B. Understanding details

UNIT 12

CLASSIFICATION OF LAW

BEFORE YOU READ

Answer these questions

1. Do you agree that every society that has ever existed has recognized the need for law? Why?

2. What law classifications do you know?

READING TASKS

A. Understanding main points

Read the text below the need for law and answer these questions, beginning your answers with the fol­lowing phrases: as a rule …; to tell the truth …; as far as I know …; the matter is that …; as far as I remember …; as far as I am concerned …; frankly/strictly speak­ing …; to make a long story short …

1. What is criminal law? What does it characterize?

2. What does the punish­ment for crime range from? Give examples.

3. Do you agree that the police are the public servants? What is the duty of the police?

4. What is civil law concerned with? What are the major branches of civil law?

5. What is the main distinction of civil law from criminal law?

6. What laws does public law comprise?

7. What law has been defined as the rules which regulate the structure of the principal organs of government and their relationship to each other?

8. Is the distinction between substantive law and procedural law always clear? Why?

9. Until what time does English law presume that an accused person is innocent?

10. What law is operative within a State? What does one branch of that law relate to?

B. Understanding details

Mark these statements T (true) or F (false) according to the information in the text. Give your reason using the fol­lowing phrases: as a matter of fact...; I don't think so …; I'm of the same opinion …; in my opinion …; on the contrary …; strictly speaking...; to my mind...

1. These laws may have been written, that’s why primitive people had no rules to regulate the conduct of the group.

2. In different countries law may be classified in various ways and the number of divisions is different.

3. Crime is defined as an act of disobedience of the law forbidden under pain of punishment.

4. The punish­ment for crime ranges from life imprisonment to a money penalty or absolute discharge.

5. It is forbidden for private citizens to enforce the criminal law by beginning proceedings themselves.

6. Civil law is concerned with the rights and duties of individuals towards each other.

7. Constitutional law has been defined as the rules which regulate the structure of the principal organs of government.

8. The distinction between substantive law and procedural law is always clear.

9. English law presumes that an accused person is innocent until proved guilty.

10. One branch of public international law is the law relating to conflict of laws, otherwise known as private international law.