Assent after one year without the agreement of the Lords. A Money Bill must originate in the Commons and may be delayed by the Lords for one month only.

Royal Assent. Having passed the House of Lords the Bill is ready for the Royal Assent, which may be given by the Queen personally or by three Lords Commissioners. The Royal Assent Act, 1967, now provides that an Act is duly enacted if the Royal Assent is notified to each House of 28 Law-Parliament, sitting separately, by either the Speaker of that House or the acting Speaker. The Royal Assent is now simply a formality. Once the Royal Assent is given, the Bill becomes an Act of Parliament and takes effect immediately (unless some future date is specified in the Act).

Private Members' Bills. At the beginning of a Parliamentary Session (a session lasts one year), the Cabinet lays down its legislative programme. It is still possible for a Private Member of the House (i.e. an M.P. who is not a member of the Government) to introduce a Bill on some matter of importance to him or her. If the Private Member's Bill is of general importance and receives the support of the House it may be adopted by the Government and so form part of its legislative programme. Otherwise the Member may have difficulty in securing the passage of the Bill through Parliament. The Matrimonial Causes Act, 1937, and the Murder (Abolition of Death Penalty) Act, 1965, were the Private Members' Bills of Sir Alan Herbert and Mr Sidney Silverman, respectively.

Private Bills. These are of two kinds: (i) Local and (11) Personal. Local Bills deal with purely local matters. Where a local authority or other public body wishes to acquire additional powers not available under the general law, it may obtain them by the promotion of a private Bill. After receiving Parliament's approval the Bill becomes an Act of Parliament.

Local Bills usually deal with the construction or alteration of bridges, canals, docks, ports, roads, railways, tramways, waterworks, etc., or with extending the powers of local authorities, gas, electricity or other public-utility undertakings.

Personal Bills relate to private estates, names, naturalization, divorce, peerage and other matters. Such Bills are rare and must be started in the House of Lords.

Task 5. Read & translate the text.

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