The name of another important law term.
a) 
mwkrlaea
b) evitcuexe
c) nrevtnemog
d) ttnieranional
e) repseak
f) awl
g) maenmdtne
h) sueraert
i) sseui
j) pinoion
k) laninato
Unit 4
JUDICIARY
Criminal Proceedings. There are two courts of trial and two courts of appeal for criminal proceedings in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The courts of trial are the Magistrates Court and the Crown Court, and the courts of appeal are the Court of Appealand the House of Lords.
The Magistrates Court. The most common type of law courtin England and Wales is the Magistrates Court. The Magistrates Court is the lower court of trial. It deals with summary offences. More serious criminal cases (indictable offences) then go to the Crown Court. Civil cases are dealt with in County courts.
Magistrates Courts have limited powers of penalty but may commit a convicted offender to the Crown Court if it is considered that the powers of the Magistrates Court are insufficient. Approximately 95% of all prosecutions are dealt with in the Magistrates Courts.
Juvenile Courts are composed of specially trained magistrates. They try most charges against children and young persons under the age of 18 years.
The Crown Court. The Crown Court is the senior court of trial for criminal offences. The courts are established at various centres throughout the country. The courts are presided over by either aHigh Court Judge, Circuit Judge or Recorder who sits with a jury.
The Crown Court for the City of London is the Central Criminal Court, also known as the Old Bailey.
The Crown Court may also hear appeals against conviction and/or sentence for some offences dealt with at the Magistrates Court.
The Court of Appeal. The Court of Appeal hears appeals from criminal cases heard in the Crown Courts.
The House of Lords. The House of Lords is the most senior andfinal court of appeal.
Civil Proceedings. Civil proceedings consist of litigation aboutproperty, family matters and actions to obtain financial redress for damage to property and personal injury. The courts of trial for such litigation are the County Court and the High Court of Justice.
County Courts are local courts and are presided over by a singli Judge. The High Court of Justice is situated in London.
Some case before the High Court of Justice may be heard before a jury.
WORDS AND PHRASES
Judiciary [d 3 u:′d i∫eri] -
court of trial -
court of appeal -
the Magistrates Court -
the Crown Court -
juvenile court -
summary offence - ,
indictable offence -
jury [′d 3 uəri] -
penalty [′penlti] - ; ;
convicted [′konviktəd] - ,
prosecution [,prosi′kju:∫ən] -
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judge [d 3 Λd 3 ] -
to sentence for smth [′sentəns] - ;
litigation [,liti′gei∫ən] - ,
to obtain financial redress for smth -
injury [′ind 3 əri] - ,
EXERCISES
1. Fill in the blanks:
1. There are two courts of... and two courts of... for criminal proceedings in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
2. The Magistrates Court deals with....
3. More serious offences go to the....
4. Magistrates Courts have limited powers of....
5. Magistrates Courts may commit... to the Crown Court.
6. Approximately 95% of all... are dealt with in the Magistrates Court.
7.... courts try most charges against children and young persons under the age of 18 years.
8. The Crown Court is the senior court of trial for..
9. The Crown Court may hear... against conviction and/or... for some offences dealt with at the Magistrates Court.
10. The Court of... hears appeals from criminal cases heard in the Crown Court.
11. The House of Lords is the most senior and final........
12. Civil proceedings consist of... about property, family matters and actions to obtain... for damage to property and personal injury.
13. County Courts are... over by a single Judge.
14. Some cases before the High Court of Justice may be heard before a....
2. Read the following sentences and decide if they are true or false:
1. The courts of trial are the Magistrates Court and the Crown Court.
2. The courts of appeal are the Court of Appeal and the House of Lords.
3. The Magistrates Court is the senior court of trial.
4. The Magistrates Court deals with summary offences.
5. More serious offences are committed to the Crown Court.
6. Juvenile Courts try charges against convicted offenders.
7. Juvenile Courts try most charges against children and persons under the age of 18 years.
8. The Crown Court is the lower court of trial.
9. The Court of Appeal hears appeals from criminal cases heard in the Crown Courts.
10. The House of Lords is the most senior and final court of appeal.
11. Criminal proceedings consist of litigation about property, family matters and actions to obtain financial redress for damage to property and personal injury.
