The Development of the UK Constitution .38 Text 2. <...> Evolution of the British Constitution in the 17-th Century .44 Text 3. <...> Structure of the UK Constitution .52 Text 4. <...> Federal and Unitary Constitutions .95 UNIT III MONARCHY Text 1. <...> Personal Powers of the Monarch .124 Text 4. <...> Referendum Set to Back the Queen of Australia .150 3 UNIT IV PARLIAMENT Text 1. <...> Formation of Two Houses of Parliament .162 Text 3. <...> Passage of a Public Bill Introduced by the Government into the House of Commons .242 Text 11. <...> Parliamentary Privilege .249 UNIT V THE EXECUTIVE Text 1. <...> Growth of the Executive .272 Text 4. ‘Hollowed-out Government’ .277 Glossary .291 Keys .326 References .342 FOREWORD English for Law Students is designed • to meet the students’ needs in acquiring both language through law and law through language; • to strengthen their reading and writing skills; • to develop the students’ ability to analyse, summerise and interpret legal texts concerning particular legal area or issue; • to introduce common law terms, concepts and institutions to the students of a different law system; • to increase their competence in legal language usage; • to provide thought provoking materials; • to encourage analytical approach to and comparative studies of current legal issues and reforms; • to equip students with linguistic tools to advance in their scholarly activity. <...> English for Law Students contains five UNITS: History and Sources of English Law, Constitution, Monarchy, Parliament, The Executive. <...> Each unit includes a number of texts on a particular theme followed by LANGUAGE PRACTICE AND COMPREHENSION CHECK with TASKS ranging from word building to complicated legal vocabulary, grammar, syntax, discussion points. <...> UNIT I HISTORY AND SOURCES OF ENGLISH LAW TEXT 1 CASE LAW The word source can mean several different things with regard to law, but for our purposes it primarily describes the means by which the law comes into existence. <...> The basis of English law today is case law, a mass of judge-made decisions which lays down rules to be followed in future cases. <...> As well as being a source of law in their own right, statutes contribute to case law, since the courts occasionally <...>
English_for_Law_Students_University_Course.pdf
M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University
Law School
Department of Foreign Languages
ENGLISH
FOR LAW STUDENTS
UNIVERSITY COURSE
Part I
МОСКВА 2014
Стр.1
УДК 802/809.1
ББК 81.2
E 58
EDITED BY
Tatiana Tarasova
CONTRIBUTORS:
Natalya Berezhneva
Asya Goloborodko
Dina Karpova
Tatiana Tarasova
REVIEWED BY
Eugenia Yakovleva Professor of Linguistics
Suren Avakjan Professor of Law
E 58
English for Law Students: University Course / Ed. by T. Tarasova. Part I. –
Moscow: STATUT, 2014. – 343 p. [Английский язык для студентовюристов.
– М.: Статут, 2014. – На английском языке]
ISBN 978-5-8354-0978-5 (Part I; softback)
ISBN 978-5-8354-0977-8
ENGLISH FOR LAW STUDENTS is a part of the university course of
legal English for academic purposes. It is addressed to law students of noncommon
law countries. It is aimed at teaching students to understand the
language of English law, its fundamental concepts and institutions. Its goal
is to enable students to deal with different types of legal texts, to become
knowledgeable in current legal issues, to use proper English legal terms with
regard to their own legal systems. The final objective is to stimulate students’
interest in law and language. Although English for Law Students is designed
as a part of the university course of legal English it can also be useful for
students of the humanities, economics, social and political sciences, etc.
in their self-study of English law and language.
УДК 802/809.1
ББК 81.2
ISBN 978-5-8354-0978-5 (Part I)
ISBN 978-5-8354-0977-8
© Contributors, 2013
© Издательство «Статут» (Statut Publishing House), 2013
Стр.2
CONTENTS
Foreword .................................................................................................5
UNIT I
HISTORY AND SOURCES OF ENGLISH LAW
Text 1. Case Law .....................................................................................6
Text 2. How Do Judges Really Decide Cases? ........................................19
Text 3. Equity ........................................................................................30
UNIT II
CONSTITUTION
Text 1. The Development of the UK Constitution ..................................38
Text 2. Evolution of the British Constitution
in the 17-th Century ...................................................................44
Text 3. Structure of the UK Constitution ...............................................52
Text 4. Constitutionalism .......................................................................63
Text 5. Separation of Powers ..................................................................71
Text 6. Separation of Powers in the United Kingdom .............................79
Text 7. The Rule of Law .........................................................................84
Text 8. Federal and Unitary Constitutions .............................................95
UNIT III
MONARCHY
Text 1. Nature of the Crown ................................................................107
Text 2. Functions of Monarchy ............................................................118
Text 3. Personal Powers of the Monarch ..............................................124
Text 4. The Royal Prerogative ..............................................................136
Text 5. Dwindling Power of the Crown ................................................141
Text 6. A Right Royal Argument ..........................................................147
Text 7. Referendum Set to Back the Queen of Australia ........................150
3
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UNIT IV
PARLIAMENT
Text 1. Rise of English Parliament .......................................................157
Text 2. Formation of Two Houses of Parliament ..................................162
Text 3. Legal History of Parliament ......................................................164
Text 4. British Parliament Today .........................................................172
Text 5. Composition of Parliament ......................................................187
Text 6. Composition of the Modern House of Lords .............................202
Text 7. Composition of the Modern House of Commons .....................224
Text 8. Meeting of Parliament ..............................................................236
Text 9. Types of Legislation .................................................................240
Text 10. Passage of a Public Bill Introduced by the Government
into the House of Commons ...................................................242
Text 11. Parliamentary Privilege ..........................................................249
UNIT V
THE EXECUTIVE
Text 1. Parliamentary Government ......................................................259
Text 2. Cabinet and Prime Minister .....................................................268
Text 3. Growth of the Executive ...........................................................272
Text 4. ‘Hollowed-out Government’ ....................................................277
Glossary ..............................................................................................291
Keys ....................................................................................................326
References ...........................................................................................342
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