THE BILL OF RIGHTS

The British Constitution

Pre-reading task. Read the words. Mind the stress. A ):

΄sovereign re΄duce

΄alter em΄body

΄remedy e΄nactment

΄reduce con΄cern

΄subject e΄volve

B ) Complete the word building table.

Adjective Noun / Verb	Verb Noun
sovereign –	to reduce –
legislative –	to embody –
judicial –	to alter –
important –	to evolve –
similar –	to understand –

1. Look through the words and expression to make sure that you know them. Learn those you don’t know.

wholly [΄houli] We were wholly at a loss what to do.	повністю, цілком; зовсім; Ми були зовсім розгублені та не знали, що робити.
to reduce [ri´dju:s] The facts may all be reduced to three headings. to reduce costs to reduce staff	довести до; перетворювати; зменшувати, скорочувати; Всі факти можна звести до трьох груп.   скоротити витрати; скорочувати штат;
sovereign [´sovrin] sovereign authority / power	1. верховний, найвищий; 2. суверен, монарх; верховна влада;
to alter [´o:ltə] to alter a trade mark	змінювати, вносити зміни, перероблювати; внести зміни в товарний знак;
subject[´sΛbdЗikt] subject of the crown	підданий, суб’єкт, людина; підданий королівства
remedy[´remidi] civil remedy	засіб правового захисту; засіб, міра; цивільно-правовий засіб судового захисту
to embody [im´bodi] The people's rights are embodied in the laws.	втілювати; заключати в собі; зображувати; Права людей закріплені в законах.
enactment[i´næktmənt] congressional enactment	закон, указ; втілення закону в життя; закон, прийнятий конгресом;
to cite [sait] to cite as authority	цитувати; посилатися; цитувати як джерело;
case law	прецедентне право
code[kəud] code of honour code of practice highway code sanitation code code of behaviour	закони честі, моралі; моральні норми; кодекс; кодекс честі; процесуальний кодекс; правила дорожнього руху; санітарні норми; норми поведінки;
to evolve [i´volv] Some people still do not believe that man evolved from monkeys.	розвиватися, еволюціонувати;
to concern with [kən΄sə:n] He concerns himself with trivia [΄triviə]. to be concerned with	займатися, цікавитися; Він займається дурницями. мати відношення, стосуватися

2. Read and translate the text.

The British Constitution

Before examining the nature of the British constitution it is important to have a clear understanding of what is meant by ‘organs’ or ‘institutions’ of government. In this context we mean the executive, the legislature and the judiciary, in addition, in the United Kingdom, the monarch has an important constitutional role as head of the state.

The British constitution is not ‘written’, that is to say, it has never been wholly reduced to writing. Further, since Parliament is ‘sovereign’ it can, without any special procedure, and by simple Act, alter any law at any time, however, fundamental it may seem to be. Although, therefore, the courts have always been statute to safeguard the rights of the subject and although legal remedies, such as habeas corpus, are designed to protect him, yet, under the constitution, there are no guaranteed rights similar to the fundamental liberties safeguarded by the US Constitution.

The statement that the British Constitution is not ‘written’ does not mean that the British citizens possess no important constitutional documents; it merely means that the constitution is not embodied in any single document, or series of documents, containing the essential constitutional laws. Thus, the British citizens have many enactments which either have been or still are, of great importance. One needs only to cite as examples Magna Carta (1215), the Habeas Corpus (1679), the Bill of Rights (1688) – which set out the principle rights gained by Parliament and the nation as the result of the seventeenth century constitutional struggles – the Act of Settlement, (1700), and the Parliament Acts 1911 and 1949.

The sources of the British Constitution can be found in custom law, case law books, European Community law (since 1972) / European Union law (at present) and, most important, constitutional conventions. These are informal or ‘moral’ rules – a code of practice for government, which has evolved over the years. They are primarily concerned with the relationship between the Crown (Monarch) and the executive and the legislature. Many constitutional rules, such, for example, as the provisions of the Act of Settlement are laws in the ordinary sense, that is, they will be recognized and enforced by the courts.

