An outline of lawmaking process

IN GREAT BRITAIN AND THE USA

Britain

New legislation in Britain usually starts in the House of Lords. In each house a bill is considered in three stages, called readings. The first reading is purely formal, to introduce the bill. The second reading is usually the occasion for debate. After the second reading the bill is examined in detail by a committee.

The bill is then returned to one of the houses for the report stage, when it can be amended. If passed after its third reading, it goes to the other house. Amendments made to a bill by the House of Lords must be considered by the Commons. If the House of Commons does not agree, the bill is altered and sent back to the Lords. In the event of persistent disagreement between the two houses, Commons prevails.

Finally, the bill goes to the reigning monarch for the royal assent.

United States

 

The US Congress, the lawmaking arm of the federal government, consists of two houses: the House of Representatives and the Senate.

The proposed legislation, or bill, is first introduced in the House of Representatives, then referred to one of the committees, which organizes hearings on it and may approve, amend or shelve the draft. If the committee passes the bill, it is considered by the House of Representatives as a whole. If passed there, it goes to the Senate for a similar committee hearings and general debate.

ВАРИАНТ II

I. Перепишите следующие предложения. Подчеркните в них слова, оформленные окончанием -s, и определите по грамматическим признакам, какой частью речи являются эти слова и какую функцию выполняет это окончание, т.е. служит ли оно:

 

а) показателем З-го лица единственного числа глагола в Present Indefinite;

б) признаком множественного числа имени существительного:

в) показателем притяжательного падежа имени существительного.

 

Переведите предложения на русский язык.

1. The Russian Criminal Law defines the general principles of criminal responsibility.

2. Citizens' rights and freedoms is inseparable from their duties.

II. Перепишите следующие предложения, поставив прилагательные и наречия в указанную степень сравнения (сравнительную или превосходную). Переведите предложения на русский язык.

 

1. The (early - превосх.ст.) known legal text was written by Ur- Nammu, a king of the Mesopotamian city Ur.

2. The (many - сравн.ст.) people take part in the elections, the (much - сравн.ст.) representative are the state organs.

III. Поставьте следующие утвердительные предложения в вопросительную и отрицательную формы. Утвердительные предложения переведите на русский язык.

 

1. I worked in Customs House three years ago.

2. There are also women police in England.

3. The case begins.

IV. Перепишите следующие предложения, найдите в них и подчеркните неопределенные и отрицательные местоимения. Переведите предложения на русский язык.

 

1. In our laws there are some limitations on the application of punishment to juveniles.

2. No member of the International Court of Justice may exercise any political or administrative function.

V. Перепишите следующие предложения, подчеркните в каждом из них глагол-сказуемое и определите его видовременную форму и залог. Переведите предложения на русский язык.

 

1.The committee is still discussing the bill.

2.The modern English prison system is based upon the Criminal Justice Act (1948).

2.The courts of law impose imprisonment on offenders.

4. In the 16th century "houses of correction" were established in England.

VI. Перепишите следующие предложения, подчеркните Participle I и Participle II и установите функции каждого из них, т.е. укажите, является ли причастие определением, обстоятельством или частью глагола-сказуемого. Переведите предложения на русский язык.

 

1. About one third of all convicted juveniles are sentenced to punishment not including deprivation of freedom.

2. When asked about the investigation of the crime, he told us many interesting facts.

3. Judging from practice it is impossible to avoid judicial mistakes in all the cases.

VII. Перепишите следующие предложения, подчеркните в каждом из них модальный глагол или его эквивалент. Переведите предложения на русский язык.

 

1. The judges ought to act according to the law.

2. Any convicted person may present his application for revision of the judgement.

3. All laws and other acts of state organs in Russia shall be promulgated on the basis of the Constitution of the Russian Federation.

VIII. Прочитайте и письменно переведите текст.

The Innocent and the Guilty

Imagine, if you can, that the police arrests you for shoplifting, or for dangerous driving, or for getting drunk and causing "a disturbance of the peace". You are in a Magistrates Court now.

