I. Memorise the words and expressions given. Pay attention to the articles.

 

court – 1.a building or room where all the information concerning a crime is given so that it can be judged; e.g.: There was a large crowd of reporters gathered outside the court. in court; go to court (start the legal process to have a case dealt with in a court); take sb to court (make sb be judged in a court); settle out of court (agree without being judged in a court); 2. the court – the people in a court, especially the judge and the jury;

judge – the official in control of a court who decides how criminals should be punished;

jury – a group of 12 ordinary people who listen to details of a case in court and decide whether someone is guilty or not; sit on a jury (be part of a jury); juror (a member of ajury);

defence (AmE defense) – 1.the things that are said in a court of law to prove that someone is not guilty of a crime; 2. the defence – all the people who are concerned with showing in a court of law that someone is not guilty of a crime;

defendant – the person in a court of law who has been accused of doing sth illegal, syn. the accused;

plaintiff – someone who brings a legal action against someone in a court of law;

prosecution – 1.the process or act of bringing a charge against someone for a crime, or of being judged for a crime in a court of law; 2. the prosecution – the lawyers who represent the person bringing a criminal charge against someone in a court of law;

trial – a legal process in which a court of law examines a case to decide whether someone is guilty of a particular crime; stand trial/be on trial for – be judged in a court of law; come to trial formal – bring a case to a court of law; try (usually passive) – to examine and judge a legal case, or someone who is thought to be guilty of a crime in a court.;

 

II. You will find a few other useful words in the following text. Read it and speak about the legal system in England and Wales.

When the police believe that somebody has committed a crime, they arrest that person and the case is then heard in court and treated as a criminal case. The courts also deal with civil cases, where no crime has been committed, such as cases of divorce or disputes over property.

Less serious criminal and civil cases are dealt with in the Magistrates’ Courts, where there is no jury but a case is usually heard by two or three magistrates. Most magistrates, also known as Justices of the Peace (JPs), work part-time and are not paid. They are given some training but do not need legal qualifications. A clerk of the court advices them on the law. When they have heard a case, the magistrates reach a verdict andwhere necessary decide what the punishment should be.

Magistrates also decide what should happen to somebody between the time they are arrested and the time when the case is heard in court. They may grant bail/ release sb on bail (allow the person to be free until the trial, if a sum of money is paid) or remand/hold/keep her or him in custody (keep the person in prison until the trial).

More serious cases are heard by judges in the Crown Courts (for criminal cases) or the County Courts (for civil cases). In civil cases, and in cases where the defendant has pleaded guilty, the judge sits alone, without a jury, and after hearing the case, makes a decision, or judgement.

If the person accused of a crime pleads not guilty, he or she is tried before a jury. When the evidence (information given in a court) has been heard, the judge goes over the facts of the case (the summing up) and explains the law to the jury. If they find the accused guilty, the judge passes sentence, that is, decides what the punishment should be.

Councel for the Prosecution (a barrister) tries to prove in court that the accused committed the crime. The Councel for the Defence tries to show that he or she is innocent. They call witnesses and question them about the facts of the case.

The jury in England and Wales is made up of twelve people aged between 18 and 65. When they have heard the evidence and the judge’s summing-up, they retire to a special room to decide whether to return a verdict of guilty or not guilty. If they all agree, they have reached a unanimous verdict. If no more than two people disagree, the judge may ask for a majority verdict. If the accused is found guilty, he or she has the right to appeal and ask for the case to be heard by a higher court (Court of Appeal).