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The European Convention on Human Rights
The European Convention on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms _____ in 1950 by the Council of Europe. This Council is not an _____ of the European Community, but an ______ organization of twenty-one West European states which ______ in 1949. Twenty states of the twenty-one are parties to the convention. They are Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxemburg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey and the United Kingdom. Liechtenstein is a ______ of the Council of Europe but not a party to the Convention. The convention ______ on September 3, 1953. The Convention is based on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights which was adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations in 1948. This Declaration ______ a set of individual rights which were considered to be ______ to the well-being of citizens of all countries. They ______ the right to an adequate standard of living, the right to work, the right to a fair trial and the right to own property.
Exercise 4. Work in pairs and discuss the following questions:
1. What treaties or conventions protecting and increasing civil liberties do you know? What do you remember about them?
2. What do you know about the Council of Europe?
3. What countries are the members of the Council of Europe? Which ones are the parties to the Convention?
Exercise 5. Translate from Russian into English:
1. Вопрос о правах человека в большей мере является проблемой свобод, нежели прав.
2. Любое цивилизованное общество признает важность проблемы соблюдения прав человека.
3. Генеральная Ассамблея Объединенных Наций провозгласила Всеобщую декларацию прав человека в 1948г.
4. Совет Европы принял Европейскую Конвенцию о защите прав человека в 1953г.
5. Основными правами человека являются право на жизнь, на свободу, на личную неприкосновенность.
6. Национальная система здравоохранения обеспечивает заботу о здоровье каждого гражданина.
7. В системе международного права существует ряд документов, обеспечивающих защиту основных свобод и прав человека.
8. Британское правительство считает важным элементом внешней политики соблюдение и защиту прав человека.
9. Внимание к личным свободам является краеугольным камнем британской демократической системы.
10. Каждый человек имеет право на уровень жизни, который необходим для благополучия его семьи, включая питание, одежду и медицинскую помощь.
TOPIC 12: CIVIL LAW
Exercise 1. Before reading the text explain the meaning of the following words and word combinations:
legal system, civil case, authority, to originate, legal proceeding, definition, to deal with, precedent, main principle, jurisdiction, legal treaty
Civil law
Civil law is a legal system originating in Western Europe. It contains legal traditions of ancient Rome and is based on these traditions. Modern civil law systems have spread throughout the world.
The most prevalent feature of a civil law system is the presence of a written code of law. This can be contrasted with common law systems which are based on the principle of deciding cases by reference to previous judicial decisions. Civil-law judges use statutory principles in their decisions. Civil law formulates general legal rules and principles. And although the contents of codes may vary widely from country to country, all codes present a programme of social regulation that guides people in the society from birth to death.
The civil law term has two meanings: private and public law. Private law includes civil and commercial relations such as marriage, divorce, contractual agreements. Public law consists of matters that concern the government: constitutional law, criminal law, administrative law.
The role of judges in civil law jurisdictions differs from that of judges in common law systems. The civil law tradition views judges as government officials who perform important functions. Civil law judges administer the codes that are written by legislators. They also consult legal treatises on the issue in question. The civil law system assumes that there is only one correct solution to a specific legal problem. So judges can not use their own interpretation to a case.
New words:
- to spread — распространяться;
- prevalent — преобладающий;
- code — кодекс; свод законов;
- by reference — относительно;
- statutory — установленный законом;
- to vary — меняться;
- to guide — руководить, направлять;
- to view — рассматривать;
- to administer — управлять, вести дела;
- treatise — трактат;
- to assume —допускать, предполагать.
Questions to the text:
1. What is the term civil law based on?
2. Are modern civil law systems popular in the world?
3. What is the main principle of the civil law system?
4. How can civil law be contrasted to the common law system?
5. What do civil codes present?
6. What is the difference in resolving disputes between civil-law judges and common-law judges?
7. What are the two meanings of the term civil law?
8. What is the distinction between private and public law?
9. What is the difference in the role of judges in civil law jurisdictions and in common law systems?
10. Do we use the term civil law system in Russia?
Exercise 2. Translate the following sentences into Russian:
1. Civil law is made by legislators who try to modernize the legal codes.
2. In civil law system the primary source of law is the law code, which is a systematic collection of articles.
3. Civil-law courts usually decide cases using statutory law without reference to other judicial decisions.
4. Laws regulating marriage, contracts, payment for personal injury are examples of civil law.
5. The civil law tradition makes a sharp distinction between private and public law.
6. In many countries with civil law systems, two sets of courts exist – those that hear public law cases and those that address cases of private law.
7. The civil law court system is usually composed of specially trained judicial officers with a limited authority to interpret law.
8. In civil law systems the judge supervises the collection of evidences and usually examines witnesses in private.
9. Civil law judges may consult legal treatises on the issue in question.
10. Civil law judges administer the law, but they do not create it.
Exercise 3. Fill in the gaps with the words given below, translate the text into Russian: witnesses, law, hearings, practice, civil, judgment, officers, legislators, judicial
Civil Law Systems
Civil law systems do not have any process like the common law _____ of discovery - the search for prior ______ decisions. The trial of a case under civil law also differs from a common law trial, in which both parties present arguments and ______ in open court. In civil law systems the judge supervises the process of trial. Cross-examination of witnesses is rare. A ______ law action consists of a number of meetings, _______, and letters through which testimony is taken, evidence is gathered and _______ is rendered.
Civil law is made by ________ who try to supplement and modernize the codes, usually with the advice of legal scholars. Civil law judges administer the ______, but they don’t create it. Civil law judges are specially trained judicial ______ with a limited authority to interpret law. Juries separate from the judges are not used, although in some cases, benches may be sat by lay judges alongside legally-trained career judges.
Exercise 4. Work in pairs and discuss the following questions:
1. How do the trials under civil law differ from a common law trial?
2. How is law created and how can it be changed in civil law system?
3. What is the role of jury in civil law decisions?
Exercise 5. Translate from Russian into English:
1. Судьи гражданского права не могут решать дело, ссылаясь на предыдущие судебные решения.
2. Судьи гражданского права опираются на документы, составленные законодательными органами.
3. Источником гражданского права в Великобритании является свод официальных правил.
4. Система гражданского права очень популярна во всем мире.
5. Гражданская юрисдикция судей связана с вопросами урегулирования семейных споров, заключения различных контрактов и т. д.
6. Система гражданского права в корне отличается от системы общего права.
7. Юридические нормы в системе гражданского права делятся на две группы: частное и публичное право.
8. Частное право регулирует личные отношения между гражданами.
9. Публичное право образует нормы, закрепляющие порядок деятельности органов государственной власти и управления.
10. В системе гражданского права судьи руководствуются основными законами, но не создают их.