You, "the accused", are in a kind of large, open box. You are "in the dock". There are three Magistrates in front of you. At least one of them is a woman. In front of and below them there is another man. He is the "Clerk of the Court". During your case he will handle the administrative details and perhaps give advice to the Magistrates on legal points.

The case begins. The policeman who arrested you gives evidence. He reads details from a small black notebook. He tells the court when and why he arrested you, what you said, what he said, and so on. Your solicitor questionshim. One of the Magistrates also asks questions. Other witnesses appear. Perhaps you say nothing at all. You do not have to speak in your defence. "Everyone is innocent unless proved guilty". In other words, you do not have to prove that you are innocent. The police have to prove you are guilty.

At the end the Magistrates discuss your case in front of you. Then the Clerk of the Court tells you to stand. The Magistrate who has done the talking for the others tells you whether they have found you innocent or guilty. He can sentence you to no more than six months for one offence, to a maximum of one year for two or more offences or to a fine of 400 pounds.

More serious cases are heard in the Crown Court, where the Judge is always a legal expert. In the Crown Court you may be given a "trial by jury". Twelve ordinary people like yourself judge you. But the Judge himself always decides on the sentence.

ВАРИАНТ III

I. Перепишите следующие предложения. Подчеркните в них слова, оформленные окончанием -s, и определите по грамматическим признакам, какой частью речи являются эти слова и какую функцию выполняет это окончание, т.е. служит ли оно:

а) показателем З-го лица единственного числа глагола в Present Indefinite;

б) признаком множественного числа имени существительного:

в) показателем притяжательного падежа имени существительного.

Переведите предложения на русский язык.

 

1.Our Constitution provides all democratic freedoms for all citizens of our country.

2.The Procurator`s Office, like all the Russian courts, protects legality, law and order.

II. Перепишите следующие предложения, поставив прилагательные и наречия в указанную степень сравнения (сравнительную или превосходную). Переведите предложения на русский язык.

 

1. The (exact and just - сравн.ст.) is the punishment, the (great - сравн.ст.) will be the educational value of a court sentence.

2. The (serious - превосх.ст.) crime facing society today is the trafficking and abuse of drugs.

III. Поставьте следующие утвердительные предложения в вопросительную и отрицательную формы. Утвердительные предложения переведите на русский язык.

 

1. My friend is going to become an investigator.

2. You made many mistakes in this case.

3. The new FBI Agents receive fourteen weeks of instruction.

IV. Перепишите следующие предложения, найдите в них и подчеркните неопределенные и отрицательные местоимения. Переведите предложения на русский язык.

 

1. At our next seminar we shall study some articles of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation.

2. No state in the USA may pass a law contrary to the National Constitution.

3. Any direct or indirect limitation of the rights of citizens is punishable by law.

V. Перепишите следующие предложения, подчеркните в каждом из них глагол-сказуемое и определите его видовременную форму и залог. Переведите предложения на русский язык.

 

1.The results of these methods were, for different reasons, disappointing.

2. In our country all criminal cases pass through the stage of preliminary investigation before the court trial.

3. We will study Criminalistics next year.

4. The FBI, formally called the Bureau of Investigation, was created primarily to handle criminal investigations for the Department of Justice.

VI. Перепишите следующие предложения, подчеркните Participle I и Participle II и установите функции каждого из них, т.е. укажите, является ли причастие определением, обстоятельством или частью глагола-сказуемого. Переведите предложения на русский язык.

 

1. Leading international non-governmental organizations involved in the fight for human rights are participating in this conference.

2. Voting independently, the General Assembly and the Security Council elect the judges of the International Court of Justice.

3.Unless properly prepared the investigatory experiment must not be conducted.

VII. Перепишите следующие предложения, подчеркните в каждом из них модальный глагол или его эквивалент. Переведите предложения на русский язык.

 

1.No person can be arrested without sanction of a procurator.

2.You must know how to interrogate criminals, interview witnesses properly.

3.The President of the USA is to appoint Federal Judges, ambassadors to other countries and heads of various government departments.

VIII. Прочитайте и письменно переведите текст.