Comprehension Check

1. Look through the text and say whether the following sentences are false or true.

1. There are neither differences nor similarities between common law and continental law systems.

2. Continental systems have resulted from attempts by judges to make their own rules and regulations.

3. French public law was codified many years ago.

2. Reread paragraph 1 and find the places to prove that

a) continental systems are codified legal systems;

b) many countries improved their legal systems taking the examples of Revolutionary and Napoleonic France;

c) it was the state that was to make law, not the courts;

d) the Roman Emperor Justinian's influence was progressive at that time.

3. Look through the text and expand the following statements. Add information from the text.

1. In codifying their legal systems, many countries have looked to the examples of Revolutionary and Napoleonic France.

2. It is important not to exaggerate the differences between the two traditions of law.

3. It is important not to exaggerate similarities among systems.

4. A process of revising of civil criminal codes had begun in the Soviet Republics.

4. Choose the paragraphs and sentences, which you would use if you were to prepare a short report on:

1. the historical background of confidential law systems;

2. the practice of using continental law systems in the world;

3. the comparative characteristics of common law and continental systems.

5. Find in the text the English equivalents for the following words and expressions.

Законодатель, обдумывать, прецедентное право, уравнительский, каноническое право, светская идеология, управлять (вести дела), воздерживаться (от совершения действия), оправдывать.

Written Practice

1. Make the following sentences shorter retaining the main idea.

1. In codifying their legal systems, many countries have looked to the examples of Revolutionary and Napoleonic France, whose legislators wanted to break with previous case law, which had often produced corrupt and biased judgments, and to supply new egalitarian social theories to the law.

2. The lawmakers were often influenced by the model of the canon law of the Roman Catholic Church, but the most important models were the codes produced in the seventh century under the direction of the Roman Emperor Justinian.

3. While adopting some French ideas, such as separation of the legislature and judiciary, the late nineteenth century codifiers of German law aimed at conserving customs and traditions peculiar to German history.

4. As separatist movements grew in many parts of the Soviet Union, there was also development in Constitutional law, with some republics questioning the legality, both in Soviet and local law, of their obligations to the central government.

2. Translate the following into English:

1. В Англии не применялись континентальное право и его кодификационная техника.

2. В XIX в. в Англии с ее двойной системой права и процесса, где обычное право применялось в Суде обычного права и право справедливости в Суде лорда-канцлера, ситуация стала крайне тяжелой.

3. Значение римского права для развития континентально-европейского права было очень велико.

4. Система континентального права сложилась в Европе в результате усилий ученых, которые выработали и развили начиная с XII в. на базе кодификации императора Юстиниана общую для всех юридическую науку.

5. При значительном сходстве с континентальным правом правовые системы социализма имели особенности, обусловленные классовым характером.