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LESSON 4
A. DISCUSSION*
A1. Read about the advantages and disadvantages of the case law and think of the advantages and disadvantages of the legal system in your country. Compare your answers and discuss them.
Professor William Geldart has enumerated the advantages of the case law as:
a)certainty
b)possibility of growth
c)the great wealth of detailed rules
d)the practical character of these rules
The disadvantages, according to the same writer, are:
a)rigidity (“the binding force of precedent is a fetter on the discretion of the judge’)
b)the danger of illogical distinction (“a judge will often avoid following a rule which works hardship in a present case by laying hold of minute distinction”)
c)bulk and complexity: there are over 1,000 volumes of law reports containing 400,000 cases. These may be regarded as cumbersome and the legal rules difficult to learn and apply.
B. LANGUAGE STUDY
B1. a) Word formation. Check yourself. Can you form the adjectives from the words given below? Fill in the table:
Dispute, force, nation, protection, government, harm, custom, equity, law, execution, supplement, power, decision, value, knowledge, parliament, accident, peace, legend, president, environment
-al
-able
-ary
-ful
-ive
b)Now form the nouns from the verbs given below using the suffixes - tion, -ence, - ment.
To adopt, disobey, enact, observe, violate, abolish, enforce, ignore, combine, defend, exist, examine, connect, correspond
Note the difference:
violation = нарушение, violence = насилие
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B2. Word study. Note the difference in the meaning of the words “legal” and “lawful” and translate the expressions and sentences below.
If some act is LEGAL, it doesn’t conflict with laws and a person can not be punished for this action by law. “Legal” means “recognized by law” and also “connected with law”.
E.g. legal formalities, legal profession
LAWFUL also means “permitted by law” and imply conformity with divine laws or natural justice, and thus may mean “rightful”. Lawful marriage, for example, is the marriage to which there is no legal impediment. “Lawful” is a formal word.
E.g. the lawful heir, your lawful Queen
I.a) legal basis, legal possessor, legal force, legal right, illegal act legal language, legal person
b)to sign legal document, to take legal advice, legal bars to marriage
c)lawful authority, lawful method, the lawful wife, to reach lawful age
II.1) Is it legal to own a pistol in this state?
2)All his activities had been perfectly lawful; he had only exercised his rights.
3)They used their opportunity, combining both legal and underground methods.
4)The decisions are all legally correct but as someone once said, “being legal doesn’t make it right”.
5)The Government aimed to eliminate unofficial strikes by making them illegal.
B3. Phraseology. Read the English proverbs about law and find their Russian equivalents or give your own.
1. |
One law for rich – another |
a. |
Обычай старше закона. |
|
for poor. |
b. |
Мертвый да богатый не бывает |
2. |
There is no rule without an |
|
виноватый. |
|
exception. |
c. |
Бедному с богатым судиться – |
3. |
Custom rules the law. |
|
лучше в ложке утопиться. |
4. |
So many countries, so |
d. |
Большие порядки доводят до |
|
many customs. |
|
больших беспорядков. |
5. |
Possession is nine points |
e. |
Кто украдет рубль, того дают |
|
of law. |
|
под суд, а кто тысяч двести, |
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6. |
When in Rome do as |
|
того держат в чести. |
|
Romans do. |
f. |
Ищи ветра в поле, а правду на |
7. |
Truth lies at the bottom of |
|
дне морском. |
|
a well. |
g. |
Чей хлеб ешь, того обычай и |
8. |
Laws catch the flies, but |
|
тешь. |
|
let hornets go free. |
h. |
Не всякий гриб в лукошко |
9. |
The more laws, the more |
|
кладут. |
|
offenders. |
i. |
У каждой пташки свои |
10. |
Law-makers should not be |
|
замашки. |
|
law-breakers. |
|
|
LESSON 5.
A. DISCUSSION
A1. Read the text below and discuss the following:
a.What did Matt and Luther do wrong?
b.What laws are involved in the story?
c.Which of these are criminal laws? Which are civil laws?
Matt and Luther decide to skip school. They take Luther’s brother’s car without telling him and drive to a local shopping center. Ignoring the sign “Parking for Handicapped Persons Only”, they leave car and enter a radio and TV shop.