3. Give the Ukrainian equivalents for the following words and expressions:

The Act of Settlement; the Magna Carta; European Community law; European Union law; in addition; without any special procedure; constitutional conventions; a code of practice for government; to evolve over the years; be primarily concerned with the relationship between Crown and the executive and the legislature; provisions of the act; to reduce to writing; to be statute to safeguard the rights of the subject.

4. Find in the text English equivalents for the following words and expressions:

Звичайне право; тобто; верховний; змінити закон; прецедентне право; гарантувати (захищати) права людини; результат конституційної боротьби; моральні норми діяльності уряду; право Європейського Союзу; судова влада; законодавча влада; виконавча влада; засоби правового захисту; повністю доведені до письма; суттєві конституційні закони; особлива процедура; гарантовані права; втілені в єдиному документі; встановлювати головні права; за конституцією.

5. A: Fill in the appropriate word from the list below.

Altered, enactment, evolved, reduce, wholly, embodied

1. His words were _______ true. 2. We have been able to ______ our tax bill by 10%. 3. Constitutional law has ______ very much since the US Constitution was adopted. 4. Real power should be _______ in Parliament. 5. We support the call for the ________of a Bill of Rights. 6. English law and Scots law ________ differently in form and substance which has resulted in different principles, institutions and traditions.

B: Fill in the appropriate preposition or adverb.

1. Don’t concern yourself ____ matters that are not your business. 2. _____ the British constitution, there are no similar documents guaranteeing rights and fundamental liberties safeguarded ____ the US Constitution. 3. The British citizens have many constitutional documents which are ____great importance. 4. Magna Carta,the Habeas Corpus, the Bill of Rights set ____ the principle rights gained ____ Parliament and the nation as the result ____the seventeenth century constitutional struggles. 5. ___ addition, the monarch has an important constitutional role ___ head of the state. 6. These are also ‘moral’ rules – a code ____ practice ____ government.

6. Read and say whether these statements are true or false:

1. An unwritten constitution can be easily changed. 2. The monarch has no constitutional role under the Constitution. 3. There are no documents containing constitutional laws in the United Kingdom. 4. Parliament must follow a special procedure to alter constitutional laws. 5. The law courts can apply certain legal remedies to protect the rights of the subjects. 6. Parliament has no power to make laws to protect individual rights. 7. The rights of the British citizens are safeguarded in the same way as the rights of the Americans. 8. Precedents are the part of the British Constitutional Law. 9. The Code of Practice for Government regulates relations between the Monarch, the executive and the legislature. 10. The legislative organs enforce the provisions of the constitutional documents.

7. Choose a word or phrase (a, b, or c) which best completes the unfinished sentence:

1. By.,,. we mean the executive, the legislature and the judiciary. a) convention; b) constitution; c) organ;

2. The constitutional…. is a treaty of multilateral nature relating to the exercise of their functions by the Crown, the government, Parliament, and the judiciary that are not legally enforceable but are commonly followed if they were. a) convention; b) constitution; c) precedent;

3. A prerogative writ used to challenge the validity of a person’s arrest, either in official custody or in private hands is called... a) the Bill of Rights; b) Magna Carta; c) Habeas corpus;

4. The constitutional document that guaranteed the freedom of church, restricted taxes and fines, promised justice to all is … a) the Bill of Rights; b) Magna Carta; c) Habeas Corpus;

5. The …. is a document that sets out legal rules and has been passed by both Houses of Parliament in the form of a Bill and agreed to by the Crown. a) Act of Settlement; b) Act of Parliament; c) Royal Assent;

6. The ….. is the agreement of the Crown, given by the royal prerogative that converts a Bill into an Act of Parliament. a) Act of Settlement; b) Act of Parliament; c) Royal Assent;

7. …. is an act of parliament, an order, or any other piece of subordinate legislation, or any particular provision contained in any of them. a) Judicial review; b) Enactment; c) Enforcement.

