Read the text “Systems of Law” and and translate the underlined part in written form.

Systems of Law

Every independent country has its own legal system. The systems vary according to each country’s social traditions and form of government. But most systems can be classed as either (1) a common-law system or (2) a civil-law system. Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, Great Britain (except Scotland), the United States, and other English-speaking countries have a common-law system. Most other countries have a civil-law system. Many countries combine

features of both systems.

   Common-law systems are based largely on case law – that is, on court decisions. The common-law system began in England many hundreds of years ago. The English called their system the common law because it applied throughout the land.

   English common law developed from the rules and principles that judges traditionally followed in deciding court cases. Judges based their decision on legal precedents that is, on earlier court rulings in similar cases. But judges could expand precedents to make them suit particular cases. They could also overrule (reject) any precedents that they considered to be an error or outdated. In this way, judges changed many laws over the years. The common

law thus came to be law made by judges.

   Case law is still important in common-law countries. However, the law- making role of legislatures in these countries has increased greatly during the 1900s. The changes have dealt with such matters as employee management relations, workers’ wages and hours, and environmental protection. Nevertheless, common-law countries have kept the basic feature of the English legal system, which is the power of judges to make laws. In addition, constitutional law in these countries continues the common-law tradition of defending the

people’s rights and liberties.

   Civil-law systems are based mainly on statutes (legislative acts). The majority of civil-law countries have assembled their statutes into one or more carefully organized collections called codes. Most modern law codes can be traced back to the famous code commissioned by the Roman emperor Justinian I in the A.D. 500s. Justinian’s code updated and summarized the whole of Roman law. It was called the Corpus Juris Civilis, meaning Body of Civil Law. For this reason, legal systems that are based on the Roman system of statute and code law are known as civil-law systems. This use of the term civil law should not be confused with its use as an alternative term for criminal law.

In civil law countries, such as France, Germany, and Mexico, the statutes, not the courts, provide the final answer to any question of law. Judges may refer to precedents in making their decisions. But they must base every decision on a particular statute and not on precedent alone.

Other systems. Many countries have patterned their legal system after both civil law and common law. For example, Japan and most Latin-American nations have assembled all their private law into a code. But public law in these countries has been greatly influenced by common-law principles, especially those that guarantee the rights and liberties of the people.

 

 

Система общего права в основном основана на прецедентном праве, то есть на судебных решениях. Система общего права зародилась в Англии много сотен лет назад. Англичане называли свою систему общим правом, потому что оно применялось по всей стране.

Английское общее право развилось на основе правил и принципов, которым судьи традиционно следовали при разрешении судебных дел. Судьи основывали свое решение на юридических прецедентах, то есть на ранее вынесенных судебных решениях по аналогичным делам. Но судьи могут увеличить количество прецедентов, чтобы они подходили к конкретным делам. Они также могли отменять любые прецеденты, которые они считали ошибочными или устаревшими. Таким образом, судьи за годы изменили многие законы. Общий закон, таким образом, стал законом, который создали судьи.

Прецедентное право по-прежнему играет важную роль в странах общего права. Однако законодательная роль законодательных органов в этих странах значительно возросла в течение 1900-х годов. Изменения коснулись таких вопросов, как отношения сотрудников с руководством, заработная плата и часы работы сотрудников, а также охрана окружающей среды. Тем не менее страны общего права сохранили основную черту английской правовой системы — право судей принимать законы. Кроме того, конституционное право в этих странах продолжает традицию общего права защиты

права и свободы людей.

Системы гражданского права основаны в основном на законах (законодательных актах). Большинство стран с гражданским правом собрали свои статуты в одну или несколько тщательно организованных коллекций, называемых кодексами. Большинство современных кодексов законов восходит к знаменитому кодексу, введенному по заказу римского императора Юстиниана I в 500-х годах нашей эры. Кодекс Юстиниана обновил и обобщил все римское право. Он назывался Corpus Juris Civilis, что означает свод гражданского права. По этой причине правовые системы, основанные на римской системе статутного и кодового права, известны как системы гражданского права. Это использование термина «гражданское право» не следует путать с его использованием в качестве альтернативного термина для уголовного права.

 2 Mark the statements which are true (+/-).

1 The legal system of the country depends greatly on its social traditions and form of government. +

2 Court decisions form the basis of common-law systems. +

3 Judges were forbidden to do anything with the precedent to make it suit a particular case. —

4 Erroneous and outdated precedents could be rejected by judges. +

5 The role of legislature in lawmaking has decreased greatly. +

6 Legislative acts form the basis of civil-law systems. +

7 The minority of civil-law countries have assembled their statutes into codes. —

8 Civil law systems are based on the Roman system of statute and code law. +

9 The USA and other English-speaking countries have a civil-law system. +

10 The final decision to any question of law is provided by the courts in civil-law countries. +

Task 3 Express the main idea of each passage of the text “Systems of Law” in one sentence.

