Sources of English law

English law stems from seven main sources, though these vary a great deal in importance. The basis of English law today is _______ (a mass of judge-made decisions) which lays down rules to be followed in future cases. Another form of law is a statute, or an Act of Parliament. As well as being a source of law in their own right, statutes contribute to case law, since the courts occasionally have to interpret statutory provisions, and such decisions lay down new precedents. Delegated legislation is a related source, laying down detailed rules made to implement the broader provisions of statutes.

The legislation of the European Community is the only type of law that can take precedence over statutes in the UK and influence the decisions of the courts in interpreting statutes. Custom, equity and obligations relating to international treaties are minor sources of law, though Britain’s obligations under the European Convention on Human Rights have produced notable contributions to law reform.

Before the Norman ______, different areas of England were governed by different systems of law, often adapted from those of the various invaders who had settled there; roughly speaking, Dane law applied in the north, Mercian law around the midlands, and Wessex law ______ and west. Each was based largely on local custom. The king had little control over the country as a whole, and there was no effective central government.

When William the Conqueror gained the English throne in 1066, he established a strong central government and began, among other things, _______. Representatives of the king were sent out to the countryside to check local administration, and were given the job of adjudicating in local disputes, according to local law. When these “itinerant justices” returned to Westminster, they were able to discuss the various customs of _______of the country, and, by a process of sifting, reject unreasonable ones and accept those that seemed rational, to form a consistent body of rules.

During this process of sifting - which went on for around two centuries - the principle of stare decisis (“let the decision stand”) grew up. Whenever a new problem of law came to be decided, the decision formed a rule to be followed in all similar cases, making the law _______. In the middle of the 13^th century the “common law” ruled the whole country. The principles behind this “common law” are still used today in creating case law.

From the basic idea of stare decisis, a hierarchy of precedent grew up, in line with _____________. A judge must follow decisions made in courts which are higher up the hierarchy than his or her own. This process was made easier by the establishment of a regular system of publication of reports of cases in the higher courts. The body of decisions made by the higher courts, which the lower ones must respect, is known as “case law” (or “common law”). Case law comes from the ________. The decisions of juries don’t make case law.

NOTES:

the Norman conquest – завоевание (Англии) норманнами (1066г.)

William the Conqueror – Вильгельм Завоеватель

Dane law – датские законы (установленные в сев.-восточной Британии в Х в.); область, где действовали эти законы

Mercian – мерсийский

to produce notable contributions to… – внести значительный вклад в…

statutory provisions – положения/условия статутов

delegated legislation – право министров издавать приказы, имеющие силу законов

itinerant justice – судья, объезжающий свой округ

to lay down rules to be followed in future cases – устанавливать/сформулировать правила, которым необходимо следовать при рассмотрении других дел

to lay down new precedents - создавать новые прецеденты

to adjudicate (on, upon) in local disputes according to local law – выносить решение/судить местные тяжбы в соответствии с местными законами

to sift – тщательно рассматривать, анализировать (факты) (sifting – тщательный анализ)

TASK 26. Answer the following questions about the sources of English law:

1) What are the main sources of English law?

2) What is a statute?

3) What is delegated legislation?

4) How great is the influence of the legislation of the European Community upon the British court system?

5) How great is the influence of customs, equity and obligations relating to international treaties upon the British court system?

6) How great was the influence of the European Convention on Human Rights upon the law reform in Britain a few decades ago?

7) What systems of law were there in different areas of England before the Norman conquest?

8) Did William the Conqueror establish a strong central government?

9) What did William the Conqueror do to standardize the law?

10) How did the “itinerant justices” form a consistent body of rules?

11) How long did the process of sifting during which the principle of stare decisis grew up go on?

12) What does the principle of stare decisis mean?

13) When did the “common law” rule the whole country?

14) Do British lawyers still use the principles behind this “common law” in creating case law today?

15) Where from did the hierarchy of precedent as well as the hierarchy of the modern court system grow up?

16) How does the hierarchy of precedent work today?

17) Is there a regular system of publication of reports of cases in the higher courts?

18) Do the decisions of juries make case law?

