The Nature of the Constitution

In England there is no one document or fundamental body of law that can be described as a “constitution”. The absence of any such document or of any distinction between public and private law has led to the suggestion that there is no constitution in England. Certainly the English constitution has no existence apart from the ordinary law; it is indeed part of that very law. The Magna Carta, the Petition of Right, the Habeas Corpus Act, the Bill of Rights, and the Act of Settlement are the leading enactments; but they are in no sense a constitutional code; and, without a host of judicial decisions, other statutes of much less importance, and a mass of custom and convention, these statutes would be unworkable.

The sources of English constitutional law are statutes, judicial precedent, textbooks, law books, the writings of historians and political theorists, the biographies and autobiographies of statesmen, the columns of every serious newspaper, the minutiae of every type of government record and publication. This is what is meant by saying the English Constitution is “unwritten”: it is not formally enacted; its rules have to be sought out in a dozen fields, not in any one code.

Similarly, it is flexible, and here the contrast is with a rigid constitution. There are no special safeguards for constitutional rules; constitutional law can be changed, amended, or abolished just like any rule of private law; there is no field in which Parliament is forbidden to legislate; there are no fundamental or unalterable ideologies and no procedures to prescribe delay or extra processes for constitutional change.

 

Vocabulary

Act of Settlement Акт о престолонаследии (1701г.; облек Ганноверскую династию правом престолонаследия, закрепив английский престол за протестантами)

apart (from) adv помимо, отлично от, раздельно, обособленно

Bill of Rights Билль о правах (1689г.; был направлен против восстановления

абсолютизма; значительно ограничив власть короны и гарантировав права

парламента, заложил основы английской конституционной монархии; наряду с другими актами составляет статутарную основу английской конституционной практики)

code n кодекс, свод законов; constitutional code совокупность норм конституционного права

delay n задержка, замедление, приостановка

distinction n различение, разграничение, отличие, различие

existence n существование, жизнь

extra adj добавочный, дополнительный; особый, специальный

forbid (forbade, forbad; forbidden) v запрещать, не давать разрешения, не позволять, не давать возможности, препятствовать

Habeas Corpus Act Закон о неприкосновенности личности (предписывает представление арестованного в суд в течение установленного срока для надлежащего судебного разбирательства и установления законности ареста; принят в 1679г.)

historian n историк

host n множество

judicial adj судебный; judicial precedent судебный прецедент; judicial decision судебное решение

law n право, закон, юстиция; abolish law отменять закон; amend law вносить изменения в закон; body of law совокупность правовых норм; constitutional law конституционное право, государственное право, конституционный закон, основной закон; private law частное право, частный закон; закон, действующий в отношении конкретных лиц; public law публичное право, публичный закон (закон, касающийся всего населения)

law-book n кодекс, свод законов

legislate v издавать законы, осуществлять законодательную власть

minutiae n.pl. лат. мелочи, детали

Magna C(h)arta Великая хартия вольностей (грамота, подписанная в 1215г. королем Иоанном Безземельным под давлением восставших баронов; ограничивала королевскую власть и предоставляла более широкие права крупным феодалам; основной массе английского народа – крепостному крестьянству – не дала никаких прав; наряду с другими актами составляет статутарную основу английской конституционной практики)

mass of custom and convention масса/множество/большое количество обычаев и условностей

Petition of Right Петиция о праве (была представлена палатой общин королю Карлу I и утверждена им в 1628г.; требовала значительного ограничения королевской власти; закрепляла роль и права парламента и судов; программный документ буржуазии в канун Английской буржуазной революции 17в.; ограждала собственность буржуазии от посягательств абсолютизма)

prescribe v предписывать

record n запись, письменное упоминание

safeguard n гарантия

seek out (sought) v разыскать, отыскать

similarly adv подобным образом, так же

statesman n государственный/политический деятель, политик

suggestion n вероятное или возможное обстоятельство, предположение, намек, указание

theorist n теоретик

unalterable adj неизменный, непреложный, не допускающий перемен, устойчивый

unworkable adj непригодный для работы

writing n произведение (литературное), сочинение, документ

Reading tasks

A Answer these questions.

