MODULE 1. THE NEED FOR LAW

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What is law?

The term “law” is used in many senses: we may speak of the laws of physics, mathematics, science, nature, or the laws of football, logic or health. Some laws are descriptive: they simply describe how people, or even natural phenomena, usually behave. An example of descriptive law is rather consistent law of gravity, another example is the less consistent laws of economics.

Other laws are prescriptive – they prescribe how people should or must behave. An example of prescriptive law is traffic regulations. When we speak of the law of a state we use the term “law” in a special and strict sense, and in that sense law may be defined as “a rule of human conduct, imposed upon and enforced among, the members of a given state”.

In any society, laws have several characteristics. First, laws symbolize norms, values, traditions. Second, laws must be codified in some way, usually through writing. Third, there must exist a method of enforcement: this can include police, social pressure, “magic”, or some other force that enable society to punish or reward its members. And finally, there must be something specific to be enforced: laws are not general, but specific. The main characteristic of law is that it is enforced, and such enforcement is usually carried out by the State. If the rules or laws are broken, compulsion is used to enforce obedience. Thus if A steals a watch from B, A may be prosecuted before the court. The court may then order the restitution of the watch to its rightful owner, B. If A refuses to obey, he or she may be punished, that means a penalty will be imposed on A.

This is why we need law: if we all behaved according to our personal standards of behaviour and morality, anarchy would rule the world. We may say, then, that two ideas underlie the concept of law: 1) order, in the sense of method or system; and 2) compulsion – i.e. the enforcement of obedience to the rules or laws laid down.

C. COMPREHENSION

С1. Answer the following questions:

1.In what senses can we use the word “law”?

2.What is the difference between descriptive laws and prescriptive laws? Give some examples.

3.How is the law of the state defined?

4.What do laws symbolize?

5.What can be used as methods of enforcement?

6.Why do methods of enforcement exist?

7.What is the chief characteristic of law?

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8.Explain the notion “compulsion”. Give examples.

9.Identify two main ideas underlying the concept of law.

10.Why do we need law?

C2. Complete the sentences using the text.

1)Descriptive laws usually describe __________ .

2)Prescriptive laws prescribe __________ .

3)The law of a state may be __________ as “the rule of human

__________ , imposed _______ and _________ among the

________ of a given state”.

4)Laws have several __________: first, they symbolize

__________; second, they must be _________ through writing; third, there must exist methods of _________ that enable society to ________ or ________ its members.

5)Such enforcement is usually ___________ by the State.

6)If the laws are broken, __________ is used.

7)Two ideas _________ the concept of law: _______ and

_________ .

D.VOCABULARY

D1. Find in the text the English equivalents for the following expressions. Work in groups: one group is dealing with column A, the second one – with column B. Check each other using double-way translation.

-постоянный закон гравитации

-менее постоянные законы экономики

-природные явления

-нарушить закон

-истинный владелец

-обеспечивать повиновение

-отказаться подчиниться

-человеческое поведение

-описательные законы

-предписывающие законы

-налагать наказание

-потребовать возмещения/ возвращения

-вести себя в соответствии с личными стандартами морали

D2. a) Note the meaning of the word “law”. Translate the expressions: LAW

1) ЗАКОН - laws of nature; business law; law on citizenship; law on universal education; law on public health

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2) ПРАВО – commercial law; criminal law; international law

! Don’t confuse with RIGHT (“право”) e.g. human rights; to have no right to do sth

3) СУД - to go to law (against sb); to be at law with sb; to take the law into one’s own hand

b) Match the expressions. Make up 5-6 sentences using them.

E. DISCUSSION

E1. Work in groups. Write definitions of your own of the following words. Compare your definitions with those given in a dictionary and decide if you were right or not. Whose definition was most precise?

•society

•obedience

•order

•anarchy

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E2. Classify the following situations into three types (see the table below). In groups think of some more situations for each column. Compare your answers.

a)don’t cheat

b)“Keep off the grass!”

c)the freezing point of water is 0' Celsius

d)in Britain drive motor cars on the left-hand side of public roads

e)two molecules of hydrogen will combine with two molecules of oxygen to form two molecules of water

f)if you are invited to someone’s birthday party you should buy a present

F. TRANSLATION

F1. Translate the sentences into English paying attention to the italicized words and expressions. Use the key vocabulary and the expressions from the task D2.

1.Законы и традиции общества определяют поведение людей.

2.Традиции – это неписанные законы, лежащие в основе норм

поведения, взглядов и вкусов любого общества.

3.Законы государства устанавливаются законодателями,

полиция и суды обеспечивают соблюдение законов при помощи различных методов принуждения.

4.Если человек нарушает закон, он может быть наказан.

5.Законы должен знать каждый человек, но, к сожалению, не каждый их знает.

6.Особенно пристально законы изучаются на юридических факультетах университетов, где студенты рассматривают различные вопросы права, изучают гражданское право,

уголовное право и другие предметы.

7.Предписывающие законы создаются законодателями и могут быть нарушены, в то время как описательные законы не созданы законодателями и не могут быть нарушены.