TASK 27. Fill in the gaps with the words and word combinations from the table:

lay down; contribute to; as a whole; judge-made decisions; delegated legislation; statute; minor sources; take precedence over; a consistent body of rules; higher courts; predictable; standardize the law; relating to; judges; adjudicated; lower courts; justice; itinerant justices

(1) Сase law is a mass of …. (2) Statutes … case law. (3) A … is an Act of Parliament. (4) Сourt decisions … new precedents. (5) Customs, equity and obligations … international treaties are … of law. (6) … lays down detailed rules to implement the broader provisions of statutes. (7) The legislation of the European Community can … statutes in the UK and influence the decisions of the courts in interpreting statutes. (8) Before the Norman conquest the king had little control over the country …. (9) When William the Conqueror gained the English throne he began to …. (10) The king’s representatives checked local administration and … in local disputes according to local law. (11) The “itinerant justices” rejected unreasonable customs, accepted rational ones and formed …. (12) In the middle of the 13^th century the law became more …. (13) There is a regular system of publication of reports of cases in the …. (14) The … must respect the decisions of the higher courts. (15) Case law comes from the decisions of …, not from those of juries. (16) The king sent … … to the countryside to check the local administration. (17) The police do everything they can to bring criminals to ….

TASK 28. Translate the followingwords and word combinations into English:

1) Прецедентное право; основа английского права; семь основных источников английского права; сформулировать правила, которым необходимо следовать при рассмотрении других (будущих) дел; влиять на решения судов; законодательство европейского сообщества; единственный вид права; формулировать подробные правила в целях исполнения положений статутов; перед норманнским завоеванием; на севере, на юге, на западе, на востоке; эффективное централизованное управление; иметь контроль над страной в целом; выносить решения по тяжбам в соответствии с местными законами; в целом; в ходе тщательного анализа, который продолжался два века.

2) Сколько существует источников английского права? Отличаются ли они по важности? 3) Прецедентное право является основой английского права в настоящее время. 4) Прецедентное право - это блок судебных решений, которым необходимо следовать при рассмотрении других дел. 5) Второй источник английского права – это статут (или постановление парламента). 6) Судьи вынуждены учитывать положения статутов, а вынесенные таким образом решения создают новые судебные прецеденты. 7) Третий связанный с предыдущим источник английского права – это право министров издавать приказы, имеющие силу законов. 8) Обычаи, право справедливости и обязательства по международным договорам – это дополнительные/ второстепенные источники английского права. 9) Европейская Конвенция о защите прав человека внесла значительный вклад в правовую реформу Великобритании несколько десятилетий назад. 10) Перед норманнским завоеванием в разных регионах Англии действовали разные системы права, основывавшиеся на местных обычаях. 11) До норманнского завоевания в Англии не было эффективного централизованного управления. Король не мог контролировать всю страну полностью. 12) Каждое новое судебное решение представляло собой правило, которое должно было соблюдаться во всех последующих делах, что делало законодательство более предсказуемым. 13) В середине тринадцатого века система прецедентного права доминировала на территории всей страны. 13) В основе современной судебной системы лежит принцип stare decisis. 14) Судья должен придерживаться судебных решений судов более высокой инстанции. 15) Блок решений судов высших инстанций является основой прецедентного права.

TASK 29. Complete the sentences using the word combinations from the second column:

(a)

1) There are seven main sources of English law: 2) Before the Norman conquest Dane law was 3) To standardize the law William the Conqueror 4) Before the Norman conquest Mercian law was 5) Before the Norman conquest there was no   6) Before the Norman conquest the Wessex law was 7) William the Conqueror gained the English throne 8) When the “itinerant justices” returned to Westminster 9) During the process of sifting the “itinerant justices”

a) in the north of England. b) sent his representatives to the countryside to adjudicate in local disputes according to local law. c) in the south and in the west of England. d) case law, statutes, delegated legislation, the legislation of the European Community, customs, equity and obligations relating to international treaties. e) around the midlands. f) they discussed various customs of different parts of the country and formed a consistent body of rules. g) effective central government. h) rejected unreasonable local customs and accepted those that seemed rational. i) in 1066.

(b)

1) The principle of stare decisis 2) Each new court decision forms a rule 3) British lawyers use the principle of stare decisis 4) The hierarchy of the modern court system grew up 5) The principle of stare decisis 6) A judge must follow decisions of courts 7) Case law comes from 8) The decisions of juries 9) The “common law” ruled England

a) in the middle of the 13th century. b) from the basic idea of stare decisis. c) means “let the decision stand”. d) makes the law more predictable. e) which are higher up the hierarchy than his own. f) to be followed in all similar cases. g) the decisions of judges. h) in creating case law today. i) don’t make case law.

TASK 30. Match the English expressions with their Russian equivalents in the table on the basis of the text ‘How Judicial Precedent Works’: