III. VOCABULARY STUDY

Find words in the text which have a similar meaning to the words or phrases below.

II. COMPREHENSION

Customary law

In many parts of the world unwritten local or tribal custom sets the standard of behaviour and provides for conciliation and dispute settlement. Most of the African countries, for instance, have a formal constitutional and commercial law inspired by French, Belgian or British models but the relations between private individuals are regulated by customary law. This also applies to China and India.

1. Answer the following questions using the information from the text:

1. What are the main legal ‘families’ in the world today?

2. What factors determine the type of legal system a country follows?

3. What are the defining features of legal systems?

4. What sources are recognized as authoritative in civil law systems?

5. How was the Corpus Juris Civilis created?

6. Who makes laws in the common law countries?

7. What is the source of law in religious law system?

8. What is characteristic of customary law?

2. Find in the text words and expressions which mean:

1. something that is done by people in a particular society because it is traditional;

2. to choose someone for a position or a job;

3. the principle that a fair judgment must be made in a situation where the existing laws do not provide an answer;

4. to arrange laws, principles, facts etc in a system;

5. to correct or make small changes to something that is written or spoken;

6. an action or official decision that can be used to give support to later actions or decisions;

7. a person, book, or document that supplies you with information;

8. the process of trying to get people to stop arguing and agree.

para 1. identity

para 2. quality

para 3. law

formally approve

old

para 4. finally

para 6. give

permanent

unchangeable

God

1. Make the following sentences complete by translating the words and phrases in brackets:

1. The two great law families of modern Western civilization are (цивільне право) (also called Romano-Germanic law) and (звичаєве право) (also called Anglo-American law). They (походять від) ancient Roman law and ancient Germanic tribal law and have been altered by various customary, ecclesiastical, feudal, commercial, and sociopolitical influences.

2. (Доктрина прецеденту) is strong in English law, and means that the decisions of higher courts are (обовязкові до виконання) for judges of lower courts.

3. Iran’s highest judicial body, the Supreme Council of Justice, (призначає) all judges and (кодифікує) Islamic law. The council also drafts all (законодавчі акти) related to civil and criminal offences; the Majlis then may (вносити поправки) any proposed act.

2. Find in the text the English equivalents for the following phrases:

призначити комісію, визнавати обов’язковим до виконання, приймати закони, вносити поправки до статуту, вирішувати спор, походити з правової практики, правова система, справляти вплив, передбачати перемирення, авторитетне джерело, створити основу, стародавні народи, приватна особа.