Ex.10. Answer the following questions.

1. Is there a single code in England?

2. What do the sources of law include?

3. What are the main classes of trial courts in England?

4. What do Magistrates’ Courts try? Who sits for the trial there?

5. What courts are also called courts of summary jurisdiction?

6. What courts have a double function? What do they try?

7. Who sits for the trial in the Crown Court?

8. What is the Crown Court for London?

9. What is the supreme court of appeal in criminal matters?

MODULE 4

UNIT 3

	Text: The United States Court System.
	Grammar: Indirect speech.

THE UNITED STATES COURT SYSTEM

The third branch of the federal government, the judiciary, consists of a system of courts throughout the country, headed by the Supreme Court of the United States. The whole country is divided in­to districts, each having a federal court. The present federal court system includes the Supreme Court, 11 courts of appeals, 91 district courts and 5 courts of special jurisdiction.

The Supreme Court consists of a chief justice and eight associate justices who are appointed by the President and approved by the Se­nate. The responsibility and power of these nine people are extraor­dinary. The Supreme Court is the court of final appeal, its main work is to make the final decision in legal cases in which a charge of violation of the Constitution is made. Supreme Court decisions can affect the lives of all Americans and can change society significantly.

The second highest level of the federal judiciary is made up of the courts of appeals. The United States is divided into eleven judi­cial circuits, each served by a court of appeals. As a rule, the court of appeals sits with three judges on the bench. They review the district courts’ decisions within their areas.

The district courts are the lowest ones in the federal court sys­tem. These courts try most of the criminal and civil cases. They are the only federal courts where trials are held with the jury. Deci­sions of the district courts may be appealed in one of the eleven courts of appeals and in the Supreme Court.

In addition to the federal courts of general jurisdiction it has been necessary to set up courts for special purposes. There are se­parate military courts for members of the armed forces and other specialised courts to handle matters ranging from tax questions to immigration violations.

Besides, each state has established a system of courts, including a state supreme court, to deal with civil, criminal and appellate proceedings. There are also county and city courts. Even the small­est villages have a local judge, called a " justice of the peace ", who handles minor legal matters.

The constitution safeguards judicial independence by providing that federal judges shall hold office until they die, retire or resign, although a judge who commits an offence while in office may be impeached in the same way as the president or other officials of the federal government.

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