II. Scan the text to find the answers to the questions:

1. What is the basic judicial body of state?

2. What are the functions of the Supreme Court?

3. What is the status of judges?

4. What are the participants of the trial?

III. Match these words and phrases with their Russian equivalents.

a) to administer justice	1 рассматривать дело по существу
b) to bring in a sentence a decision, a judgement	2 жалоба
c) to examine a case in substance	3 вынести приговор, решение
d) an appeal	4 отправлять правосудие
e) the power of supervision over	5 подлежать отзыву
f) to be subject to removal	6 право надзора
g) a prosecutor	7 обвиняемый
h) an accused	8 обвинитель
i) a defendant	9 ответчик
j) a victim	10 истец
k) a plaintiff	11 потерпевший
1) judicial	12 судебный

IV. Here are some dictionary definitions of words. Name the jobs.

a) ___________ a public officer with authority to hear and decide a case in a law court.

b) ___________ a person who practices law.

c) ___________ a person who starts legal proceedings against sb (who prosecutes).

V. Answer the following questions:

a) What does "one" mean in the sentence?

A court of first instance is one which first examines the case in substance.

1. a case

2. a court

3. an instance

b) What does "one" mean in the sentence?

A court of second instance is one which examines appeals and protests against sentences and decisions of courts of first instance

1. an appeal

2. a court

3. a sentence

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Courts in Russia

Learn the words to read and translate the text.

1. constitutional court - суд, существующий по установлению конституции

2. ensure = insure - гарантировать, обеспечивать

3. normative act = standard act нормативный акт

4. legislative branch - законодательная власть

5. try a case - рассматривать дело

6. arbitration court = court of jurisdiction - третейский суд, арбитражный

7. settle = settle up - урегулировать, разрешить (спор, конфликт) ; положить конец (разногласиям)

8. district court - 1) федеральный судж 2) окружной суд

9. in public - открыто, публично

10. prosecutor [′prosikju:tə] -1) а) обвинитель, прокурор; Syn: accuser б) истец Syn: plaintiff

11. plaintiff – истец; Syn: complainant, prosecutor

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

The Supreme Court is the highest judicial body for civil, criminal, business and other cases. It has the power to supervise the activities of all the judicial bodies of the state. It interprets the issues of court practice. It tries the most important criminal and civil cases and hears appeals.

The Supreme Arbitration Court is the highest judicial body. The Court settles economic disputes and other cases examined by courts of arbitration.

The basic judicial body is the district court. District courts try both criminal and civil cases.

In all courts cases are tried in public. The participants in a trial are the prosecutor, lawyers, the plaintiff, the judge, the defendant, and others.

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.

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