II. Answer the questions about the text. 1. What is a tale of two committees about?

1. What is a tale of two committees about? Give a detailed description of the committees.

2. What does the Court of Appeal deal with? Which different functions does it comprise? To what extent does it submit to the House of Lords?

3. What was the rationale behind the establishment of the Supreme Court?

4. What are the judicial aims of the Supreme Court?

5. How do appeals in Civil Cases differ from appeals in Criminal Cases?

6. Where does the importance of a dissenting judgment lie?

7. What rules are judges run by while hearing appeals in civil and criminal cases?

8. How does the Court of Appeal function?

9. What divisions does the High Court of justice consist of? What does the activity of these divisions encompass?

10. What does the phrase “to try cases at first instance” mean?

11. How does a High Court Judge put into practice the principle “Justice must be seen to be done”?

12. How do the Crown and county courts work? Which requirements are they to meet?

13. What is the role of High Court Judges and Circuit Judges within the frame of the Crown Court?

14. What are the functions of the magistrates’ courts?

15. Where does the difference lie between a magistrates’ court and a county court?

16. Who are the cases in magistrates’ courts heard by?

17. What is the notion “Justices of the Peace” rooted in?

18. What are tribunals set up for?

19. What are the types of tribunals? What matters do they deal with?

20. What are the coroner’s duties?

21. When are juries involved in the work of the coroner’s court?

22. Why is the coroner’s court so important nowadays?

23. What is the clerk of the court responsible for? When is the clerk a particularly important figure?

24. What is the principle of binding precedent based on? How does it work in practice?

III. Draw up the plan for rendering the text and then summarize it.

IV. Discuss these issues.

1. Lord Bingham, defending the work done by magistrates, described them as а ’democratic jewel beyond price’. Comment on his words. What is your idea of magistrates?

2. In England, in accordance with tradition the law has been developed through the principle of binding precedent. What are weak and strong points of their ‘sacred principle’? Compare the English principles and the Continental ones?

3. Discuss the differences in the work of the Courts in Russia and in Britain. What are pros and cons of their work in both countries?

V. Find the information in the Internet on the following themes and make presentations in class.

1. The changes in the court system of the UK.

2. The present and past of independent judicial bodies set up by Parliament.

3. Coroner’s courts in the 21 century.

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