8. Match the definition in the right column to the word in the left.

1. sovereign	a) a set of rules or principles governing the behavior of a particular group or individual;
2. remedy	b) to provide a guarantee, to protect;
3. to safeguard	c) established organization or body;
4. source	d) to include, comprise;
5. enactment	e) way to get redress;
6. code	f) law passed by a legislative body;
7. to embody	g) original documents, serving as material for a study;
8. institution	h) having the highest power;

9. Study the text more carefully and answer the following questions:

1. What does the term ‘organ’ or ‘institution’ mean in the constitutional sense? 2. Which power in Britain is sovereign? 3. Who can alter the rules of the British constitution? 4. What does the term ‘unwritten constitution’ mean to the British citizens? 5. What are the main sources of the British constitution?

10. Translate into English.

1. Основні джерела – законодавство, судовий прецедент, додаткові джерела – звичайне та прецедентне право. 2. Те, що Британська конституція не є єдиним писаним документом, не означає, що в країні не має конституційних документів. 3. Конституція Великобританії не втілена в єдиний документ, а представлена серією документів, які включають суттєві конституційні закони та конституційні права. 4. Обов’язком британської судової системи є примусове здійснення волі парламенту через його законодавство. 5. Конституція гарантує рівні права всім громадянам, незалежно від кольору шкіри, раси, статі, релігійних вірувань, місця проживання.

11. Read the article and write the annotation.

Перший конституційний документ

Батьківщиною конституції вважають Англію, де з’явився перший конституційний документ. Велику хартію вільностей (Magna Carta) розглядають в двох аспектах - як історичний документ 1215 р. - пам’ятник феодального (feudal) права Англії, і як один з основних, «фундаментальних» законів англійської неписаної конституції. Проте, це не просто два підходи до документа, а це два різні варіанти документа, що відрізняються один від одного як текстуально, так і по спрямованості, по сенсу і «духу» положень, що містяться в них.

Документ 1215 р. - продукт історичного розвитку Англії в XII - початку XIII ст., конфліктної ситуації, що виникла при королі Іоанні (Джоні) Безземельному. Хартія, з іншого боку, є конституційний закон Англії, що діє, а це вже прояв подальшої еволюції Англії. Основні положення хартії, яким подальша політична історія Англії надала найбільше значення, зводяться до наступного. Король зобов’язався дотримувати феодальні звичаї в своїх стосунках з васалами (vassal); не втручатися в юрисдикцію феодальних курій (curia). Податки і збори можуть стягуватися не інакше як за рішенням «спільної ради королівства» (що означало по суті відновлення баронської курії). Жодна вільна людина не може бути поміщена у в’язницю, вигнаний з країни, позбавлений маєтку, поставлений поза законом і так далі «інакше, як за законним вироком», винесеним рівними по положенню суддями, і по законах країни». Всякий арешт має бути обґрунтований свідченнями, «свідків, заслуговують довіри». Дотримання хартії повинна гарантувати рада з 25 баронів, наділена правом «змушувати і тіснити» короля «всіма способами, яким лише може».

Напевне, коли англійський король Іоанн Безземельний ще в 1215 році підписував під тиском бунтівних баронів Велику хартію вольностей (Magna Charta libertatum), він і не здогадувався, що це стане могутнім поштовхом до утворення й розвитку органу, якому протягом усієї подальшої історії випаде честь відігравати роль рушійної сили в процесі розвитку не лише британської, а й усієї західної цивілізації. Саме Magna Charta, яка й по сьогодні є неодмінною складовою британської "конституції", заклала основи обмеженої монархії – форми державного правління, що з XVII ст. незмінно панує в Сполученому Королівстві Великої Британії та Північної Ірландії.

Початок парламентаризму в Англії було покладено підписанням королем Іоанном Безземельним саме Великої Хартії вольностей 1215 року, а сама назва "парламент" походить від давньофранцузького слова "parler" – говорити.

Grammar Section

Revision of the Passive Voice

1. Read the excerpt from the radio mystery show ‘Phantasma’ and underline all passive constructions.

Midnight. Earlier, the city was blanketed by a nearly impenetrable mist, the perfect environment for a crime to be committed. Now the streets are getting pelted by violent raindrops. No one is about.

On the sixty-seventh floor of a massive office building, the door to an executive suite of offices is ajar. Inside, the main room is dimly lit. A man lies crumpled near the windows. An hour ago he had the misfortune to get bludgeoned by a heavy object. The carpet around him is slowly getting stained by blood. A perfect crime has been committed.

