Constitutional law

There is no hard and fast definition of constitutional law. According to one very wide definition, constitutional law is that part of the law which relates to the system of government of the country. It is more useful to define constitutional law as meaning those laws which regulate the structure of the principal organs of government and their relationship to each other and to the citizen, and determine their main functions. Where there is a written constitution, emphasis is placed on the rules which it contains and on the way in which they have been interpreted by the highest court with constitutional jurisdiction. It is increasingly recognised that in most branches of law the purpose and operation of legal rules can be under­stood only with a knowledge of the social background against which the legal rules operate: legal procedures for the resolution of disputes arising within a family, a trade union or a limited company are an incomplete guide to the role of these institutions in society.

A further problem of definition is that, unlike legal system in which law is divided up into a series of codes, there is no hard and fast demarcation in Britain between constitutional law and other branches of law. For example, in the field of family law, important protection for family life is given by the European Convention on Human Rights, and family status is an important basis for many rules of immigration control. Numerous civil liberty issues arise out of criminal law and procedure. In property law, public control of private rights is a fertile field for the emergence of disputes involving a clash between public and private interests. These examples are not meant to suggest that constitutional law comprehends the whole of the legal system, but that the functioning of the legal system is of direct concern to constitutional law.

Exc.1 Translate the following articles of the Constitution into English.

1. Российская Федерация — Россия есть демократи­ческое федеративное правовое государство с республи­канской формой правления.

2. Государственная власть в Российской Федерации осуществляется на основе разделения на законодатель­ную, исполнительную и судебную. Органы законода­тельной, исполнительной и судебной власти самостоя­тельны.

3. Все равны перед законом и судом.

4. Государство гарантирует равенство прав и свобод человека и гражданина независимо от пола, расы, на­циональности, языка, происхождения, имущественного и должностного положения, места жительства, отно­шения к религии, убеждений, принадлежности к об­щественным объединениям, а также других обстоя­тельств.

5. Запрещаются любые формы ограничения прав граждан по признакам социальной, расовой, националь­ной, языковой или религиозной принадлежности.

6. Президент Российской Федерации избирается на четыре года гражданами Российской Федерации на основе всеобщего равного и прямого избирательного права при тайном голосовании.

7. Президентом Российской Федерации может быть избран гражданин Российской Федерации не моложе 35 лет, постоянно проживающий в Российской Феде­рации не менее 10 лет.

8. Одно и то же лицо не может занимать должность Президента Российской Федерации более двух сроков подряд.

9. Федеральное собрание состоит из двух палат — Совета Федерации и Государственной Думы.

10. В Совет Федерации входят по два представителя от каждого субъекта Российской Федерации.

11. Государственная Дума состоит из 450 депутатов.

12. Правосудие в Российской Федерации осуществляется только судом.

13. Судебная власть осуществляется посредством конституционного, гражданского, административного и уголовного судопроизводства.

Exc.2 Write down the transciption and find Russsian equivalents to:

jurisprudence,

electoral districts,

provisions, laissez-faire,

invalidate,

amendments,

freedoms,

voluntary abortion,

procedural,

privacy,

suspect,

segregation,

accused,

liberties,

deprived

Exc.3 Find the Russian equivalents for the following clichés and set expressions from the text. Use them in the sentences of your own.

• It is important to point out …

• No matter what …

• Contrary to …

• We can assert that …

• It is being recognized that …

• It is far from surprising that …

• Bearing in mind …

Exc.4 Translate the following articles of the Constitution into Russian.

Article 97

1. Any citizen of the Russian Federation who has reached 21 years of age and who has the right to participate in elections may he elected deputy of the State Duma.

2. One and the same person may not be simultaneously a member of the Federation Council and a deputy of the State Duma. Deputy of the State Duma may not be a deputy of other representative State government bodies and local government bodies.

3. Deputies of the State Duma shall work on a professional permanent basis. Deputies of the State Duma may not be employed in State service or engaged in other paid activities, except for teaching and scientific and other creative work.

Article 98

1. Members of the Federation Council and deputies of the State Duma shall enjoy immunity during the whole term of their office. They may not be detained, arrested or searched, except in the event of detention at the scene of a crime. They may not be subjected to personal searches, except in instances where this is provided for by federal law in order to ensure the safety of other people.

2. The issue of the removal of immunity shall be resolved by an appropriate chamber of the Federal Assembly upon submission of the Prosecutor General of the Russian Federation.

Article 99

1. The Federal Assembly shall be a permanently functioning body.

2. The State Duma shall convene its first session on the thirtieth day after election. The President of the Russian Federation may convene a session of the State Duma earlier than this date.

Article 119

Judges shall be citizens of the Russian Federation over 25 years of age with a higher education in law who have served in the legal profession for not less than five years. Federal law may establish additional requirements for judges of the courts of the Russian Federation.

Article 120

1. Judges shall be independent and shall be subordinate only to the Constitution and federal law.

2. Should a court establish when considering a case that a legal act of the State or other body conflicts with law, it shall take a decision in accordance with the law.

Article 121

1. Judges shall be irremovable.

2. The powers of a judge may be terminated or suspended only on the grounds and in accordance with the procedure established by federal law.

Article 122

1. Judges shall be inviolable.

2. A judge cannot face criminal liability otherwise than in accordance with the procedure established by federal law.

Article 49

2. The accused shall not be obliged to prove his (her) innocence.

3. Unremovable doubts about the guilt of a person shall be interpreted in favour of the accused.

Article 50

1. Nobody may be convicted twice for one and the same crime.

2. In administering justice it shall not be permitted to use evidence received through violating federal law.

3. Any person convicted of a crime shall have the right to appeal against the verdict to a higher court in accordance with the procedure established by federal law, as well as to request pardon or mitigation of the punishment.

Article 51

1. Nobody shall be obliged to testify against himself, his (her) spouse or close relatives, the range of whom shall be determined by federal law.

2. Federal law may establish other cases where the obligation to give evidence may be lifted.

PART 6

Administrative law

Administrative law is the legal framework within which public administration is carried out. It derives from the need to create and develop a system of public admin­istration under law, a concept that may be compared with the much older notion of justice under law. Since admin­istration involves the exercise of power by the executive arm of government, administrative law is of constitu­tional and political, as well as juridical, importance.

Administrative law is to a large extent complemented by constitutional law, and the line between them is hard to draw. The organization of a national legislature, the struc­ture of the courts, the characteristics of a cabinet, and the role of the head of state are generally regarded as matters of constitutional law.

Administrative law is the body of law created by administrative agencies in the form of rules, regulations, orders, and decisions to carry out regulatory powers and duties of such agen­cies. There is no universally accepted definition of admin­istrative law, but rationally it may be held to cover the organization, powers, duties, and functions of public authorities of all kinds engaged in administration; their relations with one another and with citizens and nongov­ernmental bodies; legal methods of controlling public administration; and the rights and liabilities of officials.

Exc.1 Find Russsian equivalents to:

judicial review of administration, to abolish poverty, to confer honours, to infringe rights, slum clearance, com­pulsory powers, permissive powers, to impose duties, dis­cretionary power, delegated powers, to scrutinize, watch­dog, customary low, to pardon criminals, prerogative pow­ers, to allocate, abuse of power.

Exc.2 Give all the word combinations you can with the noun «power» and use them in sentences of your own.

Exc. 3. Find the Russian equivalents for the following clichés and set expressions:

• So as one can see;

• In other words;

• As previously noted;

• Moreover;

• In addition;

• It must be recognized that … ;

• It is clear that …;

• In conclusion I want to say … ;

• On the one hand / On the other hand …;

Exc 4.Translate the following into English:

1. Грабители пробрались в квартиру известного коллекционера и похитили несколько картин. Это уже третья за неделю кража со взломом.

2. Полицейские опросили всех жителей дома и набрали целую кипу бесполезных показаний.

3. За участие в заговоре с целью организации мятежа и правительственного переворота трое высокопоставленных чиновников могут быть приговорены к тюремному заключению. Пятеро человек задержано по подозрению в организации уличных беспорядков и подрывной деятельности.

4. На месте преступления полиция не обнаружила ни отпечатков пальцев, ни орудия убийства. В распоряжении прокурора были лишь косвенные улики, которых было недостаточно для доказательства совершения преступления обвиняемыми.

6. По закону о судебном делопроизводстве список предыдущих преступлений, совершенных обвиняемым, оглашается только после того, как члены суда присяжных выносят свое решение о виновности или невиновности подсудимого. Обычно обвиняемые, впервые совершившие правонарушения, получают менее суровое наказание, чем рецидивисты.

7. У адвоката обвиняемого было два надежных свидетеля, готовых под присягой дать важнейшие показания, доказывавшие его невиновность. Однако, когда ключевого свидетеля привели к присяге, он отказался говорить.

8. На следующий день после ареста магистрат вынес Флетчеру обвинение в участии в уличном разбое. Флетчер надеялся, что ему не откажут в выходе из тюрьмы под залог.

9. Принимая во внимание возраст подсудимого, суд вынес решение об его условном наказании на 6-ти месячный срок.