Файл: Unit criminal justice grammar.docx

Criminal Courts

 

There are two main kinds of courts, and two kinds of judicial officers to correspond with them. Courts of first instance are presided over by magistrates, who are normally Justices of the Peace (JPs); higher courts (‘crown’ courts) by judges, or in some cases, senior barristers specially appointed to perform judicial functions for part of their time.

Magistrates’ Courts

 

Every person charged with an offence is summoned to appear before a local magistrates’ court, which may impose a fine up to a general limit of ₤2,000 or twelve months’ imprisonment, though for some specified offences the laws prescribe maximum penalties below these limits. With 98 per cent of cases the magistrates on the bench decide on guilt or innocence, and if necessary what penalty to impose. With more serious cases the magistrates can decide only to send them for trial in a crown court. A person accused before a magistrates’ court may demand to be sent for trial before a crown court in some of the more serious cases with which in general the magistrates could have dealt themselves.

A magistrates’ court normally consists of three Justices of the Peace (occasionally, two or four or more). The JPs are ordinary but worthy citizens who have been appointed to their positions by the Lord Chancellor on the advise of local appointing committees. JPs have no formal qualifications; they are chosen merely for their good reputation, often with the support of political parties or approved voluntary bodies. Once appointed, they are expected to attend courses of instruction about their work. There are 28,000 JPs in England; each of them works in the court on about 30–50 days a year.

4.7.4 (1). Commentary and Notes to text 4.7.4.

1)  JP = Justices of the Peace – мировые судьи;

2)  to demand – требовать;

3)  worthy citizens – достойные граждане;

4)  The Lord Chancellor – лорд-канцлер (главное судебное должностное лицо, спикер палаты лордов, член кабинета министров);

5) to approve – одобрять.

 

4.8. ORAL PRACTICE 

4.8.1. Answer the questions on the text “Criminal Courts”.

1. 
   Who is responsible for beginning criminal proceedings in England and Wales?
   
2. 
   Where do the police pass the papers after they have brought a criminal charge?
   
3. 
   Who decides whether or not to bring proceedings in Scotland?
   
4. 
   May a private person institute criminal proceedings?
   
5. 
   Is it interesting to know if police may issue cautions in England and Wales?
   
6. 
   When and what for was the Serious Fraud Office established?
   
7. 
   What is known to you about the Prosecution of offences Act 1985?
   
8. 
   What are the duties of the Director of Public Prosecutions?
   
9. 
   What do you know about the structure of the Crown Prosecution Service?
   
10. 
    What does the Service provide lawyers to do?
    
11. 
    What does do the headquarters of the Service deal with?
    
12. 
    Which offences are included into the category of national importance?
    
13. 
    What can you say about the duties of the Lord Advocate in Scotland?
    
14. 
    What are the functions of the Crown Agent in Scotland?
    
15. 
    Who prepares prosecutions in the High Court?
    
16. 
    How are the cases prepared in Scotland before the sheriff and district courts?
    
17. 
    What do you know about the Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 1987?
    
18. 
    How are Public Prosecutions exercised in Northern Ireland?
    

4.8.2. Read the text “Courts in England and Wales” and make comments on it.

Courts in England and Wales

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Criminal offences may be grouped into three categories. Offences triable only on indictment – the very serious offences such as murder, manslaughter, rape and robbery – are tried only by the Crown Court presided over by a judge sitting with a jury. Summary offences – the least serious offences and the vast majority of criminal cases – are tried by unpaid lay magistrates sitting without a jury. A third category of offences (such as theft, burglary, or malicious woundings) are known as ‘either way’ offences and can by tried either by magistrates or by the Crown Court depending on the circumstances of each case and the wishes of the defendant. 

In addition to dealing with summary offences and the ‘either way’ offences which are entrusted to them, the magistrates’ courts commit cases to the Crown Court either for trial or for sentence. Committals for trial are either of indictable offences or of ‘either way’ offences, which it has been determined, will be tried in the Crown Court. Committals for sentence occur when the defendant in an ‘either way’ case has been tried summarily but the court has decided to commit him or her to the Crown Court for sentence.

Magistrates must as a rule sit in open court to which the public and the media are admitted. A court normally consists of three lay magistrates – known as justices of the peace – advised on points of law and procedures by a legally qualified clerk or a qualified assistant. Magistrates are appointed by the Lord Chancellor, except in Lancashire, Greater Manchester and Merseyside where appointments are made by the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster. There are nearly 28,000 lay magistrates.

4.8.2 (1). Vocabulary Notes to text 4.8.2.

1)    triable – подсудный;

2)    manslaughter  – 1) человекоубийство; 2) непредумышленное убийство;

3)    rape   – изнасилование;

4)    lay magistrate – мировой судья;

lay = justices of the peace;

5)    theft   – кража, воровство;

6)    burglary  – ночная кража со взломом;

7)    indictable offences – правонарушения, подлежащие рассмотрению в суде;

8)    to try summarily – рассматривать дело в суде в порядке суммарной юрисдикции.

4.8.3. Read the continuation of the text “Courts in England and Wales” and discuss it in the form of a dialogue, using clichés, set expressions and phrases given below.

There are 63 full-time, legally qualified stipendiary magistrates who may sit alone and usually preside in courts in urban areas where the workload is heavy.

Cases involving people under 17 are heard in juvenile courts. These are specially constituted magistrates’ courts which either sit apart from other courts or are held at a different time. Only limited categories of people may be present and media reports must not identify any juvenile appearing either as a defendant or a witness. Where a young person under 17 is charged jointly with someone of 17 or over, the case is heard in an ordinary magistrates’ court or the Crown Court. If the young person is found guilty, the court may transfer the case to a juvenile court for sentence unless satisfied that it is undesirable to do so.

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The Crown Court deals with trials of the more serious cases, the sentencing of offenders committed for sentence by magistrates’ courts, and appeals from magistrates’ courts. It sits at about 90 centres and is presided over by High Court judges, full-time ‘circuit judges’ and part-time recorders. All contested trials take place before a jury. Magistrates sit with a circuit judge or recorder to deal with appeals and committals for sentence.

The Government is planning to alter court procedures regarding cases of serious or complex fraud with a view to by-passing full committal proceedings in magistrates’ courts at the discretion of the prosecution, but with a special procedure under which the accused would be able to apply to the Crown Court to be discharged on the ground that there was no case to answer.

4.8.3 (1). Commentary and Notes to text 4.8.3.

1)       stipendiary magistrates   – должностные лица, находящиеся на жаловании правительства;

2)       to preside   (in court) – председательствовать (в суде, при судебном разбирательстве);

3)       juvenile courts   – суды по делам несовершеннолетних;

4)       media reports – сообщения средств массовой информации;

5)       juvenile offender [‘] – малолетний преступник;

6)       offendant – ответчик, подсудимый, обвиняемый;

7)       witness – свидетель;

8)       sentence – приговор;

9)       unless satisfied – если не удовлетворён;

10)  circuit judges – окружные суды;

11)  recorder – рикордер (мировой судья с юрисдикцией по уголовным и гражданским делам в городах и городках);

12)  contested trials – состязательные судебные разбирательства;

13)  committal for sentence – передача на рассмотрение суда для вынесения приговора;

14)  to be discharged – быть оправданным.

4.8.3 (2). Clichés, set expression and phrases.

Will you kindly answer me what you really know about stipendiary magistrates? – Будьте любезны ответить, что вам известно об оплачиваемых должностных лицах? I agree with you, but… – Согласен с вами, но…

That’s all right. Nevertheless, it is urgent to talk over the fate of juvenile offenders. –

Всё это правильно. Тем не менее представляется актуальным обговорить вопрос, касающийся судьбы малолетних (несовершеннолетних) преступников.