Or has it? The perpetrator is now far from the scene, sure that he is going to get paid handsomely for his work. He is certain that the man was killed by the blow to his head and is convinced that his murderous actions haven’t been noticed. He believes that his whereabouts are a mystery. He is wrong! A spark of life remains in the man. His life can be saved if help arrives soon. Phantasma knows who the perpetrator is and where he is. Phantasma knows all!

2. Fill in the blanks with passive constructions. Add the relative pronouns who or that, where necessary.

Three Unsolved Mysteries Continue to Fascinate

So you think there are no more mysteries, that all mysteries (1) …….. (solve) in time? Think again. The pages of history teem (кишіти, буяти) with mysteries that (2) …………….. (never / crack).

Consider, for a example, the case of Billy the Kid, (3) ……. (name) Henry McCarty at birth but also known as William Bonney. Young Bonney went west in 1870s and established himself as a force in Lincoln County in the New Mexico territory. Along with several other young men, he (4) ……….. (befriend) by John Tunstall, an immigrant shop owner from England. When Tunstall (5) ………. … (shoot and kill) in a frontier feud in the Lincoln County War, Billy and his friends retaliated by forming a gang and killing Tunstall’s murderers. For years Billy and his gang (6) …………. (pursue) by the law. Finally, Pat Garret, formerly Billy’s friend, (7) …………. (elect) sheriff of Lincoln County. As the record tells it, Billy (8) ………… (gun down) by Garret on July 13, 1881, in Fort Sumner, New Mexico, and (9) ………… (bury) there.

Or was he? Some individuals believe that the Kid didn’t die in Fort Sumner at all and that someone else (10) ………… (inter (хоронити; заривати в землю)) in the grave. In fact, some reports claim that Billy escaped and took another identity. One report insists that an old man who was believed to be Billy (11) ……….. (see) walking along a highway in New Mexico in 1947. What is the truth?

Another puzzling case involved the brigantine [΄brigən,ti:n] ship Mary Celeste. She had left New York in 1872 and (12) ………. (later sight) floating erratically east of the Azores. No one (13)……….. (find) on board, though everything else on the ship (14) …………….. (determine) to be in order, and there was no indication why the Mary Celeste (15) ……………… (abandon). In fact, tables (16) …………… (apparently / set) for afternoon tea. One theory speculates that the ship (17) ………….. (threaten) by an impending explosion that (18) ……….. (cause) by fumes from her cargo of alcohol. That theory, however, (19) …………… (never / prove).

A third perplexing mystery is the case of Amelia Earhart, the famous aviator who in the twenties and thirties was considered the quintessential example of the rugged female individual.

Earhart flew across the Atlantic in 1928 and set a record for a cross-Atlantic flight in 1932. In 1937 she embarked on her most ambitious plan, a flight around the world. Earhart began her flight in Miami in June and (20) …………. (accompany) only by Fred Noonan, her navigator. They reached New Guinea and left for Howland Island in the south Pacific on July 1. After that, no radio reports or messages of any kind (21) ………… (receive). No remains of her plane (22) ………… (locate) by naval investigators.

Did she simply attempt the impossible? …….. she and Noonan (23) ……….. (simply kill) when her plane ran out of fuel and crashed in the Pacific? Historian William Manchester holds his own view. He believes that Earhart and Noonan saw evidence of the illegal Japanese military build-up in the Mariana Islands. Manchester says, ‘She (24) ………….. almost certainly …………… (force down and murder).’ Or could something else have happened? No one really knows.

For the time being, at least, the fate of Amelia Earhart, along with that of Billy the Kid and the Mary Celeste, will have to remain mysterious.