12. County Courts are local courts and are presided over by a jury.
3. Find words and expressions in the text which mean:
1. the system of law courts in a country;
2. place where law-cases are held;
3. person against whom a legal action is brought;
4. punishment for wrongdoing;
5. court where children are tried;
6. crime, breaking of a rule.
4. Ask questions to get the following answers:
1. There are two courts of trial and two courts of appeal for criminal proceedings in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
2. The courts of trial are the Magistrates Court and the Crown Court.
3. The courts of appeal are the Court of Appeal and the House of Lords.
4. The Magistrates Court deals with summary offences.
5. The Crown Court deals with indictable offences.
6. Magistrates Courts have limited powers of penalty.
7. Approximately 95% of all prosecutions are dealt with in the Magistrates Courts.
8. Juvenile Courts try most charges against children and young persons under the age of 18 years.
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5. Answer the following questions:
1. What courts are there in England, Wales and Northern Ireland?
2. What offences does the Magistrates Court deal with?
3. Where must the most serious offences be committed to?
4. What charges do Juvenile Courts try?
5. What court is the senior court of trial for criminal offences?
6. What is the most senior and final court of appeal?
7. What do civil proceedings consist of?
8. Where is the High Court of Justice situated?
6. 
Complete the diagram, which shows the hierarchy and jurisdiction of the Courts in England and Wales (the system in Northern Ireland is similar, but the system in Scotland is quite different and separate).
Write the name of each court in the correct box and indicate which are inferior and superior courts.
| 3 Law Lords |
| Civil Courts |
| 1-3 judges, no jury |
| 1 judge, no jury |
| 3 magistrates, no jury |
| 1 judge+jury |
| 1-3 judges, no jury |
| Criminal Courts |
7. Complete the following sentences by translating the words and expressions in brackets:
1. All criminal cases start in the ( ).
2. More serious criminal cases then go to ( ).
3. Civil cases are dealt with in ( ).
4. Appeals are heard by ( ).
5. The highest court of appeal in England and Wales is ( ).
6. The legal system also includes ( ) which deal with offenders under seventeen.
8. Work in pairs. Discuss the following:
- What courts do you think would deal with:
a) careless driving?
b) a divorce case?
c) a shoplifting committed by a schoolboy?
d) an assault causing actual bodily harm?
e) a murder of a child?
Use the following expressions:
- I am sure that...
- I am certain that...
- There is no doubt it.
- I am not sure...
- I cant say for sure.
HAVE A REST
Have you anything to say for yourself before I pass a sentence? the judge frowned at the pickpocket.
Just what good have you ever done for mankind?
Well, Your Honour, answered the prisoner, Ive helped several reporters, prison guards and you keep your jobs.
* * *
You seem to be in some distress, said the judge to the witness. Is anything wrong?
Well, your Honour, said the-witness, I swore to tell the truth and nothing but the truth, but every time I try, some lawyer objects.
* * *
A friend of the judge dropped in for a visit one morning before court opened and looked around.
Goodness, you certainly have a lot of criminals to try this morning, havent you? he observed.
Oh, not so many, answered the judge. You are looking at the wrong bench - those are the lawyers.
SOLVE THE CHAINWORD
1. A rule of conduct formally recognised as binding or enforced by authority (3).
2. Person who gives evidence under oath in a law court (7).
3. Declare what the punishment is to be (8).
4. A form of proof legally presented at a trial through witnesses, records, documents, etc. (8).
5. Having authority to carry out decisions, laws, decrees, etc. (9).
6. Person with special knowledge, skill or training (6).
7. The presentation of evidence in court to a trier of facts who decides the case (5).
8. Person who disobeys the law (10).
9. Distinct grade in the armed forces (4).
10. One who murders (6).
11. Belonging to the family of a king or queen (5).
* 
An officer was injured after being thrown from the bonnet of a car he was trying to stop in Malvern. PC Bill Turner suffered stomach injures which required hospital treatment. A youth has been charged with assault and dangerous driving and will appear in court next month.
