The Rule of Law

For much of human history, rulers and law were synonymous -- law was simply the will of the ruler. A first step away from such tyranny was the notion of rule by law, including the notion that even a ruler is under the law and should rule by virtue of legal means. Democracies went further by establishing the rule of law. Although no society or government system is problem-free, rule of law protects fundamental political, social, and economic rights and reminds us that tyranny and lawlessness are not the only alternatives.

• Rule of law means that no individual, president or private citizen, stands above law. Democratic governments exercise authority by way of law and are themselves subject to law's constraints (примус).

• Laws should express the will of the people, not the whims (примха) of kings, dictators, military officials, religious leaders, or self-appointed political parties.

• Citizens in democracies are willing to obey the laws of their society, then, because they are submitting to (підкорятися) their own rules and regulations. Justice is best achieved when the laws are established by the very people who must obey them.

• Under the rule of law, a system of strong, independent courts should have the power and authority, resources, and the prestige to hold government officials, even top leaders, accountable (підзвітний) to the nation's laws and regulations.

• For this reason, judges should be well trained, professional, independent, and impartial [im΄pa:∫(ə)l] (неупереджений). To serve their necessary role in the legal and political system, judges must be committed (відданий) to the principles of democracy.

• The laws of a democracy may have many sources: written constitutions; statutes and regulations; religious and ethical teachings; and cultural traditions and practices. Regardless of origin the law should enshrine (плекати, надійно зберігати) certain provisions to protect the rights and freedoms of citizens:

  • Under the requirement of equal protection under the law, the law may not be uniquely applicable to any single individual or group. 

  • Citizens must be secure from arbitrary arrest and unreasonable search (обшук) of their homes or the seizure [΄si:Зə] (конфіскація) of their personal property.

  • Citizens charged with crimes are entitled to a speedy and public trial, along with the opportunity to confront (протистояти) and question their accusers. If convicted (засудити), they may not be subjected to cruel or unusual punishment.

  • Citizens cannot be forced to testify (свідчити) against themselves. This principle protects citizens from coercion (застосування сили), abuse, or torture and greatly reduces the temptation of police to employ such measures.

Grammar Section Time and Conditional Clauses

1. Study the information on page and then put the verb in brackets into the correct form.

1. When I … (see) him tomorrow, I …. (invite) him to the party. 2. Before you …. (leave), don’t forget to shut the window. 3. I …. (phone) you as soon as I …. (arrive) in London. 4. Please don’t touch anything before the police …. (come). 5. Everyone …. (be surprise) if he …. (pass) the examination. 6. When you …. (see) Brian again, you …. (not / recognize) him. 7. We …. (not / start) dinner until Jack …… (arrive). 8. …… (you / be) lonely without me while I …. (be) away. 9. Come one, hurry up! Ann …. (be) annoyed if we …. (be) late. 10. I …. (send) you a postcard when I …. (be) on holiday. 11. When the rain …. (stop), we …. (go) out.

2. Make one sentence from two sentences.

Example: You are going to leave soon. You must visit the museum. – You must visit the museum before you leave.

1. I’ll find somewhere to live. Then I’ll give you my address. (when) 2. It’s going to start raining. Let’s go out before that. (before) 3. I’m going to do the shopping. Then I’ll come straight back home. (after) 4. You’ll be in London. You must come and see me. (when) 5. I’m going to finish reading this book. Then I’ll get the dinner ready. (when) 6. We’ll make our decision. Then we’ll let you know. (as soon as)

3. In pairs, ask and answer questions using the prompts below, as in the example. Example: SA: When will you sign the document? SB: I’ll sign the document after I have studied it carefully.

1. do the gardening / do the shopping; 2. post the letter / buy the stamps

3. water the plants / make the bed; 4. do your homework / have dinner

5. iron the clothes / tidy the bedroom; 6. pay the bills / take the car to the garage.

4. Put the verbs in brackets into the future simple, the present simple or the present continuous.

1. A: I …. (see) Roger at 7 o’clock. - B: Really? I thought he was out of town. 2. A: … (you / do) anything special on Friday morning? – B: No, I’m free. 3. A: I …. (go) to the cinema. There’s a good film. Do you want to come with me? 4. A: Helen …. (have) a party the day after tomorrow. …. (you / go)? B: - As a matter of fact, I haven’t been invited. 5. A: The new exhibition …. (open) on April 21^st. - B: I know. I …. (want) to get a ticket. 6. A: Aunt Maggie …. (come) to see us tomorrow. - B: I know. What time …. (she / arrive)? 7. A: Excuse me, what time …. (the train / leave)? - B: At half past three, madam. 8. Michael Jackson …(give) a concert at the Olympic Stadium next week. – B: I know. I …. (go) to the concert. 9. A: I’m really thirsty. - B: I … (get) you a glass of water. 10. A: Are you looking forward to the party? – B: Yes, I hope everyone …. (enjoy) it. 11. A: How old is your sister? – B: She … (be) twelve next month. 12. A: What … (you / do) tonight? – B: I …. (probably / watch) TV after dinner.

5. Translate into English. A.

а) Вони поїдуть за місто, б) Він закінчить курсову роботу,

якщо погода буде гарною. після того як вони складуть іспити. до того як ти прийдеш. коли у них буде вільний час. після того як поговорить з викладачем. якщо ви допоможете йому. коли він буде мати весь необхідний матеріал.

