1
2
Translate the text in writing.
The UK Courts for Deciding Civil Cases
The UK legal system has been established to provide fair administration of law. The division between civil and criminal law is reflected in the system of courts affects which court will hear the case. The lower courts decide matters of fact and the upper courts normally deal with points of law. In England, simple civil actions are normally heard in the Magistrates Courts or the County Courts.
A single paid magistrate or three lay magistrates sit in the Magistrates Court. Theres no jury in this court. The Magistrates Court deals with minor criminal offences. Magistrates Courts have a limited jurisdiction in civil matters relating to debt and matrimonial proceedings. The County Court hears complex first instance civil cases, such as contract disputes, compensation claims. Claimants seek a legal remedy for some harm or injury they have suffered. There are circuit judges and recorders who sit in the County Courts, usually without a jury.
More complex civil cases are heard in the High Court of Justice, which is divided into three divisions: Family, Chancery and Queens Bench. The court has both original, that is, first instance, and appellate jurisdiction. From the High Court cases may go on appeal to the civil division of the Court of Appeal, which can change or reject a decision of the lower courts. Its decisions bind all the lower civil courts.
Civil cases may be appealed direct to the House of Lords (before 1 October 2009) from the High Court or a Divisional Court, bypassing the Court of Appeal, when points of law of general public importance are involved. Decisions of the House of Lords are binding on all other courts.
In recent years, there have been mounting calls for the creation of a new free-standing Supreme Court separating the highest appeal court from the second house of Parliament, and removing the Law Lords from the legislature. Creating a new Supreme Court means that the most senior judges will be entirely separate from the Parliamentary process.
Answer the following questions.
1) Is it necessary to have some tiers of courts?
2) Which courts exercise jurisdiction both in civil and criminal area? Why?
3) What remedy do plaintiffs seek in the County Court? Why?
4) Why are there tree divisions in the High Court of Justice?
5) Why do you think there was appeared the necessity to establish the new Supreme Court?
Decide whether the statements are true or false. If a statement is false, provide correct information.
1) The division into civil and criminal law helps determine the type of court where the hearing will be held.
2) The most of cases ion lower courts are concerned with the most serious offences.
|
|
|
3) The High Court of Justice hears exclusively appeals from lower courts.
4) The House of Lords can try all kinds of civil cases.
5) Creating a new Supreme Court was necessary to separate the judicial branch from legislative one.
Match the terms to their definitions. Write down a word and its definition.
| a.adoption b.statute c.violation d.party e.prosecutor f.codify g.magistrate h.jurisdiction i.provision j.applicable |
1) a lawyer whose job is to prove in court that someone accused of a crime is guilty;
2) a judge in a court for minor crimes;
3) the process of making a child legally part of somebodys family;
4) a person or a group involved in something such as an agreement or disagreement, especially a contract or a legal case;
5) relevant to or affecting a particular situation or group of people;
6) a part of an agreement or law that deal with a particular problem;
7) a law passed by a government and formally written down;
8) to make something part of an organized system, especially an official system of laws;
9) the right or power to make legal decisions;
10) an action that is in opposition to a law, agreement, principle.