4. Translate into English.

1. Ця книга скоро буде перевидана. 2. Мене перебив Джон. 3. Його завжди любили, і йому завжди довіряли. 4. Було 7 годин, але зала була вже переповнена. 5. Двері відчинила літня жінка, і Джейн увели в маленьку вітальню. 6. Про неї піклуються її друзі. 7. Ліжко було порожнім, на ньому не спали. 8. Про цей фільм багато говорять. 9. Що трапилося? Тебе поранено? 10. Аню опитували, коли я зайшла до кімнати, де проводився екзамен. 11. «Де лікар?» – запитав він. «За ним вже послали?» 12. До кінця цього місяця його ім’я буде відоме кожному. 13. Його давно не бачили. 15. Лекції цього професора слухають із великим зацікавленням. 16. У цьому журналі часто друкуються статті зі статистики.17. Коли побудували цей вокзал? 18. Цю роботу закінчать за два дні. 19. Коди буде збудований новий міст? 20. Щороку в нашому місті будують чимало нових будинків. 21. Лист не можна надіслати сьогодні, тому що його ще не підписали. 22. Я впевнений, що він не прийде, якщо його не запросять. 23. Усю цю роботу можна зробити за три дні, якщо буде отримана вся необхідна інформація. 24. Я спатиму, як тільки все буде зроблено. 25. З нього сміялися, коли він це сказав. 26. У мене був велосипед, але його вкрали. 27. На них дивилися із цікавістю, коли вони зайшли до зали.

The American Constitution

Pre-reading task. Read the words. Mind the stress. A):

΄specify pre΄amble ratifi΄cation

΄guideline re΄jection govern΄mental

΄ratify e΄ffect sig΄nificance

΄witness un΄alienable thir΄teenth

΄citizenship un΄reasonable poli΄tician

΄congress com΄pel ex΄ecutive

B) Complete the word building table.

Adjective Noun / Verb	Verb Noun
political	to compel
legislative	to embody
judicial	to alter
important	to evolve
similar	to understand
original	to enforce

С)

Noun Adjective	Noun / Verb Adjective / Noun
power	reason
peace	to compel
alien	significance
effect	citizen

D) Add negative prefixes:

alienable	peaceful
reasonable	guarded
effective	significance

1. Look through the words and expression to make sure that you know them. Learn those you don’t know.

preamble[pri´æmbl]	преамбула; вступна частина;
checks and balances	система стримувань та противаг;
to specify [´specifai] He specified the reasons for their failure.	встановлювати, точно визначати;
power [´pauə] official powers amending power appointing power delegated powers current power	1. повноваження; 2. влада, 3. держава, 4. сила; 5. право; посадові повноваження; право вносити поправки; право призначати на посаду; делеговані повноваження; діюче повноваження;
guideline [´gaidlain] guidelines for setting out priorities	директива; керуючи вказівки; керівництво для встановлення першочерговості;
to rest with It rests with you.	покладати (вину); доручати (владу); Це залежить від вас.
to ratify [´rætifai]	ратифікувати; схвалювати;
ratification [,rætifi´kei∫(ə)n] Senate ratification	ратифікація; ратифікація сенатом;
rejection [ri´dЗek∫(ə)n] rejection of a claim	відхилення; неприйняття; відхилення вимоги;
effect [i΄fekt] to go into effect limited effect	сила, вплив, дія, результат, вступати в силу; обмежена дія;
hence[hens]	отже; звідси;
to state [΄steit] A problem must be stated in order to be solved.	стверджувати; встановлювати; формулювати; Проблему треба встановити, для того щоб вирішити.
unalienable [Λn´eiljənəbl] unalienable rights	невід’ємний; невід’ємні права;
peaceful assembly [´pi:sful ə´sembli]	мирні збори;
to petition [pi´ti∫(ə)n] / petition petition of habeas corpus to file / present a petition to grant a petition to withdraw a petition to deny / reject a petition	звертатися з петицією, / клопотання, подання, благання; клопотання про видання наказу habeas corpus; подати клопотання; задовольнити клопотання; відізвати клопотання, забрати клопотання назад; відмовити у клопотанні;
to guard [ga:d] to guard smbfrom harm to guard against making mistakes	захищати, охороняти; захищати когось від шкоди; захищати когось від помилок;
unreasonable [Λn´ri:znəbl] unreasonable hope unreasonable request	безпідставний; необґрунтований; нерозумний; необґрунтована надія; нерозумне прохання;
search [sə:t∫] / to search   unreasonable search right of search the search for truth to search for a missing girl to search the car	обшук; пошук; розшук; / шукати, обшукувати; розшукувати, вести пошуки; необґрунтований обшук; право на обшук; пошук істини; розшукувати зниклу дівчину; обшукувати машину;
seizure [´si:Зə] unwarranted search and seizure seizure of property	конфіскація; накладання арешту; незаконний обшук з конфіскацією; конфіскація майна;
fellow [΄feləu] fellow citizen fellow student fellow soldier	приятель, товариш, колега, співбрат; співгромадянин; однокурсник, сокурсник; товариш по зброї;
due [dju:] with due attention after due consideration procedural due process of law [prə΄sidЗər(ə)l] to be due The train is due to arrive in London at 5 a.m.	належний, відповідний; з належною увагою; після уважного розгляду; розгляд справи з належним дотриманням норм процесуального права; повинен
to compel [kəm´pel] to compel smth from smb to compel confession	примусити; змусити; витягувати щось у когось примусити визнати вину
witness [´witnis] / to witness to examine/interrogate/question/a witness to witness against oneself to witness an arrest	свідок, очевидець; допитувати свідка; свідчити проти себе; бути понятими при арешті
significance [sig´nifikəns] social significance (of)	важливість, значущість; соціальна значущість;
integral[´intigr(ə)l] an integral part of the curriculum	невід’ємний; невід’ємна частина програми
citizenship dual citizenship to acquire / receive citizenship to give up / renounce one's citizenship to grant citizenship to revoke smb's citizenship	громадянство; подвійне громадянство; отримати громадянство; відмовитись від громадянства; надати громадянство; позбавити громадянства;
male male line male issue	чоловічий; чоловіча лінія (родовід); нащадки чоловічого роду;
servitude [´sə:vitju:d] to deliver from servitude to abolish servitude	рабство; неволя, рабська залежність; звільнити з рабства; скасувати рабство;
office to hold office to assume office to resign / leave office to seek office	посада; пост; займати посаду; вступити на посаду; уйти з посади; претендувати на посаду;
to lower [´ləuə] This medicine lowers cholesterol levels.	знижувати

