3. Read the text and answer the questions:

Criminal Courts

Criminal courts deal with persons accused of crime, deciding whether they are guilty and, if so, determining the consequences they shall suffer. Prosecution is on behalf (від імені) of the public, represented by some official such as a district attorney, prosecutor, or a police officer.

In civil-law countries a more active role is assigned to the judge. In the common-law courts, in which the «adversary» procedure prevails, the lawyers for both sides bear responsibility for producing evidence and they do most of the questioning of witnesses.

In civil-law countries, «inquisitorial» (той, що стосується слідства) procedure prevails, with judges doing most of the questioning of witnesses and having an independent responsibility to discover the facts.

If a person has been found guilty, he is sentenced, again according to law and within limits fixed by legislation. The objective is not so much to wreak vengeance upon the offender as to rehabilitate him and deter others from following his example. Hence (звідси) the most common sentences are fines, short terms of imprisonment, and probation (which allows the offender to remain at large but under supervision).

In extremely serious cases, the goal may be to prevent the offender from committing further crimes, which may call for a long term of imprisonment or even capital punishment. The death penalty, however, is gradually disappearing from the criminal codes of civilized nations.

What do the criminal courts deal with?

Who represents prosecution?

In what kind of courts does ‘adversary’ procedure prevail?

Whose responsibility to discover the facts is during “inquisitorial” procedure?

What are the most common sentences?

What is the objective of sentencing a criminal?

What is the goal of sentencing in the most serious cases?