* City of London Police has installed 13 closed-circuit cameras at exits from the capitals traffic management scheme, so that the officers can respond immediately to vehicles violating no-entry signs.
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* Young offenders in Nottingham are being given a taste of prison life. The youngsters, aged 11-17, are taken to Nottingham Prison by officers, and spend a day seeing overcrowded cells, slopping out, and listening to criminals who graduated from petty crime to major offences.
Unit 5
PROSECUTION
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). The prosecution of offenders in England and Wales is the responsibility of the Crown Prosecution Service. It was set up in 1986 to prosecute criminal cases resulting from police investigations. The Head of the CPS is the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP). The CPS handles about 1,4 million cases every year and employs about 6,000 staff. Over 2,000 of these staff are barristers or solicitors. The staff are located in 98 offices throughout England and Wales.
Before 1986, the police investigated crimes, charged suspects and then took cases to court, sometimes using their own, or a local lawyer. This changed under the Prosecution of Offenders Act 1985, which created the CPS and separated the investigation stage from the prosecution stage. Now the CPS makes the decision whether to continue a case and bring to court.
The Prosecution Process. After the Police have investigated a crime and passed the papers to the CPS, one of the lawyers - called a Crown Prosecutor - carefully reviews the papers to decide whether or not to go ahead with the case. The prosecutors decision is based on the two tests set out in the Code for Crown Prosecutors.
The code is a booklet which sets out the general principles which prosecutors must apply when they decide whether to continue a case.
The two tests set out in the Code are as follows:
Is there enough evidence?
Is it in the public interest for us to prosecute?
A case has to pass both these tests before the CPS can start or continue a prosecution. To examine a case, the prosecutor reviews it to see if there is enough evidence to provide a realistic prospect of conviction. If there is not, and the police say there is no more evidence or none will become available in the nearest future, the case will be stopped there. However, the police can be asked to look at the case again, if more evidence becomes available at a late date.
If the prosecutor thinks that there is enough evidence to start or continue a prosecution, he or she will then consider whether a prosecution is needed in the public interest. This means that the prosecutor must think carefully about all the factors for and against a prosecution, and assess in each case whether a prosecution should go ahead. Some of the public interest factors which are taken into account are set out in the Code for Crown Prosecutors.
For example, a prosecution is likely to be needed if:
- a weapon was used or violence was threatened during an offence;
- the motive for the offence was any form of discrimination; or
- the offence was committed against a person serving the public such as a police officer.
Crown Prosecutors must always think very carefully about the interest of the victim of the crime. This is an important factor when prosecutors decide where the public interest lies.
Presenting cases in Court. If the prosecutor thinks that there is enough evidence, and that a prosecution is needed in the public interest, the case is then presented in the magistrates court.
The CPS lawyer must present the facts to the court fairly.
Criminal cases are divided into the following three types of offence.
-Summary only offences (such as minor motoring offences and disorderly behaviour) are less serious, and can only be heard in the magistrates court.
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-Either way offences are more serious and can be heard in either the magistrates court or before a judge and jury in the Crown Court. (These include all cases of theft and some categories of assault). Usually, the magistrates decide whether the case should be heard in the Crown Court. But sometimes when the magistrates say they will hear a case, the defendant can choose to be dealt with in the Crown Court.
-Indictable only offences (such as murder or rape) are the most serious, and must always be heard in the Crown Court which has more sentencing powers.
If a defendant is found not guilty, he or she cannot be prosecuted for the same offence. This applies to all types of case.
Every criminal case begins in the magistrates court. But, when, cases go on to the Crown Court, the CPS instructs a barrister, or a specially qualified solicitor so that he or she can present the prosecution for the CPS.
The powers of police and the procedures which must be followed by them are laid down in Codes of Practice under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act, 1984. These codes cover the powers to stop and search persons or vehicles; the searching of premises and seizure of property; detention, treatment and questioning by police; identification of suspects; and tape recording of interviews with suspects.
