UNIT 1. LAW AND SOCIETY

VOCABULARY

Exercise 1. Read the following words and expressions. Translate them into Russian.

A. law, legal, civil law, criminal law, public law, constitutional law, financial law, employment law, contract law, common law, inheritance law.

B. to observe law, to violate law, to enforce law, to keep within law, to apply law, to amend law.

Exercise 2. Match the word combinations with their Russian equivalents.

1. 1. to create law   2. to violate law   3. to observe law   4. to apply law   5. to amend law   6. to enforce law

a) соблюдать закон   b) приводить закон в жизнь   c) вносить поправки в закон   d) создавать закон   e) применять закон   f) нарушать закон

Exercise 3. Match the word combinations with their Russian equivalents.

1. environmental law   2. employment law   3. contract law   4. copyright law   5. housing law   6. common law   7. case law   8. inheritance law   9. executive law

a) исполнительное право   b) прецедентное право   c) жилищное право   d) нормы по охране окружающей среды   e) общее право   f) авторское право   g) наследственное право   h) трудовое право   j) договорное право

Exercise 4. Match the legal terms with their definitions.

Criminal law regulates International law regulates Financial law deals with Property law governs Intellectual property law aims at Constitutional law concerns Family law covers

1. social structure, organization of state power and the legal status of citizens. Its principal source is the country’s Constitution.   2. the budget, taxation, state credits, and other spheres of financial activity.   3. the relations between the state and individual people and bodies. It defines the general principles of criminal responsibility, individual types of crimes and punishment applied to criminals.     4. disputes between citizens and the state, or between one state and another.   5. ownership and possession. 6. safeguarding creators and other producers of intellectual goods and services. 7. marriage and divorce proceedings, the rights of children and rights to property and money in the event of separation.

Exercise 5. Fill in the gaps with the words and word combinations from the box.

1. custom and precedents 2. advice 3. codes 4. legislators 5. changed

Systems of common law and civil law also differ in how law is created and how it can be 1_____. Common law is derived from 2_____. In the common law system, the precedent is itself law. Therefore, the judges who decide which party will prevail in any given trial are also the creators of common law. Civil law, on the other hand, is made by 3_____ who try to supplement and memorize the 4_____, usually with the 5_____ of legal scholars.

READING

Exercise 6. Read and translate the text.

What is Law?

Law is, generally, a system of rules which are enforced through social institutions to govern behaviour. Laws can be made by legislatures through legislation (resulting in statutes), the executive through decrees and regulations, or judges through binding precedents (normally in common law jurisdictions). Private individuals can create legally binding contracts, including (in some jurisdictions) arbitration agreements that may elect to accept alternative arbitration to the normal court process. The formation of laws themselves may be influenced by a constitution (written or unwritten) and the rights encoded therein. The law shapes politics, economics, and society in various ways and serves as a regulator of relations between people.

The adjudication of the law is generally divided into two main areas referred to as criminal law and civil law. Criminal law deals with conduct that is considered harmful to social order and in which the guilty party may be imprisoned or fined. Civil law deals with the resolution of lawsuits (disputes) between individuals or organisations.

There are many different branches of law including corporate law, property and taxation law through to media, environmental health and international law. All types of law have far-reaching effects and help to shape politics, economics and society in numerous ways. Law serves a variety of functions. Laws limiting the powers of government help to provide some degree of freedom that would not otherwise be possible. Laws regulate social relations in the society.

Law provides a rich source of scholarly inquiry into legal history, philosophy, economic analysis and sociology. Law also raises important and complex issues concerning equality, fairness, and justice. There is an old saying that “all are equal before the law”.

Exercise 7. Answer the questions:

1. What is law?

2. Who makes law in modern society?

3. What is the highest legislative body in Russia?

4. What are the sources of law?

5. What are the functions of law?

6. What fields of law do you know? Which of them do you specialize in?

SPEAKING

Exercise 8. Comment on the following quotations.

“It is forbidden to kill; therefore all murderers are punished unless they kill in large numbers and to the sound of trumpets.” ― Voltaire

“The Law is hard, but it is the Law.” ― Cassandra Clare

“If you have ten thousand regulations you destroy all respect for the law.” ― Winston S. Churchill

“The more corrupt the state, the more numerous the laws.” ― Tacitus, The Annals of Imperial Rome

Exercise 9. Discuss the following questions.

1. What does the term “common law” mean?

2. In what countries does common law system prevail?

3. What is a president?

4. What branches of law do you know?

5. What is the difference between civil and criminal law?

6. Do you think that the Russian Federation is a jural state?

7. What rights and liberties are guaranteed by the Constitution of the Russian Federation?

8. Are there any laws or regulations in Russia that you consi-der wrong or unfair?

9. Why do people violate laws? What are the main reasons?

10. Why are new laws needed?