1 the distinction between civil law and criminal law . The sources of 2 3 law include: 1) written law (i.e. statutes ); 2) unwritten law (i.e. 4 5 6 Common law and Equity ) based on judicial precedent . The 7 common law is also called “judge-made” law . It means that when 8 one judge has decided a point of law , any judge who has the 9 10 similar set of facts must decide the case in the same way as in 11 the earlier judgement . In other words, the judge uses the process 12 of analogy . 2. The structure of courts in England and Wales is as 13 14 follows . Magistrates’ Courts try the majority of all criminal 15 16 cases and some civil cases . They are sometimes called police courts. The courts consist of between 2 and 7 magistrates. In a few 17 large cities there are also stipendiary magistrates who sit alone 18 19 and have legal training . County courts are main civil courts and 20 the Crown Court deals with all the more serious criminal cases. It also hears appeals from magistrates’ courts. 21 22 3. Any accused has the right to trial by jury . There is the 23 Central Criminal Court in London (the Old Bailey ). The High Court hears all those civil cases that county courts cannot decide. The Court of Appeal hears both criminal and civil appeals. The 24 House of Lords in the final appellate court . Упражнения к тексту 1. Выпишите из текста незнакомые для вас слова, дайте их транскрипцию и перевод. 2. Ответьте письменно на вопросы по тексту: 1) How many separate systems of law are there in the United Kingdom? 2) What are the common features to all law systems in the UK? 3) What do the sources of law include? 4) What does the term “judge-made” law mean? 5) What is the function of Magistrates’ Courts? 6) What are the main civil courts? 7) What cases does the Crown Court deal with? 16