VII. Explain the kind of laws in English to your students

VIII. Discuss the subject "What is Law?" in pairs or in small groups.

UNIT 5

The Political and Legal System of Great Britain

READING DRILLS

Practise the pronunciation of the following words:

1) stress the first syllable:

formally, written, essence, sovereignty, force, simplify, flexible, common, case, precedent, settle, rule, code, due to, challenge, widespread, monarch, pillar, bound, therefore, outer.

2) stress the second syllable:

exist, transfer, reject, repeal, majority, enact, external, impression, dramatically

3) stress the third syllable:

flexibility, continuity, overrule

TEXT A

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the only European state without a formally written constitution. Of course, this does not mean that a constitution does not exist. The British constitution is a mixture of legal provisions, conventions and acceptance of the constitutional principles.

The essence of the British constitution is based on two basic principles: the rule of law and the sovereignty of Parliament. The rule of law protects citizens from the state and forces Parliament to put into law the powers it transfers to the government. Laws can be rejected, repealed or passed by a simple majority. Since there is no written constitution, there is no need for special majorities to enact changes to the constitution.

The English legal system simplifies the flexible way in which the British constitution develops. It is based on case law. The main feature of common law is its foundation on case law, that is, precedents set by previous cases, which can be used to settle new disputes, and developed further according to new legislation. Legal decisions are always based on firm cases and not a general rule. A code of law like the one in Ukraine does not exist. This means that a great deal of flexibility exists in interpreting the law.

Due to the legal and constitutional traditions in Great Britain the modification of law and institutions to meet new challenges has been possible without major external changes. The widespread idea that Great Britain is a nation that holds on tight to its historical traditions is based on this outer impression of formal continuity. The role of the monarch and the role of Parliament have changed dramatically over the past four centuries despite this continuity.

In addition to the rule of law, sovereignty of Parliament forms the second pillar of the British constitution. While Parliament is responsible for passing laws and is solely responsible for controlling legislation, it is not bound to a written constitution and therefore cannot be overruled. It is Parliament and not the people that is responsible for the constitution.