Syn: tradition, custom, usage

TASK 21. (a) Answer the following questions:

1. How did the conventions arise?

2. What is the difference between conventions and laws?

3. What conventions do you know?

4. What kind of relation do they regulate?

5. Why are the conventions observed?

6. What could result from a failure to observe a convention?

7. What events preceded the Parliament Act 1911?

8. What is the role of conventions as a constitutional source?

(b) Correct mistakes in the following statements:

1. Conventions are written constitutional documents.

2. They are enforceable by the court as they have constitutional meaning.

3. If a person breaks a convention, he will face severe punishment.

4. According to the law Parliament must be sum­moned at least once a year.

5. The House of Lords authorized to reject any bill passed by the House of Commons.

6. Unwritten conventions make the constitution more rigid because it is difficult to change them if they are out of date.

California funny laws · Sunshine is guaranteed to the masses. · Bathhouses are against the law. · It is a misdemeanor to shoot at any kind of game from a moving vehicle, unless the target is a whale. · Women may not drive in a house coat. · No vehicle without a driver may exceed 60 miles per hour. · Peacocks have the right of way to cross any street, including driveways. · Nobody is allowed to ride a bicycle in a swimming pool. · You are not permitted to wear cowboy boots unless you already own at least two cows. · It is prohibited to sleep in a parked vehicle. · Bowling on the sidewalk is illegal. · Detonating a nuclear device within the city limits results in a $500 fine.

TASK 22. Study the text below, making sure you fully comprehend it. Where appropriate, consult English-Russian dictionaries and/or other reference & source books on law.