Text b The British Parliament

The British Constitution provides for three branches of power: Parliament, which makes laws, the government, which 'executes' laws, i.e. puts them into effect, and the law courts, which interpret laws. Although the Queen is officially head of all three branches, she has little direct power.

Parliament has three elements: the House of Commons, the House of Lords and the Queen as its Head. Members of the House of Commons are elected by the voters of 659 constituencies. They are known as MPs, or Members of Parliament. The Prime Minister, or leader of the Government, is also an MP, usually the leader of the political party with a majority in the House of Commons.

The House of Commons, the lower house of the British Parliament, consists of 650 elected MPs.

The main purpose of the House of Commons is to make laws of the land by passing various Acts of Parliament, as well as to discuss current political issues.

Vocabulary

amend v вносить поправки

archbishop n архиепископ

bishop n епископ

Church of England англиканская церковь (государственная церковь Англии;

протестантская)

civil servant n государственный гражданский служащий

constituency n избирательный округ

current issues n текущие проблемы

curtail v сокращать, уменьшать

enforce v проводить в жизнь (закон)

firmness of command n властная твердость/решительность

hereditary adj наследственный

House of Commons палата общин

House of Lords палата лордов

inherit v наследовать

Law Lords судебные лорды, лорды-судьи

Lord Chancellor лорд-канцлер (председатель палаты лордов и хранитель

печати)

Lord of Appeal лорд-судья по апелляциям (член палаты лордов)

Lords Spiritual «духовные лорды» (26 архиепископов и епископов англиканской

церкви в палате лордов)

Lords Temporal «светские лорды» (наследственные пэры, пожизненные пэры)

reject v отвергать

restrict v ограничивать

scrutinize v тщательно исследовать

sitting n заседание

sound adj точный, глубокий

Reading tasks

Answer these questions.

1. What branches of power does the British Constitution establish?

2. What elements does the British Parliament consist of?

3. How many elected members are there in the House of Commons?

4. What is the main purpose of the House of Commons?

5. Who presides in the House of Commons?

C Analyse the chart. Give Russian equivalents for the words in bold type.

The System of Government

Text C

Law-making Process in the UK

It is common knowledge that there is no written constitution in Great Britain, and the laws of the country are not listed within a single document. That is why law-making has special significance, as each new Act of Parliament represents a new page in the country's constitution.

The law undergoes constant reform in the courts as established principles are interpreted, clarified or reapplied to meet new circumstances.

In the UK laws made by Parliament are known as Statute Laws. Every year Parliament passes about 100 laws directly by making Acts of Parliament.

No new law can be made by Parliament unless it has completed a number of stages in both Houses of Parliament and received the Royal Assent. Only after the Royal Assent does it become a new law or Act of Parliament. Before this, while it is still journeying through Parliament, it is called a Bill.