Module 3 The Legal System of Belarus

Section 1. HOW BELARUS IS GOVERNED

Lead-in

1. Following the title of the text brainstorm words you expect to find in it. Write the vocabulary list of possible words that you could find in that text. Draw a vocabulary spider gram (mind map). Add any new words you find in the text.

Reading

Task 1. Read the text and explain the words in bold then suggest synonyms for the highlighted words.

How belarus is governed

Under the Constitution of 1994 the Republic of Belarus is a unitary democratic social legal state. The Republic of Belarus possesses supreme and absolute power on its territory, it independently exercises its home and foreign policy. The power in the Republic of Belarus is exercised on the basis of its separation into three branches: legislative, executive and judicial. The state bodies are independent within the limits of their authority: they interact, restrain and balance each other (the system of checks and balances).

The principle of the supremacy of law is established in the country. The State, all its bodies and officials act within the Constitution and laws adopted according to it. The Republic of Belarus recognizes the priority of universally recognized principles of international law and provides the correspondence of the national law to these principles. The citizens of the Republic aged 18 and above enjoy the right to elect and to be elected to governmental bodies on the basis of general, equal, direct or indirect suffrage by secret ballot.

The President of the Republic of Belarus is the Head of the State. He is the guarantor of the Constitution, the rights and freedoms of people and citizens. The term of office of the President is five years.

The supreme legislative power of the Republic is Parliament – The National Assembly. It consists of two houses: the House of Representatives and the Council of the Republic. The term of office of the National Assembly is four years. The supreme executive power of the Republic is the Council of Ministers. The head of the Council is the Prime Minister. The supreme judicial power is the Supreme Court of the Republic. The Constitutional Court checks the constitutionality of laws and the acts of the government. The local governmental bodies comprise councils of deputies and executive bodies. The local councils are legislative bodies. The members of the local councils are elected for the term of four years while the heads of the executive bodies are appointed by the President. There are regional and district courts at the local level, which are local judicial bodies.

Task 2. Find English equivalents for the words in the text:

• тайное голосование

• система сдержек и противовесов

• взаимодействовать; влиять друг на друга

• сдерживать; запрещать; ограничивать

• соответствие ч-л.

• сохранять равновесие, уравновешивать

• господство права, верховенство права

• право голоса, избирательное право

• срок полномочий

• осуществлять внутреннюю и внешнюю политику

• депутат

• местный совет

• включать; содержать

Task 3. Explain the following in English:

• home policy

• foreign policy

• separation of powers

• the system of checks and balances

• the principle of the supremacy of law

• the priority of international law

• direct suffrage

• indirect suffrage

• secret ballot

• term of office

• National Assembly

• Council of Ministers

• Supreme Court

• local council

• councils of deputies

Task 4. Find synonyms to the following words in the text:

• restrict

• include

• conformity

• right to vote

• guarantee

• exert

• domestic, internal

• section, subdivision

Task 5. Translate into English.

1. В соответствии с конституцией 1994 Республика Беларусь – унитарное демократическое социальное юридическое государство.

2. Республика Беларусь обладает высшей и неограниченной властью на своей территории, она независимо осуществляет свою внутреннюю и внешнюю политику.

3. Власть в Республике Беларусь делится на: законодательную, исполнительную и судебную.

4. Государственные органы независимы в рамках своей власти: они взаимодействуют, ограничивают и уравновешивают друг друга (система сдержек и противовесов).

5. Граждане республики в возрасте 18 и выше имеют правом выбрать и быть избранными в государственные органы на основе общего, равного, прямого или косвенного избирательного права путем тайного голосования.

6. Срок полномочий президента – пять лет.

7. Высшая законодательная власть республики – это Парламент – Национальное Собрание, состоящее из двух палат: Палаты Представителей и Совета Республики.

8. Высшая исполнительная власть республики принадлежит Совету Министров.

9. Высшая судебная власть – Верховный Суд Республики.

10. Местные государственные органы включают советы депутатов и исполнительные органы.

Section 2. NATIONAL ASSEMBLY OF BELARUS

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