 

Every independent country has its own legal system.

The common-law system began in England many hundreds of years ago.

English common law developed from the rules and principles that judges traditionally followed in deciding court cases.

Case law is still important in common-law countries.

The majority of civil-law countries have assembled their statutes into one or more carefully organized collections called codes.

In civil law countries, such as France, Germany, and Mexico, the statutes, not the courts, provide the final answer to any question of law.

Many countries have patterned their legal system after both civil law and common law.

Task 4 Fill in the gaps with the correct preposition where necessary.

1 The student of law is concerned OF the questions of relationships between individual citizens and the state.

2 The study of legal process is the study of how decisions are made, how they influence ON subsequent events.

3 The law lays IN the measures for combating encroachment INTO the state system.

4 Law can and does take many forms.

5 Case law arises OUT of disputes and may be found in the decisions of courts.

6 Case law is a system in which legal decisions are based ON decisions in previous cases and ON customs.

7 Parliamentary law is gradually seeing common law IN the legal field.

8 Case Law is much richer IN detail than any code of law possibly be.

9 Case Law rules are practical IN nature.

10 In the seventh century B.C. the Greeks began to put their laws IN writing.

11 Roman Law has had a strong influence ON the law of most European countries.

12 A person can be penalized FOR disobeying law.

13 People may lose respect OF the law and disobey it.

14 Law can be divided INTO two main branches: private and public.

15 Private law deals WITH the rights and obligations people have in their relations with another.

Task 5 Produce the whole sentence in English.

1 There is (indefinite difference) between man-made law and moral precepts.

2 Law can be defined as a set of rules which (creates a pattern of behavior) of a given society.

3 The study of legal process is the study of how (decisions are made), who makes them, what the decisions are, how they (affect subsequent events).

4 Most people agree that laws should be (fair).

5 In most societies police and court see that the laws are (respected).

6 Law fixes the forms of (administrative and constitutional systems).

7 Law (establishes measures) for combating encroachment on the state system.

8 In Case Law decisions are (are based on decisions of previous cases) and on customs.

9 Common Law is fundamentally (law made by a judge).

Task 6 Make key word transformation to fit the sentence.

1 Law can appear as the highest ACHIEVEMENT of civilization (achieve).

2 Law determines the legal status of citizens and ACTIONS of the state mechanism (act).

3 Law operates as a REGULATION of the measure and forms of DISTRIBUTION labour and its PRODUCTION among the member of society (regulate, distribute, produce).

4 Law is the set of ENFORCEMENT rules under which a society is governed (enforce).

5 Law is one of the most basic social INSTITUTIONS and one of the most necessary (institute).

6 A person can be penalized for not OBEYING the law (obey).

7 JUSTICE is a moral standard that applies to all human conduct (just).

8 But government can enforce laws many people believe to be JUSTICE (just).

9 Private law deals with the rights and OBLIGATIONS people have in their relations with one another (oblige).

10 Every INDEPENDENT country has its own legal system (depend).

Task 7 Choose the correct items.

1 The English word “law” … to limits upon various forms of behaviour.

1. a) refers
2. b) rejects
3. c) amends

2 Laws … how people ought to behave.

1. a) decide
2. b) prescribe
3. c) suggest

3 Law essentially … two functions in modern society.

1. a) constitutes
2. b) regulates
3. c) serves

4 Law of a country may be analyzed as a … of rules.

1. a) selection
2. b) set
3. c) collection

5 Case Law arises out of disputes and may be found in the … of courts.

1. a) decisions
2. b) agreements
3. c) debates

6 Various customs, usages have been developed throughout the history of

British … tradition.

1. a) common
2. b) legal
3. c) state

7 Court decision will become a new … for courts to follow in the future.

1. a) plan
2. b) code
3. c) precedent

8 Where there is no system of Case Law the work of the judge is … new

rules of law.

1. a) to follow
2. b) to develop
3. c) to enforce

9 Case Law is much richer in … than any code of law.

1. a) chapters
2. b) articles
3. c) detail

10 … rules are the product of difficulties which arise in everyday life.

1. a) Case Law
2. b) Statutory Law
3. c) Civil Law

11 … is one of the greatest systems that has ever existed.

1. a) Greek law
2. b) Roman Law
3. c) Hebrew Law

12 Napoleon … Roman Law in 1804

1. a) codified
2. b) created
3. c) developed

13 Law is one of the most basic … institutions.

1. a) legal
2. b) social
3. c) civil

14 The law sets penalties for people who … the rules.

1. a) violate
2. b) create
3. c) define

15 Judges could expand precedents to make them … particular cases.

1. a) suit
2. b) fix
3. c) exist

16 Constitutional law continues the common-law tradition of … the people’s

rights and liberties.

1. a) adopting
2. b) developing
3. c) defending