After looking around, they buy a portable AM-FM radio. Then they buy some sandwiches from a street vendor and walk to a nearby park. While eating, they discover that the radio does not work. In their hurry to return it, they leave their trash on the park bench.
When Matt and Luther get back to the shopping center, they notice a large dent in one side of their car. The dent appears to be the result of a driver’s carelessly backing out of the next space. They also notice that the car has been broken into and that the tape deck has been removed.
They call the police to report the accident and theft. When the police arrive, they seize a small clear bag containing illegal drugs from behind the car’s back seat. Matt and Luther are arrested.
B. TRANSLATION
B1. Work in pairs and play “Teacher-Student” game. Retell the following information in English to each other paying attention to the word order and geographical names.
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В мировом праве различают четыре основных правовых семьи: римское, или континентальное, право; английское, или общее, право; религиозное, или мусульманское право; традиционное, или обычное, право.
Ксемье континентального права относятся правовые системы Италии, Франции, Испании, Германии, Швейцарии и других стран. Современная правовая система России также родственна этой семье. Она основывается на кодифицированных правилах (писаных законах), имеет различные виды кодексов.
Ксемье общего права относятся правовые системы Великобритании, США, Канады, Австралии, Новой Зеландии и других стран, где влияние Великобритании было значительным. В основе общего права лежит прецедент. Оно не имеет кодифицированных отраслей права.
Ксемье религиозного права принадлежат мусульманское право Ирана, Ирака, Пакистана и индусское право Индии, Сингапура, Малайзии и других стран. Это право основывается на религиозных традициях и предписаниях Корана, Сунны, законах Ману и других источников.
Ксемье традиционного права относятся правовые системы Мадагаскара, некоторых стран Африки и Дальнего Востока. Они основываются на неписаных обычаях и традициях общества и являются синтезом юридических, моральных и мифологических предписаний.
Каждая из семей имеет свои отличительные особенности, но все они регулируют общественную жизнь и защищают права граждан.
----------------------------------------------------
мусульманский – Muslim
обычное право – customary law
индусский – Hindu
Коран – Koran Сунна – Sunna синтез - combination
C.VOCABULARY.
C1. Word formation
Adjectives of nationality have five different types of ending: - ese Portuguese, Chinese
-an South African, American -ian Russian, Austrian
-ish British, Spanish
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-i Saudi, Israeli
Work in pairs to form the adjectives of nationality for the following countries, divide them into five groups.
Finland, Japan, Sweden, Malta, Mexico, Poland, Pakistan, Egypt, Denmark, Oman, Vietnam, Italy, Morocco, Lebanon, Iraq, Iran, Scotland, Kuwait, Norway, Cuba, Germany, Yemen, Burma, Venezuela, Brazil.
D. READING.
D1. Read through the text and complete the spaces (1-5) using the sentences below (a-e)
Customary law.
Customary law is generally derived from custom, meaning long-established practices that have acquired the force of law by common agreement. It does not vary. (1)……….. In some tribes, the tribal common law has been set out in different court decisions and written opinions over time and has become case law.
Among several Pueblo communities, the matrilineal* system holds that property belongs to the female. (2)……….. Similarly, Navajo courts incorporate Navajo common law in decisions in probate, criminal, and child custody cases, and marital conflicts.
For many tribes along the Northwest coast, such as the Yurok, customary laws dictate the areas where families can conduct their fishing, hunting, and gathering. These areas are passed down from one generation to the next. When someone fishes in another family's area, it is considered an insult to the entire family. (3)………. Compensation may be with fish, fishing gear, feathers, hides, beadwork, traditional clothing, or other forms of payment.
Among several Pueblo communities, it is customary for discipline to be administered by the fiscale, who is responsible for maintaining the peace and overseeing the welfare of children and youth. (4)………. The fiscale advises the children about the consequences of their misconduct and may reprimand them or refer them and their parents to services such as counseling.
In many tribes, information, beliefs, and customs are handed down orally or by example from one generation to another. For example, in the Minto Tribal Court of Alaska the resolution process involves a segment dedicated to ''traditional counseling'' by the facilitator* or presiding judge. (5)……….
Often, these are expressed in parables* or creation narratives and beliefs.