- •Министерство финансов Российской Федерации
- •Утверждено и рекомендовано решением
- •В качестве учебного пособия
- •Введение
- •Chapter I law Unit 1 Introduction to Law
- •Introduction to Law
- •Vocabulary
- •Vocabulary tasks
- •The Aims of Law
- •In trouble with the law law-abiding my word is law
- •Unit 2 What Law Is
- •What Is Law?
- •Social Morality, Rules and Laws
- •Vocabulary
- •Vocabulary tasks
- •Chapter II sources of law Unit 3 Sources of English Law
- •Sources of English Law
- •The Principal Sources
- •The Subsidiary Sources
- •Vocabulary
- •Vocabulary tasks
- •Unit 4 Sources of Modern Law
- •Text a Historical and Political Background
- •Text b Common Law Systems
- •Vocabulary
- •Vocabulary tasks
- •Text c Common Law and Equity
- •Historical Development
- •Vocabulary
- •Vocabulary tasks
- •Text d Sources of American Law
- •Vocabulary
- •Vocabulary tasks
- •Text e Continental Systems
- •For You to Remember
- •Sources of Civil Law
- •Vocabulary
- •Vocabulary tasks
- •Chapter III constitutions Unit 5 The History of Constitution
- •Vocabulary
- •Text b Characteristics of Constitutions
- •Vocabulary
- •Vocabulary tasks
- •Unit 6 British Constitution
- •The Nature of the Constitution
- •Vocabulary
- •Vocabulary tasks
- •Unit 7 us Constitution
- •Founding of the United States
- •Vocabulary
- •13 States convention written constitution
- •Vocabulary tasks
- •Unit 8 The Constitution of the Russian Federation
- •The New Russian Constitution
- •Amendments to the Constitution
- •Vocabulary
- •Vocabulary tasks
- •Chapter IV the system of government Unit 9 The British Government of Today
- •Text a The Governmental Model
- •Vocabulary
- •Vocabulary tasks
- •1) Государственная власть
- •2) Управление, руководство
- •3) Форма правления, государственное устройство, политический строй
- •4) Правительство, правительственный аппарат
- •Text b The British Parliament
- •Vocabulary
- •Parliamentary Control
- •Vocabulary tasks
- •The System of Government
- •The House of Commons
- •Parliamentary Debates
- •Text c Law-making Process in the uk
- •Stages of a Government Bill
- •The House of Commons
- •The House of Lords
- •The Royal Assent
- •Bill And Law
- •How Bills Go through Parliament
- •Vocabulary
- •Making New Law
- •Types of Bills
- •Vocabulary task
- •Text d The Prime Minister and the Cabinet
- •Vocabulary
- •Vocabulary tasks
- •Text e The Role of the Monarch in Britain
- •Vocabulary
- •The Richest Woman in the World
- •Vocabulary task
- •Unit 10 The American Government of Today
- •System of Government in the United States
- •Vocabulary
- •Vocabulary tasks
- •Unit 11 The System of Checks and Balances
- •Vocabulary
- •Checks and balances
- •Vocabulary tasks
- •Checks and Balances
- •Unit 12 Law-making Process in the usa
- •Text a The Concept of Bicameral Legislature
- •How Congress Makes Laws
- •Vocabulary
- •Vocabulary tasks
- •Text b The Political System of the usa
- •The Political System
- •The Constitution
- •Federalism
- •State and Local Government
- •Three Branches of Government
- •Two-Party System
- •Unit 13 The State System of Russia. The Parliament of the Russian Federation
- •Text a The State System of Russia
- •Vocabulary
- •Vocabulary tasks
- •Text b The Parliament of the Russian Federation
- •Vocabulary
- •Article 97
- •Article 98
- •Article 99
- •Vocabulary tasks
- •Chapter V law enforcement Unit 14 Law Enforcement Bodies
- •Text a Role of Government
- •Text b Role of Police Force
- •Vocabulary
- •Vocabulary tasks
- •Unit 15 Enforcing the Law in Britain
- •Text a The English Legal System
- •Vocabulary
- •Text b The British Police
- •Vocabulary
- •Vocabulary tasks
- •Identify showing murder investigation found dead
- •Unit 16 Law Enforcement in the usa
- •Text a Protecting the Rights of the Accused
- •Text b Police Technology in the usa
- •Vocabulary
- •Vocabulary tasks
- •Federal Bureau of Investigation
- •Vocabulary
- •Vocabulary tasks
- •Unit 17 Law Enforcement in the Russian Federation
- •Text a Law Enforcement of Today
- •Vocabulary
- •Text b Application of Law Enforcement
- •Vocabulary
- •Vocabulary tasks
- •Chapter VI the courts Unit 18 The Court System of the uk
- •Text a Judicial Institutions
- •Text b Classification of the English Courts
- •Text c The Hierarchy of the Courts
- •Restrictions
- •Vocabulary
- •It is useful to know
- •For you to know
- •5) Cause – судебный процесс, судебное дело, тяжба
- •6) Controversy – гражданский судебный процесс, правовой спор,
- •7) Process – судебный процесс, процедура, порядок, производство дел, судопроизводство, процессуальные нормы
- •8) Proceeding(s) – судебный процесс, рассмотрение дела в суде, судебное разбирательство, судебная процедура, производство по делу, судопроизводство
- •Vocabulary tasks
- •Text d Courts of England and Wales
- •Judicial organization
- •Unit 19 The u.S. Court System
- •Text a Understanding the u.S. Court System
- •State Courts
- •A Typical State Judicial System
- •Federal Courts
- •Text b Jurisdictions of the Federal and State Court Systems
- •The Federal Judicial System
- •9 Justices
- •12 Circuits
- •Vocabulary
- •Vocabulary tasks
- •Text c The Miranda Warning
- •Vocabulary
- •Unit 20 The Court System of the Russian Federation
- •The Court Structure
- •Vocabulary
- •Vocabulary tasks
- •Text b Jurisdiction of Courts
- •The Constitutional Court
- •Jurisdiction of the Courts of General Jurisdiction
- •The Supreme Court of the Russian Federation
- •Vocabulary
- •Vocabulary tasks
- •Text c The Courts of the Subjects of the Russian Federation
- •Text d The Arbitrazh Court of the Russian Federation.
