1. What did you know about judicial power in Kazakhstan before reading the text?

2. What have you learned about judicial power in Kazakhstan after reading the text?

Text 2

1. Read the text and answer the next questions:

• Who were the accused people?

• What they were accused off?

Two Greek Golden Dawn party lawmakers, accused of belonging to a criminal group, have had their immunity lifted so they can face a further charge – that of illegal weapons possession. Giorgos Germenis and Stathis Boukouras were brought from prison to the Athens parliament building to take part in the immunity vote – which went against them. Both men – who have now been expelled from the Golden Dawn party – were allowed to address the chamber.

“You people in government will be remembered by the entire Greek people, who will send me back here after the next general election, while they will throw you in the dustbin,” said a defiant Germenis. Boukouras broke down in tears as he protested his

innocence. “I am not a fascist, I am not a Nazi. I am a Greek patriot and I love my country. I struggle and fight for this land,” he said. “I want a better future for my kids and all the kids of Greece. What is my crime?”

Golden Dawn claims the action against the men is part of an attempt to wipe out its members ahead of elections. Euronews correspondent Giannisis Stamatis said: “Over the next few days Greece’s High Court will decide whether Golden Dawn will be banned altogether from taking part in the upcoming local government and European polls.” But he added that the extreme right party remains strong within the Greek political system.

2. Underline all the words and word collocations connected with the topic “Crime”, write them into your notebooks and give definitions, translate them into Kazakh/Russian.

3. Write a short resume (5 sentences) of the given article.

Text 3

1. Reading Read the following passage that you just heard and be prepared to answer the questions that follow.

The constitution of the United States has been the supreme law of the nation since 1788. It is the longest-lasting written constitution in the world and it sets forth the basic framework of the United States government. It lists the government's powers, the limits on those powers, and the people's freedoms, which cannot be taken away by the government. The first U.S. Congress drafted 12 amendments, from which the states ratified 10. Those 10 amendments became known as the Bill of Rights. The Bill of Rights establishes basic American civil liberties that the government cannot violate. Twenty-seven amendments have been added to the U.S. constitution since 1789. The United States constitution is made up of seven articles and each article is divided into sections. Article I outlines all the legislative powers in the Congress’ two houses: the House of Representatives and the Senate. Article II outlines the president’s executive power. Article III places judicial power in the hands of the courts. Article IV deals, in part, with relations among the states and with the privileges of the citizens, while Article V outlines the amendment procedure and Article VI outlines public debts and the supremacy of the constitution. Article VII stipulates that the constitution can only become operational after ratification by nine states. The 10th Amendment limits the national government's powers to those expressly listed in the Constitution; the states possess all the remaining powers of government. Under the constitution, power is distributed among the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of the federal government and the states. The three branches of government are independent, but each has the power to restrain the power of the other branches through a system of checks and balances. The system was designed to 1111 prevent one branch from becoming too powerful and abusing its power.

The president's power to veto laws passed by Congress and congressional investigations of actions by the president or other executive officials are examples of checks and balances. One of the most visible and important checks of another branch is the courts' power of judicial review. Judicial review allows a court to declare any law passed by Congress or state legislature that conflicts with the U.S. constitution unenforceable and unconstitutional. Just as the constitution restricts the power of the branches, it also reflects the view that the federal government as a whole should be limited by the power of the states. This division of power between the states and the federal government is known as federalism. The federal government's law-making powers are listed in the constitution, and the remaining powers are reserved for the states. This is why most civil and criminal laws are passed by state legislatures or local governments. Consequently, many legal differences exist among the states. For example, a 16-year old boy can obtain a license to drive a car in some states but not in others. Every state has a constitution, and most state constitutions reflect the major principles of the U.S. constitution. All provide for different branches of government, separation of powers, checks and balances, and judicial review.