2. Read and translate the text.

The U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights

The constitution consists of a preamble, seven articles and 27 amendments. The Constitution, the oldest still in force in the world, sets up a federal system by dividing powers between the national and state governments. It also establishes the basic form of government: three separate independent branches (the executive, the legislative, and the judicial), each one having powers (‘checks and balances’) over others. The executive branch, the President, enforces national laws; the legislative branch, the Congress makes national laws; and the judicial branch, the Supreme Court and other federal courts, applies and interprets laws when deciding legal disputes in federal courts. It specifies the powers and duties of each federal branch of government, with all other powers and duties belonging to the state. Federal powers listed in the Constitution include the rights to collect taxes, declare war, and regulate interstate and foreign trade.

All governments and governmental groups, federal, state, and local, must operate within its guidelines. The ultimate power under the Constitution is not given to the President (the executive branch), or the Supreme Court (the judicial branch). Nor does it rest, as in many other countries, with a political group or party. It belongs to ‘We the People’, in fact and in spirit.

The United States Constitution resulted from the Constitutional Convention of 1787 in Philadelphia. When the convention was over, the proposed Constitution was sent to the states for ratification. Nine of the thirteen states were needed to ratify the Constitution in order for it to be adopted. One of the main arguments of those opposed to the ratification of the Constitution was that it did not contain a list of the rights, or a bill of rights, which a government could not take away from the people. Many who wanted ratification saw that the absence of a Bill of Rights could lead to rejection of the Constitution. They promised to work for a Bill of Rights, and on December 15, 1791 the Bill of Rights finally went into effect. Hence, the Constitution consists of the Preamble and seven articles. Twenty-seven amendments have been added to its original text. The first ten amendments are known as the Bill of Rights. However, only the first eight amendments deal with the guarantee of specific rights of individual citizens against any violation by the government. They stated what they considered to be the fundamental unalienable rights of any American. Among these rights are freedoms of religion, speech, and the press, the right of peaceful assembly, and the right to petition the government to correct wrong. Other rights guarded the citizens against unreasonable searches, arrests and seizures of property, and established a system of justice guaranteeing orderly legal procedures. This included the right of trial by jury, that is, being judged by one’s fellow citizens. Some of these amendments are now relatively unimportant, but the Fifth Amendment retains its significance in the fight of the American people for their civil rights. It provides that ‘no person shall be deprived of life, liberty or property, without due process of law’ and no person ‘shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself.’