- •Jurisdiction of the Federal Arbitrazh Circuit Court as the Court of the First Instance
- •Vocabulary
- •Vocabulary tasks
- •Opening remarks at Meeting with the Judges of the Russian Court
- •Contents
- •Legal English - 1
Text b Characteristics of Constitutions
Every state has a constitution, since every state functions on the basis of certain rules and principles. It has often been asserted that the United States has a written constitution but that the constitution of Great Britain is unwritten. This is true, but only in the sense that in the United States there is a formal document called the Constitution, whereas there is no such document in Great Britain. In fact, however, many parts of the British Constitution exist in written form, whereas important aspects of the American Constitution are wholly unwritten. Written constitutions can concern themselves exclusively or prevalently with the organization of government or deal extensively with the rights of people and with the goals of governmental action.
Written constitutions are said to be “normative” when their binding principles are more or less all observed in the actual operations of the political system. This applies to the Constitutions of the United States, Canada, and of some western European countries. Other constitutions are said to be “nominal,” because they are largely or in substantial parts disregarded and do not provide insight into the real functioning of the system. This is often the case with constitutions of rapidly developing countries and of countries ruled by a one-person or a one-party dictatorship.
Constitutions, written or unwritten, must be distinguished according to whether they are “rigid” or “flexible.” Rigid are those constitutions at least some part of which cannot be modified in ordinary legislative way. Flexible are those whose rules can all be modified through the simple procedure by which statutes are enacted. The United States has a rigid constitution, because proposals to amend the constitutional document adopted in 1788 can only be added through a complex procedure of majority vote in each house of Congress. Great Britain has a flexible constitution because all of its constitutional institutions and rules can be modified by an act of Parliament.
Vocabulary
act n акт, закон, постановление; act of Parliament постановление парламента
amend v вносить поправки, изменения, дополнения (в конституцию, закон и пр.)
binding adj обязательный, обязывающий; binding principles обязательные принципы
dictatorship n диктатура; one-party dictatorship однопартийная диктатура
disregard v не принимать во внимание, игнорировать, не обращать внимания
enact v предписывать, постановлять; принимать, вводить в действие (закон),
устанавливать в законодательном порядке
enactment n издание, принятие (закона); законодательный акт, закон, указ, статут, постановление (законодательной власти), статья закона
exclusively adv исключительно, единственно, только
extensively adv пространно, обширно, широко, экстенсивно
flexible adj гибкий, маневренный, подвижный
goal n цель, задача
house of Congress палата Конгресса США
insight (into) n проникновение в суть чего-л., способность проникновения в сущность
modify v модифицировать, видоизменять; modify the rules видоизменять правила/нормы права
nominal adj номинальный, условный, символический
normative adj нормативный
observe v соблюдать (правила, обычаи, принципы)
operation n действие, работа, функционирование
prevalently adv общепринято, во многих случаях, главным образом
rapidly developing countries быстро развивающиеся страны
rigid adj жесткий, строгий, неукоснительный
rule n правило, норма права, постановление, предписание, приказ
statute n статут, законодательный акт
substantial adj значительный, основной, главный, реально существующий
vote n голос, право голоса; голосование, число голосов, вотум, решение; majority vote решение большинством голосов; большинство голосов
written constitution писаная конституция; unwritten constitution неписаная конституция
Reading tasks
A Answer these questions.
1 Why is it necessary for every state to have a constitution?
2 What type of constitutions do the United States and Great Britain have?
3 What are the characteristic features of existing constitutions?
4 What examples from the text illustrate these features?
B Complete the following sentences according to the information in the text.
1 The USA has a written constitution but the constitution of Great Britain is … .
2 In “normative” constitutions binding principles are … .
3 “Nominal” constitutions do not provide … .
4 If at least some part of the constitution … .
5 In “flexible” constitutions rules can all be modified through … .
Language focus
A Translate the following expressions into Russian paying special attention to the present participle.
1 leading documents
2 statutes dealing with the structure of the courts
3 developing countries
4 constitutions existing in European countries
5 providing insight
6 modifying rules
B Open the brackets putting the verbs in the Present Perfect active or passive form.
One of the reasons for having special constitutional laws is to prevent governments from becoming too powerful and from interfering too much in the lives of individuals. Whereas socialist legal systems 1) ________ (tend) to try to define exactly what the state allowed citizens to do, Anglo-American law 2) _______ (concern) with defining what the state could do, arguing that citizens are entitled to do everything other than that which the state forbids. As a check upon overpowerful government most modern constitutions 3) _______ (adopt) the principle of separation of powers, developed in the 18th century by the French political philosopher Montesquieu.
Many presidents 4) ______ (have) important policies blocked by Congress. The Supreme Court (judiciary) has the task of interpreting laws which 5) _______ (dispute) in lower courts, and of deciding whether a law passed by Congress or by one of the individual states is in keeping with the Constitution.