Legal Skills in Action

A In 1976 a drunk walked into a supermarket. When the manager asked him to leave, the drunk assaulted him, knocking out a tooth. A policeman who arrived and tried to stop the fight had his jaw broken. The drunk was fined £10.

Would you have chosen a lighter sentence, or a more sever one?

How would you have felt if you had been the victim of the crime?

B Facts: convicted of wounding with intent to cause grievous harm. The offender was in a public house, apparently under the influence of drink, when he approached a woman and behaved aggressively towards her, grabbing hold of her head and jumper and holding his fist to her face, before she broke free. The woman’s boyfriend told the offender to stop bothering her, and he went to another part of the bar, but then returned and struck the boyfriend in the face with a beer glass. The glass broke and caused lacerations to the face, which required a total of 18 stitches.

Sentence: six months’ imprisonment.

Should the court review the sentence on the ground that it was unduly lenient?

What will be your sentence?

Grammar Exercises

Modals

Certainty (Positive) We use it when we are sure that something is true because of the evidence we have.	Possibility   We use them when we think something is possible, but we are not sure.	Certainty (Negative) We is it when we are sure that something is not true because of the evidence we have.
might	might may could	can’t

http://www.slideshare.net/pzulaica/deduction-16207735

I. Write sentences saying what you needn’t/don’t need to do in your country.

- carry an ID card at all times

- have a work permit

- be 21 before you can marry

- be 21 before you can drive

- call a police officer sir or madam

- have a licence to own a gun

II. Make sentences using should have and shouldn’t have and the words in brackets.

1 I’m sure he was guilty (He /go/ to prison)

2 The fine was very high (It /be/ so high)

3 He didn’t have a licence (He /have/ the gun)

4 There was a lot of traffic (He /drive/ more slowly)

5 She didn’t have her ID (She /show/ it/ to the police)

6 He didn’t have a work permit (They /employ/ him)

III. Read the newspaper article and the letter in reply to it. Who do you agree with – the judge or the writer of the letter?

1. A judge ordered an 82-year-old man to pay 4,000 damages to a burglar who was trying to break into his house. Jack Lewis was asleep in his house in Maidstone Kent when he heard noises. He picked up his shotgun and went downstairs where he found Michael Phillips in the hall with a bag full of electrical equipment. Phillips claimed that because he was unarmed, he put the goods down and raised his hands when he saw the shotgun. Lewis said Phillips had turned to run out of the open front door, so he shot him. Phillips suffered minor wounds to the legs. In the trial, the judge said despite the fact that Lewis was defending his own property, the shotgun was unlicenced and in any case, it was not acceptable for people to take the law into their own hands.

2. Sir, I am writing in disbelief at the judgement passed on Jack Lewis yesterday. In my opinion, it is absolutely unfair to make him pay for his act of self-defence. In theory he has committed an offence by firing an unlicenced shotgun, and he should be prosecuted for this. But in practice the law should be more flexible. As far as I’m concerned, for a criminal to receive compensation for an injury sustained while carrying out a crime is quite outrageous.

Your faithfully

Brian Forbes

Work in pairs and talk about what Jack Lewis didn’t need to do, should have or shouldn’t have done.

Example He shouldn’t have shot him.

He didn’t need to use his gun.

IV. Nils and Oscar are spies. They’re sitting in a car near the border between Silonia and Omagua. They’re waiting for Harry. Put in a modal verb (positive or negative), be able to, be allowed to or have to. (Sometimes more than one answer is correct).

Nils Where’s Harry, then? I … see him.

Oscar Yes, we said seventeenth hours. He … be here by now.

Nils He might not … find the place. He … have crossed the border in the wrong place.

Oscar Impossible! Harry … have made a mistake. You know Harry.

Nils Well, I hope he comes soon.

Oscar It’s the most important job he’s ever done for us. He absolutely … get the information.

Nils I’ve often wondered about Harry. You don’t think he … be working for the other side?

Oscar No, I don’t. Harry is one of us.

Nils Well, I just think this job has been easy for him so far. Too easy. Perhaps the Omaguans know all about Harry. Someone … have told them about the job. They … have a man in our organization.

Oscar I don’t believe it. They’re not clever enough. But Harry is clever.

Nils But you … be sure. What if it was true?

Oscar It … be the end for us, of course. But it isn’t true.

Nils Harry takes a lot of risks. He does dangerous things. The boss lets him do what he wants. Harry shouldn’t … put other people in danger. I told the boss, but he didn’t listen. He … have listened to me.

Oscar Shut up, will you? Harry is a good man. Only Harry … do this job.

Nils It’s seventeen oh two. We’re late.

Oscar You’re right. We … go at once. We … stay here any longer.

Nils We’ve waited and he hasn’t come. We … have driven here at all.

Oscar We had to be here. Harry … have come. He … have done if he’d been able to.

Nils Just a minute. There’s someone behind that tree. Two men, I think. They … be watching us. Why else … they be here?

Oscar Right. Have your gun ready? We may … shoot our way out.

Nils OK, I’m ready.

Oscar Let’s go then. Come on!

Nils The car … start! Oh, my God! Where’s my gun? Give me my gun!

Oscar Put your hands up. Get out of the car! Lie down!

Nils It was you, Oscar! You told the Omaguans about Harry, didn’t you? You … be mad. Oh, my God!

V. Complete the text with the most suitable modals. Translate it.

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