All the amendments adopted by the Congress have become an integral part of the Constitution. Mention should be made of some of them. The Thirteenth amendment abolished slavery. The Fourteenth and Fifteenth amendments adopted in 1868 and 1870 defined citizenship and gave the vote to all male citizens, regardless of race, color or previous condition of servitude. The nineteenth gave the vote to women, and was adopted in 1920. The Twenty-second amendment, adopted in 1951, makes it impossible for any President to hold office for more than two terms. The 26^th amendment was adopted in 1971, it lowered the voting age to 18 years.

The federal and state governments formed under the Constitution, therefore, were designed to serve the people and to carry out their majority wishes (and not the other way round). One thing they did not want their government to do is to rule them. Americans expect their government to serve them and tend to think of politicians and governmental officials as their servants. This attitude remains very strong among Americans today.

3. Look through the Bill of rights in the adapted form to understand the general meaning.

THE BILL OF RIGHTS

The first 10 amendments to the Constitution and their purpose

Protections afforded fundamental rights and freedoms

Amendment 1. Freedom of religion, speech, press, and assembly; the right to petition the government,

Protections against arbitrary military action

Amendment 2. Right to bear arms and maintain state militia (National Guard).

Amendment 3. Troops may be quartered in homes in peacetime.

Protections against arbitrary police and court action

Amendment 4. No reasonable searches or seizures.

Amendment 5. Grand jury indictment required to prosecute a person for a serious crime. No ‘double jeopardy’ – being tried twice for the same offence. Forcing a person to testify against himself or herself prohibited. No loss of life, liberty or property without due process.

Amendment 6. Right to speedy, public, impartial trial with defense counsel, and the right to cross-examine witnesses.

Amendment 7. Jury trials in civil suits where value exceeds 20 dollars.

Amendment 8. No excessive bail or fines, no cruel and unusual punishments.

Protections of states’ rights and unnamed rights of the people

Amendment 9. Unlisted rights are not necessary denied.

Amendment 10. Powers not delegated to the United States or denied to states are reserved to the states or to the people.

4. Give Ukrainian equivalents for the following words and expressions; make up sentences or situations using them.

1. checks and balances; to rest with a political party; the Supreme Court; to specify the powers and duties of each federal branch of government; to apply and interpret laws; regulate interstate and foreign trade; to operate within its guidelines; in fact and in spirit; trial by jury; fellow citizens; legal procedures; the right of peaceful assembly; to correct wrong; the guarantee of specific rights of individual citizens against any violation by the government; ultimate power; freedoms of religion; the other way round; to petition the government; tend to think; to guard the citizens against unreasonable searches; seizure of property; to guarantee orderly legal procedures; to be judged by one’s fellow citizens; to be compelled to be a witness against himself; an integral part of the Constitution; to abolish slavery; to define citizenship; to give the vote; regardless of race, color or previous condition of servitude; to hold office for more than two terms; to lower the voting age; to serve the people; to carry out their majority wishes; governmental officials.

5. Find in the text English equivalents for the following words and expressions:

1. ділити повноваження між національним урядом та урядами штатів; окремі незалежні гілки; Верховний суд; тлумачити закони; застосовувати закони; правові суперечки; збирати податки; оголошувати війну; приймати /додати поправки до конституції; повна влада; доручати владу політичним партіям; запропонована Конституція; забрати права у людей; привести до відхилення Конституції; повноваження та обов’язки; ратифікувати конституцію; діяти у рамках (згідно директив) конституції; свобода слова, релігії, преси; система стримувань і противаг; безпідставний арешт; право на свободу зборів; подавати клопотання уряду; конфіскація майна; свідчити проти себе; встановити систему правосуддя; судочинство; незалежно від раси; визначати громадянство; попереднє перебування у рабстві; невід’ємні права; служити народу.

6. A: Fill in the appropriate word from the list below.

Дата добавления: 2015-10-29