Word Study

E x. 1. Read the international words and guess their meaning. Mind the stress.

'public norms 'alcohol 'teenager 'person 'maximum 'summary

'principle 'categories 'serious 'physical 'element

ar'rest po'lice

E x. 2. Give nouns derived from the following verbs:

to ban, to kill, to arrest, to suspect, to offend, to omit, to punish, to legislate, to wound, to aid, to abet, to incite, to assist, to abolish, to convict, to accuse.

E x. 3. Pair the verbs in column B with a suitable phrase in column A:

B	A
1. accuse someone	a) in cold blood
2. arrest someone	b) into custody
3. ban	c) a witness
4. break	d) telephone boxes
5. charge someone	e) for armed robbery
6. commit	f) a prison sentence
7. cross-examine	g) a case
8. hijack	h) with murder
9. hold up	i) smoking in public places
10. murder someone	j) of shoplifting
11. pinch	k) the alarm
12. serve	l) a crime
13. sound	m) some money
14. take someone	n) a plane
15. try	o) the law
16. vandalize	p) a bank

E x. 4. Add nouns to the following adjectives to form noun phrases:

Adjectives:  wrongful, criminal, changing, fatal, serious, summary, mental, guilty.

Nouns:  act, omission, behaviour, activity, matter, habits, norms, offence, crimes, case, element, conviction, mind, action.

E x. 5. How many different adjectives combined with the word “offence” do you know?

criminal
. . . . .	offence	against . . .
inchoate

E x. 6. Match the crimes and offences with the correct definition.

1. Arson	a) is taking a person away by force and keeping them prisoner, usually in order to demand money for their safe return.
2. Assault	b) is the serious crime of stealing large amounts of money from a bank, a shop or a vehicle, often using force or threats of violence.
3. Blackmail	c) is the crime of copying things such as banknotes, letters, official documents, etc. in order to deceive people.
4. Burglary	d) is killing a person by accident or negligence.
5. Embezzlement	e) is forcing someone to have sex with you.
6. Forgery	f) is the crime of deliberately setting fire to a building.
7. Fraud	g) is taking control of an aeroplane, train, etc. by force, usually in order to make political demands.
8. Hijacking	h) is killing a person deliberately.
9. Kidnapping	i) is demanding money or favours from someone by threatening to reveal a secret about them which, if made public, could cause the person embarrassment and harm.
10. Libel	j) is deliberately taking goods from a shop without paying for them.
11. Manslaughter	k) is stealing money that is placed in your care, often over a period of time.
12. Murder	l) is the crime of getting money from someone by tricking or deceiving them.
13. Rape	m) is the crime of physically attacking someone.
14. Robbery	n) is printing or publishing something which is untrue and damages another person's reputation in some way.
15. Shoplifting	o) is the crime of breaking into a house, a flat, etc. in order to steal things.
16. Theft	p) is the crime of stealing.

E x. 7. Match a word with a proper definition.

1. Assassination	a) is bad or improper behaviour by a person in a position of authority or trust, such as a doctor, dentist, police officer, etc.
2. Bribery and corruption	b) is stealing things from people's pockets or handbags, usually in crowds or in public places.
3. Drug trafficking	c) is saying something untrue about someone with the intention of damaging his or her reputation.
4. Hit and run	d) is deliberately damaging public buildings and other public property, usually just for the fun of it.
5. Looting	e) is offering money or gifts to someone in a position of authority, e.g. a government official, in order to persuade them to help you in some way.
6. Misconduct	f) is the crime of lying in court while giving evidence, when you have promised to tell the truth.
7. Mugging	g) is the crime of taking things or people illegally into or out of a country.
8. Perjury	h) is murdering a public figure such as a king, a president, etc.
9. Pickpocketing	i) is entering privately owned land or property without the permission of the owner.
10. Pilfering	j) is attacking someone, usually in a public place, in order to rob him or her.
11. Slander	k) is trading in illegal drugs such as heroin, cannabis, cocaine, LSD, etc.
12. Smuggling	l) is the crime of betraying your own country by helping its enemies.
13. Terrorism	m) is stealing small amounts of goods or things of little value, often over a long period of time.
14. Treason	n) is a car accident in which the guilty driver does not stop to help.
15. Trespassing	o) is the use of violence such as murder and bombing in order to obtain political demands or to influence a government.
16. Vandalism	p) is stealing from shops, buildings, etc. left unprotected after a violent event or a long period of time

E x. 8. Fill in the missing crimes and offences in the sentences below. Choose from the words in the previous two exercises.

