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Lesson 1
LAW IN GENERAL
Law

Laws are the rules people need to agree upon if they are to live in peace together. From the earliest times, and in the most savage tribes, laws have been made to say what men may do and what they may not. People cannot obey the law, however, unless they know what it is. So one of the first marks of a civilized people is to have its laws clearly written down and known by everyone.

Nearly four thousand years ago, King Hammurabi gave a code of laws to the BABYLONIANS. Another important set of laws was the Ten Commandments, given by Moses to the Israelites. The ANCIENT ROMANS had a fine legal system, on which much modern law is based. Today, not all countries have the same laws.

Courts of Law

Courts are where cases are tried. A case may be about a criminal offence, such as stealing. Or it may be a civil offence, like a dispute between two business firms. A court has a high seat for the JUDGE, or magistrate, tables and seats for LAWYERS and newspaper men, and seats for the public. If there is a prisoner, he stands inside a little enclosure called the dock. People who are connected with the case may be called to give evidence. They have to swear to tell the truth, and can be punished for not doing so.

Crime

Crime usually means breaking the law in a serious way. Murder (killing someone), assault (injuring someone), and stealing are crimes. A person who has committed a number of crimes is called a criminal. Parking a car in the wrong place is not a crime. It is an offence, however, and the motorist can be punished for it.

When a crime has been committed, the POLICE are mainly responsible for catching the criminal. They must catch the right person. It would be wrong to punish an innocent man who has done nothing. So the police must take the man they catch to COURT, and a magistrate-or a JUDGE and JURY-must decide whether he is innocent or guilty. If he is guilty, a criminal can be sent to PRISON for a serious crime. If the crime is not serious, he can be fined (made to pay a sum of money). A criminal can also be put on probation. He will not be punished unless he commits another crime. A probation officer is put in charge of him.

Judge

A judge is a LAWYER who has worked for most of his life in the COURTS and knows the law thoroughly. He needs a very keen brain and must be fair to both sides.
In some countries, such as Britain and the United States, there is a JURY to help him, and he does not have to decide whether the prisoner is guilty or not. The jury settle guilt or innocence, but the judge helps them by explaining the law. He also sees that the trial is properly run, and sums up the main points before the jury decide. The judge fixes any punishment or sentence.
In civil cases (disputes that are not crimes) judges often decide the matter themselves without a jury.

Jury

A jury is a group of men and women, usually twelve, who listen to a law case. They take a solemn oath to give an honest verdict or decision about what they think is the truth. They do not need to be experts in the law. The JUDGE helps them on legal points. They only have to decide what happened.

The first juries in England were in NORMAN times. Many countries have copied this system. In Britain, until recently, all twelve jurors had to agree before a verdict was reached, but now only ten have to agree. In the United States, all twelve have to reach the same decision. Otherwise there has to be a new trial, with different jurors. In AUSTRALIA, in civil cases, there are sometimes only four people in a jury. In Scotland there may be as many as 15.

Lawyer

People who wish to become lawyers have to study the law for several years. Lawyers earn their living by advising people and speaking for them in the COURTS. The law is too complicated for most people to understand without help. In Britain there are two kinds of lawyers: a solicitor works mainly in his office and may speak only in the Magistrate's Court; a barrister's job is to speak in all kinds of courts. At present only a barrister may become a JUDGE. In the United States the words are attorney and counsellor, but the same lawyer may do the work of both barrister and solicitor.

Justice of the Peace

A justice of the Peace is also known in Britain as a magistrate. Magistrates are men and women who give up part of their time, without pay, to try cases in the local COURTS and to carry out certain other duties. Usually there are two present in the court. They may deal only with smaller CRIMES. More serious cases must go before a JUDGE. Magistrates are not usually LAWYERS, but they have one (the clerk) to help them. They also take short training courses in their duties. A few magistrates are full-time, paid lawyers. In the United States, Justices of the Peace are local officials. In some states they are appointed by the governor. In order states they are elected. Their powers are similar to those of a British magistrate. In large cities the same job is done by POLICE magistrates.

Police

The fist duty of a police force is to see that people obey the law. But the police are not only concerned with catching criminals. They have to do such jobs as direct traffic, control crowds, find lost children, rescue people in danger, and give first aid in accidents. In many countries people often go to a policeman for help when they are in trouble.

Most policemen and policewomen wear UNIFORMS. Those doing detective work often wear 'plain' clothes, so that criminals will not know what they are. If a policeman sees a person actually committing a CRIME, he can arrest him on the spot. To make an arrest at other times he must get a court order called a warrant.

The police cannot try to punish people themselves, they must take them to the COURTS. But in some countries, especially those ruled by a DICTATOR, there are secret police who arrest people who protest against the government.

Prisons

When a person has been tried, and is found guilty of a CRIME he may be sent to prison for a certain time. He may, however, be let out early if he behaves well. Sometimes people are put in prison while they are waiting for their trial.

Prisons used to be very harsh places where people were cruelly treated. In some countries they still are. But most civilized countries are trying to make prison a better place, where criminals can learn how to fit into an ordinary working life and live honestly when they come out. Today, there are many 'open' prisons, where certain prisoners are not kept locked up in cells, but have some freedom.

学习喽

2007年5月20日星期日

test

2007年4月2日星期一

下半年的目标

2007年3月23日星期五

LAW IN GENERAL

2007年3月13日星期二

Unit One 转接电话

2007年2月19日星期一

test

2007年2月16日星期五

BEC

2006年11月4日星期六

Billiards-台球

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