Б. Якщо ти приїдеш до Києва, я покажу тобі місто. 2. Ми обговоримо це питання на наукових зборах, коли повернеться наш декан. 3. Якщо ви поїдете до Лондона, я приєднаюсь до вас. 4. Я дам вам книгу, щойно прочитаю її сам. 5. Ми будемо проходити практику у суді, щойно складемо іспити після третього курсу. 6. Вона не буде з ним розмовляти, доки він не вибачиться. 7. Ми напишемо тобі, як тільки будемо знати результати. 8. Я буду виписувати всі нові слова, коли буду перекладати текст.

6. A. Read the text about two candidates, who are running for mayor of a large city and do the task below.

Daniel Baker Party: democrat Occupation: Mayor Background: City Clerk, State Assembly member, attorney Education: Yale Law School, LL.B; Howard University, B.S. cum laude Statement supplied by the candidate: For years ago, I promised to create a government that you could count on. Today, after four years as mayor of this great city, I am proud to say that we have come a long way. But the job is not finished. If I am reelected, together we will finish the work we started four years ago. The backbone of our effort must be education. In the next ten years, there will be 16 million new jobs in the United States. A lot of those jobs will be filled by citizens of our city if we prepare them. But they won’t be ready unless we improve our school system now. My second priority is housing. It won’t do any good to provide jobs if people continue to live in bad conditions. We must continue to rebuild houses in our city neighborhoods. My opponent talks about waging a war against crime and drugs. I agree that violent crime is a problem. But we’re not going to solve the social problems in this city unless we house people better. If our city offers an educated work force, business will thrive here. And as business thrives, we will have more money to rebuild housing. If our citizens have decent homes, they and the neighborhoods will become healthy again. I’m not going to pretend that these problems will go away quickly. But if we work together, we will solve them. I urge everyone to get out and vote on election day. Unless you vote, you will not have a say in the future of our great city.

Gabriela Ibarguen Party: Republican Occupation: City Comptroller Background: City Comptroller, District Attorney, member U.S. House of Representatives, lawyer Education: U.C.L.A. Law School, LL.B; U.S.C., B.A. Statement supplied by the candidate: Our streets are plagued by crime, and many people are afraid to go out of their homes. If am elected, my highest priority will be to give the neighborhoods back to the citizens. A lot of this violence is being committed by very young offenders. My administration will say to these young people: If you want to stay out of trouble, we will help you do that. But If you do the crime, you’ll do the time. If you commit a violent crime, you will go to jail, and you will serve your full sentence. If I become mayor, I will help citizens protect their neighborhoods. I will put more police on the streets, demand mandatory prison sentences for drug dealers, and set up a cooperative program between police and communities. If I am elected, I will help you fight for every street, for every house. Together we will win. But our young people won’t have a reason to avoid crime unless they have some hope for their futures. That’s why my second priority as a mayor will be to bring business back to our city. My opponent raised taxes as soon as he took office four years ago. As a result, businesses left in droves – we have lost over 100,000 jobs in the last four years. If we lower taxes, businesses will return. If businesses return, our youth will have jobs to look forward to and some reason to hope. And if they have hope, they will not turn to a life of crime. I urge you to vote for me. If I am elected, we’ll hang out a sign: ‘Open for business again.’

B. Match the conditionals with their results.

1. If Ibarguen wins, she 2. If we lower taxes, businesses 3. If businesses move back to the city, there 4. If the education system improves, we 5. Unless you register, you 6. Unless you vote, you 7. If the sanitation workers strike, there 8. If crime decreases, this 9. If Baker wins, he

a. will improve housing. b. will be more jobs. c. won’t have a say in government. d. will be more garbage in the streets. e. will have an educated work force. f. won’t be able to vote. g. will be the first female mayor. h. will move back to the city. i. will be a safer place to live.

C. Complete this interview with another mayor candidate, Herb Tresante.

Interviewer: Election day is just around the corner. Polls indicate that you have a pretty good chance of winning. What’s the first thing you ……. (1. do) if you ……. (2. get) elected?

Tresante: Well, it’s been long, hard campaign. If I …… (3. win), I …….. (4. take) a short vacation with my family.

Interviewer: Sounds good. Where to?

Tresante: To be perfectly honest, I’d rather not say. If I ………… (5. become) mayor, I ……….. (6. try) to keep my private life private.

Interviewer: I can understand that. Now, every election has a winner and a loser. What ……. (7. you / do), if you …….. (8. win)?

Tresante: Well, let’s hope that won’t happen. But, if I …….. (9. not / win) this election, I ………… (10. continue) to be active in politics. Unless both parties ………… (11. cooperate), this city ………. (12. not / be) as great as it can be. If my opponent ………. (13. accept) my help, I ……… (14. work) to improve school system. And last, but not least, if the people ……….. (15. elect) me to office this time, I ………. (16. be) back in four years to try again!

7. Fill in the blanks. Use Present Simple and Present Continuous or the future of the verb in brackets to complete the letter.

Dear Alf,

I _____ (1. be) in the school library now. I _________ (2. wait) for my friend to come and meet me. I _________ (3. write) you this brief note while I ______ (4. wait).

I ________ (5. take) three courses this semester – Law, English, and Philosophy. I ________ (6.like) Law, but it ______ (be) hard for me. Next week, we ________ (7. have) our first English exam. When my friend _________ (8. come), we ______ (study) together. He _______ (9. know) more English than I do. If I ________ (10. not / understand) any words, he usually ________ (11. explain) them to me. We sometimes _______ (12. study) at his house, but today we _______ (13. study) in the library.

I _______ (14. see) my friend now. He ________ (15. wave) to me. I __________ (16. write) you later when I ________ (17. have) more time.

Your friend,

Hillary