1. The chief cashier admitted taking ?30,000 of the firm's money during the previous three years and was found guilty of _____.

2. She sued the newspaper for ______ when it printed a story about her in which it claimed she had once been arrested for taking drugs.

3. The supermarket decided to install closed-circuit television in order to combat the problem of _______.

4. This is the sixth fire in the area in the past month. The police suspect ____.

5. He pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to ______ saying that the gun had gone off and killed his wife by accident.

6. There have been so many cases of _______ in the street recently that the police are advising residents to install alarms and to notify neighbours when they go out.

7. The customs officer found nearly ?20,000 worth of cut diamonds hidden in the man's guitar case. He was arrested and charged with _______.

8. Pop stars and famous people often employ bodyguards for themselves and members of their families as they are constantly worried about _______.

9. Most people of my generation remember the ____ of President Kennedy in Dallas in November 1963.

10. It looked like a real ?20 note but on closer examination you could see that it was a very clever _______.

E x. 9. Choose the best alternative to complete the following sentences:

1. A person who commits a criminal offence is called a criminal, or ______.

a) offender

b) citizen

c) wrong-doer

2. If you attack another person illegally you will be tried for unlawful ______.

a) damage

b) assault

c) action

3. If you physically hurt or injure the person you attack, you will be tried for unlawful assault causing ______.

a) wounding

b) murder

c) infanticide

4. If the injury you cause in the attack is very serious it is called ______.

a) manslaughter

b) grievous bodily harm

c) battery

5. A police officer can arrest ______ for a suspected crime carrying a maximum of five year imprisonment.

a) by chance

b) with an issued warrant

c) without a magistrates warrant

6. The law can punish criminals in many different ways, but the worst is ______.

a) fine

b) life imprisonment

c) death sentence

7. Young people who committed a crime are tried by a special court called the ______.

a) juvenile

b) the High Court

c) the Crown Court

E x. 10. Complete the sentences from part A by adding the phrases given in part B:

A	B
1. A crime is an offence …	…by the Criminal Law Act of 1967 introducing the concept of arrestable and not arrestable offences.
2. The principle areas of Criminal Law are …	… guilty action and guilty mind.
3. Offences against property are …	… two essential concepts in the operation of the Criminal Law.
4. Fatal and non-fatal offences fall …	…indictable offences and summary offences.
5. A police officer can arrest a suspect …	…without a magistrate’s warrant.
6. Two main classes of criminal offences may be …	…into three categories: murder, manslaughter, infanticide.
7. Actus reus and mens rea are considered to be …	…theft, arson, forgery, counterfeiting.
8. The prosecution has to prove …	…offences against persons and offences against property.
9. The old distinction between felonies and misdemeanours were abolished …	…against the whole society.

Text B. Discussion

E x. 1. Mark the statements which are true.

1. Criminal law covers a multitude of activities and sins.

2. The courts must respond to all forms of criminal activity.

3. The criminal behaviour is not seen as serious or deviant for the majority of society to ban it.

4. The police officer can arrest without a specific warrant for any suspected crime.

5. The defendant has failed to answer a summons and the magistrates decided to bring him before a court.

6. A conviction cannot be secured unless it is shown that actus reus and mens rea were present.

7. The burden of proof lies upon the Jury.

E x. 2. Write down 10 questions you could ask speaking about “Criminal Law”. Begin your questions differently, like this:

Did …? Are…? Have …?

Who …? Why …? How long …?

In what cases…?

What measures …?

E x. 3. Put the crimes from the text in order you think best on the ladder below, starting with the minor and ending with the most serious.

a)

* most serious offences

*

* robbery

*

*

theft

*

* minor offences

b) Give reasons for the position of each crime. Use as many words and phrases from the text as possible.

E x. 4. Fill in the chart.

		CRIME
		English Criminal Law	Your Country
A.	Type of offences	1. murder 2. 3. 4.	1. murder 2. 3. 4
B.	Basic characteristic of the crime	1. premeditated unlawful killing of another person 2. 3. 4.	1. 2. 3. 4.
C.	Public opinion	1. serious and unlawful crime 2. 3. 4.	1. 2. 3. 4.

Text B. “Partakers in a Crime”

Task:  fill in the chart below

The person who commits the crime is the perpetrator, the principle (though two or more persons may be perpetrators, for example, "group rape" or conspiracy). The person who plays a secondary role, assists the principal, is the accomplice, the accessory.

