Vocabulary tasks

A Choose the correct answer: a), b) or c).

1 The job of a ... is to listen to evidence and to decide what really happened.

a) solicitor

b) juror

c) notary

2 A ... deals with causes and sudden deaths.

a) coroner

b) advocate

c) barrister

3 One who lives in the USA and acts for clients in a lawcourt is called an ....

a) judge

b) prosecutor

c) attorney

4 Mr. Brown was recommended as a ... who was a great expert in the law.

a) agent

b) jurist

c) lawyer

5 The men were arrested for armed robbery and sentenced to seven year imprisonment by the ... .

a) solicitor

b) judge

c) advocate

6 Don't sign anything until you've consulted a ... .

a) coroner

b) juror

c) lawyer

7 The chief ...told the court that Johnson was guilty of a horrible crime.

a) agent

b) notary

c) prosecutor

8 A ... has the legal power to make a signed document official.

a) advocate

b) judge

c) notary

9 If you want legal advice in Britain you go to a ... .

a) solicitor

b) investigator

c) arbitrator

10 As ... 007 he appears in a series of novels written by I.Fleming.

a) clerk

b) jurist

c) agent

B Match the legal terms on the left with their definitions on the right.

1 investigator a a police officer whose job is to investigate a crime

2 advocate b a lawyer who practises law, especially in the USA

3 barrister c a person who conducts an official inquiry

4 attorney d a group of people who listen to the facts of a case in

court and decide whether the accused person is guilty

or not

5 jury e a person who pleads the cause of his client before a

court

6 bailiff f a person who has the right to speak in higher

lawcourts

7 detective g court officer in the USA who keeps order in court of

law

J Collocations.

Match the verbs and nouns. Use a dictionary to help you if necessary.

1 instigate a) a client

2 bring b) a prosecution

3 prefer c) a copyright

4 prepare d) a suspect

5 reach e) a fee

6 settle f) out of court

7 charge g) a verdict

8 arrest h) a case

9 defend i) a brief

10 infringe j) an accusation

Unit 27 People in Law Cases in Great Britain

Before you read

Discuss these questions.

1 In your country, are there different kinds of lawyers? If so, what are the differences?

2 Can you describe the normal way that lawyers become qualified to practise law in your country?

Text a Legal Profession in England and Wales

A distinctive feature of the legal profession in England and Wales is that it is divided into two groups: barristers and solicitors. This division has frequently been the focus of debate and criticism and there have been calls for the fusion of the two branches of the profession.

Barristers are primarily concerned with advocacy and they have an exclusive right of audience in the High Court, the Court of Appeal and the House of Lords; but they are not confined to advocacy and may devote a deal of their time to giving expert opinions on legal matters. Nor are solicitors exclusively concerned with out-of-court work for they have a right of audience in magistrates’ courts, county courts and, in some instances, in the Crown Court.

Solicitors are the ‘general practitioners’ in law and in most cases a solicitor is the usual first point of access for a client needing legal services in the United Kingdom. Solicitors give legal advice and prepare legal documents in connection with matters which do not necessarily come to court, such as buying a home, renting out one’s property, renting a home, making a will, getting a divorce, resolving problems at work, setting up in business. They also prepare cases for barristers to conduct in court.

Barristers are experts in the interpretation of law and advocacy – the art of presenting cases in court. Barristers work mainly in the courts and tribunals. Their work includes presenting evidence, making submissions on behalf of their clients, representing parties in criminal trials, handling domestic disputes in Family Courts, dealing with civil claims for damages and compensation.

Barristers have a relationship with solicitors which is very much akin to that of specialist consultants in medicine to the family doctor. By having such specialists as an independent pool of expertise, the solicitor can choose the best qualified barrister in a specialist area.

Barristers may not practice in partnerships. Instead, they share offices (which they call Chambers) with other barristers, but it is a sharing of expenses only, not of income.

The number of barristers practising in England and Wales is 14,000, with 7,200 of those in Greater London.

B Understanding main points

Mark these statements T (true) or F (false), according to the information in

the text. Find the part of the text that gives the correct information.

1 If you have any kind of legal question the first person you consult is a barrister.

2 A barrister and a solicitor are both qualified lawyers in the UK.

3 ‘Preparing a brief for counsel’ means a solicitor writes a detailed description of a case so as to inform the expert (the barrister) of all the facts and main legal points.

4 A solicitor cannot speak in a higher court.

5 A barrister in the UK is an independent qualified lawyer.

6 If you want to work for a law firm and receive a regular salary, you should become a solicitor.

7 There are more solicitors than barristers.

8 Barristers often specialize in particular areas of the law, like property or contracts.

9 Barristers are only liable to clients out of court.

Language focus

A Translate into Russian paying attention to the Passive.

1 People at law are called lawyers.

2 Barristers are heard in courts.

3 They are not paid by clients.

4 They are employed by solicitors.

5 They are chosen from barristers.

6 A case which is settled out of court.

7 The distinction should be eliminated.

8 Barristers are employed by solicitors to argue a case.

A Find in the text above the English equivalents for the following key words

and expressions.

1 юридические услуги

2 адвокатская деятельность

3 группа независимых экспертов

4 палаты барристеров

5 специалист широкого профиля

6 вести дело в суде

7 представлять интересы клиентов в суде

8 решать семейные споры

9 вести гражданские иски о возмещении ущерба.