 

1 What is the structure of the British Constitution?

2 Why is the British Constitution considered to be flexible?

3 What are the sources of English constitutional law?

4 What is the difference between written and unwritten constitutions?

5 In your opinion, how can mass media participate in developing the British Constitution?

 

B Mark these statements T (true) or F (false) according to the information in the text.

1 The English Constitution has nothing to do with the ordinary law.

2 The Magna Carta is not a constitutional code.

3 The sources of English Constitution are unknown.

4 The English Constitution is formally enacted.

5 There is a sharp difference between the English Constitution and a rigid constitution.

6 The English constitutional law can never be changed.

 

Language focus

A Put the verb into the form of the past participle.

The British Constitution is the law of Great Britain which provides for the form and powers of government. It is 1) ______ (root) in historic traditions and principles of liberty which go back to the Magna Carta of 1215. Unlike most other constitutions, the English Constitution is not a systematic 2) ______ (write) statement of law. The laws of the Constitution comprise three kinds of rules: statute rules, case law and custom (especially Parliamentary custom). It is often 3) ______ (call) a customary or unwritten constitution.

As an example, English law makes no provision for such an important feature of the British government as the Cabinet of Ministers which is now an essential part of the executive branch of the government. The cabinet originated in the 15^th century as an advisory body to the king. It has 4) ______ (develop) in connection with the rise of representative government to its present status in the executive branch. Unlike constitutions that make clear provision for their amendment and are often difficult to change, the English Constitution may be 5) ______ (change) easily. It may be 6) ______ (alter), and in the past it has been 7) ______ (alter), through the slow addition to custom, by an act of Parliament, or by judicial interpretation.

Historians emphasize the flexibility of the English Constitution. Its early development may be 8) ______ (trace) back to the Norman Conquest almost 1000 years ago! Throughout this period it remained adaptable and serving the needs of society.

 

B Combine the two parts of the sentence using the following connectors:

once, since, unless, whether.

 

1 There exists a suggestion that there is no constitution in England _______ there is no one fundamental body of law.

2 The leading enactments would be unworkable _______ they were added by a mass of judicial decisions and statutes of much less importance.

3 _______ the English Constitution is unwritten you can’t find it in one code.

4 The students inquired _______ textbooks and law could be the sources of the English Constitution.

Vocabulary tasks

A Match the following English expressions containing the term “law” with the Russian equivalents.

 

1 public law a судебное право

2 private law b конституционное право/закон

3 ordinary law c специальный закон

4 constitutional law d публичное право, публичный закон

5 fundamental law e основной закон, основные принципы права

6 judicial law f право, осуществляемое в обычном порядке

7 unwritten law g частное право, частный закон

8 special law h неписаное право

 

B Choose the correct alternative to complete the sentences.

 

1 The sources of English constitutional law are:

a Roman law and Napoleon Code

b statutes, judicial precedents, etc.

c the Ten Commandments.

2 The rules of the British Constitution have to be sought out

a in one code

b in a dozen of newspapers and magazines

c in many different fields.

3 The British constitutional law

a can’t be changed

b can be amended

c can’t be described.

4 In England there is no distinction between

a the Magna Carta and the Bill of Rights

b a constitutional code and the Act of Settlement

c private and public law.

 

5 The British Constitution is

a flexible

b written

c rigid.

 

C Match the terms with their definitions.

 

1 enactment a previous case taken as example for subsequent cases

2 code b a written law of a legislative body

3 precedent c making (a bill) a law

4 statute d systematic collection of statutes, body of laws so arranged as to

avoid inconsistency and overlapping; set of rules on any subject

 

Over to you

Discuss these points:

1 If you were able to introduce changes into the British Constitution what would you suggest?

2 Do you think it is possible to substitute the present–day British Constitution by a written one?

Unit 7 US Constitution

 

Before you read

Discuss these questions.

 

1 Who were the drafters of the US Constitution?

2 How many states were there in the country when the Constitution was written?

3 What method did the drafters of the Constitution provide since they saw that the future might bring a need for changes?