Principles may be either in the first or in the second degree¹, while accessories may be either before or after the fact².

A principal in the first degree is the person who actually did the criminal act or was guilty of criminal omission, either with his own hand or through an innocent agent, e.g. a child.

A principal in the second degree is the person who, without actually taking part, is present at the commission of a crime. An accessory before the fact is one who, without being present at its commission, advises or procures it to be done, and does not countermand it before it is done.

An accessory after the fact is one who assists or permits the escape of the criminal.

Thus, accomplices may be charged with procuring an offence, abetting, aiding or counselling. Sometimes aiding and abetting are regarded as meaning much the same thing.

Notes:

1. principals in the first or in the second degree	– первой и второй степени (лица, фактически совершающие преступление или оказывающие пособничество в совершении исполнители преступления)
2. accessories before or after the fact	– соучастники до или после совершения преступления (подстрекатели или укрыватели)

E x. 1. Fill in the following chart and comment on it.

			Partakers in a crime

E x. 2. Here are the answers to some questions on the text. What are the questions?

The person who commits the crime is the perpetrator. (special)

Principals may be either in the first or in the second degree. (alternative)

A person did the criminal act with his own hand. (special)

An accessory after the fact assists or permits the escape of the criminal.(general)

Sometimes aiding and abetting are regarded as meaning much the same thing. (disjunctive)

Text C. “Juvenile Delinquency”

Task:  read the text and list the main causes of juvenile delinquency.

In Britain a minor for most legal purposes is a person under the age of eighteen. Under the Children and Young Persons Act 1969 minors over 14 are presumed to be fully responsible for their actions. Children under the age of 10 are, in the eyes of law, deemed to be incapable of performing a crime.

A young person is judged capable of criminal intentions in the same way as an adult. A great percentage of adult offenders started their careers as criminals between 14 and 21 years of age.

In many countries the meaning of juvenile delinquency is so broad that it embraces practically all manifestations of juvenile behaviour. Thus, disobedience, stubbornness, lack of respect, smoking, collecting cigarette butts, hawking and the like are considered as juvenile delinquency. Even in highly civilized countries such as the United States and Sweden complete statistics on juvenile offenders are not available.

Juvenile delinquency is often regarded as a social problem, it is mostly the result of poor living conditions. Therefore, the improvement of these conditions is recommended as a way of preventing juvenile delinquency. Studies show that juvenile delinquency tends to increase rapidly in cities or countries undergoing economic and social changes.

Psychological factor is also called among factors causing juvenile delinquency. Tension, lack of affection, aggressiveness, frustration and the like often lead to crimes. Thus, satisfaction of emotional needs of minors is of particular importance. The disintegration of the family and the lowering of moral standards are also contributory causes of juvenile delinquency.

Treatment of young offenders embraces all types of methods of social rehabilitation and measures, including disciplinary measures and punishments. There should be a system of individualized treatment. Therefore, punishment may be understood to mean, among other things, fines, restitution, compulsory attendance at particular centres or institutions, detention and deprivation of liberty. The selection of staff in charge of treatment is particularly important in the treatment of juvenile offenders. The length of treatment should be determined since offenders appear to react more favourably when they have an idea of the length of the treatment in advance.

E x. 1. Put the following sentences in the logical order.

1. In the eyes of law, children under the age of 10 are incapable of performing a crime.

2. A great percentage of adult offenders started their criminals between 14 and 21 years of age.

3. In many countries the meaning of juvenile delinquency is so broad that it embraces all manifestations.

4. Juvenile delinquency is often regarded as a social problem.

5. Psychological factor is called among factors causing juvenile delinquency.

6. Treatment of juvenile offenders embraces all types of methods and measures, including disciplinary measures and punishment.

E x. 2. Explain and expand on the following:

1. A young person is judged capable of criminal intentions in the same way as an adult.

2. The disintegration of the family is also a contributory cause of juvenile delinquency.

3. The selection of staff in charge of treatment is particularly important in the treatment of juvenile offenders.

E x. 3. What problems can be discussed with the help of the following groups of words:

1. perpetrator, group rape, conspiracy, to play a secondary role, to assist, the first degree, the second degree, the accessory before or after the fact;

2. to do criminal act, actually, to be guilty of criminal omission, through an innocent agent, to be present at the commission of a crime;

3. to advise, to procure, an accessory, to countermand, to assist, to permit the escape of the criminal.

Text D. “Society should compare drunken driver