It is important to draw attention to the role and activities of the Crown Court… – Важно привлечь внимание к роли и деятельности Суда короны…

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Everything depends on the circumstances: contested trials… – Всё зависит от обстоятельств: состязательные судебные разбирательства…

My information is that the Government is planning to alter… – По имеющимся сведениям, правительство планирует изменить/

4.9. DEVELOPMENT 

4.9.1. Read the additional text “Appeals” for 6 minutes and think over its contents. Give the annotation of it in Russian.

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Appeals

A person convicted by a magistrates’ court may appeal to the Crown Court against the sentence imposed if he has pleaded guilty; or against the conviction or sentence imposed if he has not pleaded guilty. Where the appeal is not a point or procedure of law, either the prosecutor or the defendant may appeal from the magistrates’ court to the High Court. Appeals from the Crown Court, either against conviction or against sentence, are made to the Court of Appeal (Criminal Division). The House of Lords is the final appeal court for all cases, from either the High Court or the Court of Appeal. Before a case can go to the Lords, the court hearing the previous appeal must certify that it involves a point of law of general public importance and either that court of the Lords must grant leave for the appeal to be heard. The nine Lords of Appeal in Ordinary are the judges who deal with Lords appeals.

The Attorney-General may seek the opinion of the Court of Appeal on a point of law which has arisen in a case where a person tried on indictment is acquitted; the court has power to refer the point to the House of Lords if necessary. The acquittal in the original case is not affected, not is the identity of the acquitted person revealed without his or her consent. Under a provision in the Criminal Justice Act 1988, which has not yet been implemented, the Attorney General would be empowered, where he considered that a sentence passed by the Crown Court was over-lenient, to refer the case to the Court of Appeal, which would be able, if it thought fit, to increase the sentence within the statutory maximum laid down by Parliament for the offence.

4.9.1 (1). Vocabulary Notes to text 4.9.1.

1. 
   to plead guilty – заявить о своей виновности, признать себя виновным;
   
2. 
   point of law – вопрос права;
   
3. 
   to grant leave – предоставлять (давать) разрешение;
   
4. 
   Lords of Appeal – судебные лорды, лорды-судьи;
   
5. 
   Lords of Appeal in Ordinary – назначаемые члены палаты лордов по рассмотрению апелляций;
   
6. 
   the Attorney-General – Генеральный атторней (англ. приблизительно соответствует Генеральному прокурору);
   
7. 
   consent – согласие;
   
8. 
   under a provision – по постановлению, положению (договора, закона);
   
9. 
   an over-lenient   sentence – слишком мягкий приговор;
   
10. 
    to lay down – устанавливать, формулировать.
    

4.9.2. Read the text, render it in English.

Суды графств и магистратские суды County Courts and Magistrates’ Courts

К низшим в Англии и Уэльсе относятся суды графств и магистратские суды. Суды графств (их насчитывается свыше 350) – основные органы гражданского правосудия, в которых по первой инстанции рассматривается около 90 % гражданских дел. Границы района, в котором действует соответствующий суд графства, определяются лордом-канцлером. Он же вправе упразднять, объединять или учреждать новые суды графств. В каждом суде графства обычно имеется один или два постоянных судьи. Компетенция судов графств ограничена по сравнению с Высоким судом, также рассматривающим гражданские дела по первой инстанции, размером исков, различающимся в зависимости от категории иска (например, до 5 тыс. ф. ст. по искам из договоров и деликтов). Дела в судах графств слушаются окружными судьями или рекордерами в большинстве случаев единолично либо же с присяжными, если судья удовлетворит заранее заявленное ходатайство об этом одной из сторон (число присяжных в суде графства – не менее восьми). Решения судов графств могут быть обжалованы в Апелляционный суд, но только с согласия суда, вынесшего решение, и, как правило, лишь по вопросам права либо допущения доказательств, а не по вопросам факта.

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