IV. Answer the questions.

1. What is the judicial system connected with?

2. What kind of institutions are there in all legal systems?

3. What is the role of each court?

4. When can a person appeal to a higher court?

5. May all the courts sit as courts of the first instance?

5

Judicial Institutions

I. Learn the words to read and translate the text.

1. ensure - гарантировать, обеспечивать

2. Supreme Court - Верховный суд; суд первой инстанции (в штате Нью-Йорк)

3. interpretation - интерпретация, истолкование, трактовка

4. try - судить; привлекать к судебной ответственности; разбирать, рассматривать, расследовать (дело, случай)

5. likewise - подобно, так же

6. electoral rights - избирательные права

7. higher court - суд вышестоящей инстанции; вышестоящий суд

8. constituent [kən'stitjuənt] - компонент(а), составная часть; избиратель; доверитель

9. entity - самостоятельное образование, самостоятельная правовая единица, организация-субъект права

10. major - более важный, значительный

11. arbitration - третейский суд, арбитраж

12. envisage [in'vizidз] - обдумывать, размышлять над (чем-л.); намечать (что-л.)

13. in public - открыто, публично

14. prosecutor ['prosikju:tə] - обвинитель, прокурор

15. plaintiff – истец

16. defendant - ответчик; обвиняемый, подсудимый

17. the accused – обвиняемый

18. trial - судебное разбирательство; судебный процесс; слушание дела по существу (судом первой инстанции)

The Constitutional Court ensures that the laws and other normative acts passed or being considered by the supreme and local legislative branches are constitutional.

The Supreme Court is the highest judicial body for civil, criminal, business and other cases. It has the power of supervision over the activities of all the judicial bodies of the state. The Supreme Court gives the court interpretation on the issues of court practice. It tries the most important criminal and civil cases and likewise hears appeals against the judgements and sentences of other courts, as well as appeals against the judgements and sentences of the military courts of the state.

The basic judicial body is the district court. District courts try both criminal and civil cases. It is also the duty of the district courts to protect the electoral rights of citizens. The higher courts of constituent entities of the Russian Federation hear and determine cases of major importance. They are courts of appellate jurisdiction.

The Supreme Arbitration Court is the highest judicial body for settling economic disputes and other cases examined by courts of arbitration. It exercises judicial supervision over their activities in the procedural forms envisaged by federal law and provides interpretation on issues of court proceedings.

In all courts cases are tried in public. The participants in the trial (the prosecutor, the lawyers, the plaintiff, the judge, the defendant and the others) speak in the open court. The accused is guaranteed the right to defend. The press has the right to be present.

During the hearing of a case any citizen may enter the courtroom and be present during the trial from the beginning to the end. The hearing of cases in closed session is allowed only in exceptional cases. Closed sessions are only allowed if it is in the interests of both sides or for the necessity to keep state secrets. Trial without participation of both sides is not allowed. The judges are independent and they must obey the law.