WORDS AND PHRASES
The Crown Prosecution Service -
to handle [hændl] -
barrister [′bæristə] -
solicitor [sə′lisitə] - ( 볺 , )
suspect [′sΛspekt] -
Crown Prosecutor
evidence [′evidəns] - ,
available [ə′veiləbl] -
to assess [ə′ses] -
to take into account
weapon [′wepən] -
violence [vaiələns] - ;
to threaten [′Өretn] - ,
premise [′premis] - ,
seizure [′si: 3 ə] -
detention [di′ten∫ən] - , ,
identification [ai,dentifi′kei∫ən] - ,
either way offences
assault [ə′so:lt] - ,
murder [′mə:də] -
rape [reip] -
guilty [′gilti]
EXERCISES
1. Fill in the blanks:
1. The Crown Prosecution Service carries responsibility for... of offenders.
2. The CPS... about 1.4 million cases every year.
3. There are 2.000... and... employed by the CPS.
4. The Police investigates a... and passes the papers to the....
5. A Crown... decides whether or not to go ahead with the case.
6. If there is not enough... the case will be stopped there.
7. Some of the public interest factors are... when deciding to prosecute.
8. Crown Prosecutors think very carefully about the interests of the... of the crime.
9. Summary only offences include minor motoring... and disorderly....
10. Either way offences include all cases of... and some categories of....
11. Either way offences may be tried in either the... or in the Crown Court.
12. Indictable only offences must always be heard in the....
13. All... cases start in the magistrates courts.
14. The powers of police cover: the searching of... and... of property; identification of..., detention, treatment and questioning.
2. Read the following sentences and decide if they are true or false:
1. The Police investigate crimes and have responsibility to prosecute.
2. The investigation stage is separated from the prosecution stage.
3. The Police decide whether to continue a case and bring it to court.
4. If the prosecutor thinks that there is enough evidence he sends the suspect to trial.
5. The prosecution will go ahead if a weapon was used.
6. If the offence was committed against a person serving the public the prosecutor doesnt take it into account.
7. Crown Prosecutors must always think carefully about the interest of the suspects.
8. Magistrates try a person accused of murder.
9. The most serious crimes such as murder and armed robbery are called summary only offences.
10. Summary only offences are tried by magistrates.
11. Indictable only offences must always be heard in the Crown Court.
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12. Either way offences include minor motoring offences and disorderly behaviour.
13. Every criminal case begins in the magistrates court.
14. The powers of police include prosecuting and sentencing.
3. Find words and expressions in the text which mean:
1. lawyer who has the right to speak and argue as an advocate in higher law courts;
2. anything that gives reason for believing smth, that makes clear or proves smth;
3. violent and sudden attack;
4. lawyer who prepares legal documents, e.g. wills, sale of land or buildings, advises clients on legal matters and speaks on their behalf in lower courts;
5. taking possession of property, etc. by law;
6. unlawful killing of a human being on purpose;
7. commit the crime of forcing sexual intercourse on (a woman or girl).
4. Ask questions to get the following answers:
1. The Crown Prosecution Service is an organisation independent of, and separate from, the police.
2. The Head of the CPS is the Director of Public Prosecutions.
3. The CPS employs nearly 2.000 lawyers and barristers.
4. The process of criminal justice begins when the police arrest a suspect.
5. A person arrested by a police officer is taken to a police station.
6. The prosecution will go ahead if the motive for the offence was any form of discrimination.
7. Crown Prosecutors must always think very carefully about the interest of the victim of the crime.
8. The case is presented in the magistrates court if there is enough evidence.
9. Criminal cases are divided into the following three types of offences: summary only, either way and indictable only offences.
10. If a defendant is found not guilty, he or she cannot be prosecuted for the same offence.
5. Answer the following questions:
1. What is the responsibility of the Crown Prosecution Service?
2. Who makes the decision whether to continue a case and bring it to court?
3. What are the two tests set out in the Code for Crown Prosecutors?
4. What factors are taken into account for a prosecution?
5. When is the case presented in the magistrates court?
6. What summary only offences do you know?
7. Where may either way offences be tried?
8. What are the most serious offences?
9. Where do all criminal cases start?
10. Does the Crown Court have more sentencing powers than the magistrates court?
