The British Constitution
1. What makes the UK Constitution different from other constitutions?
2. What are the sources of the UK Constitution?
3. What is the core principle of the UK Constitution?
4. What bodies represent the three branches of power (executive, legislative and judiciary)?
The British Constitution is unwritten unlike the constitution in America or the proposed European Constitution, and as such, is referred to as an uncodified constitution in the sense that there is no single document that can be identified as Britain's constitution. The British Constitution can be found in a variety of documents. The main ones are: Statutes (the Magna Carta of 1215 and the Act of Settlement of 1701), Acts of Parliament; customs and traditions, political conventions, case law; constitutional matters decided in a court of law. Since the English Civil War, the core principle of the British constitution has traditionally been the doctrine of parliamentary sovereignty, according to which the statutes passed by Parliament are the UK's supreme and final source of law. It follows that Parliament can change the constitution simply by passing new Acts of Parliament to be followed by the Royal Assent. There is some debate about whether this principle remains entirely valid today, in part due to the UK’s European Union membership. According to the doctrine of parliamentary sovereignty, Parliament may pass any legislation that it wishes. There are many Acts of Parliament which themselves have constitutional significance. For example, Parliament has the power to determine the length of its own term. However, the Sovereign retains the power to dissolve Parliament at any time on the advice of the Prime Minister. Parliament also has the power to change the structure of its constituent Houses and the relation between them. Parliament consists of the Sovereign, the House of Commons and the House of Lords. All the legislation must receive the approval of the Sovereign (the Royal Assent). Following the accession of the UK to European Economic Community (now the European Union) in 1972, the UK became bound by European law and more importantly, the principle of the supremacy of European Union law. The House of Commons alone possesses the power to pass a motion of no-confidence in the Government, which requires the Government either to resign or seek fresh elections. Such a motion does not require passage by the Lords, or the Royal Assent. Parliament traditionally also has the power to remove individual members of the government by impeachment. By the Constitutional Reform Act2005 it has the power to remove individual judges from office for misconduct. The executive power in the United Kingdom is exercised by the Sovereign through Her Majesty's Government. The monarch appoints the Prime Minister as the head of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom. The Prime Minister then selects the other Ministers which make up the Government. As in some other parliamentary systems of government, the executive is accountable to Parliament.
The Courts of the United Kingdom are divided into three separate jurisdictions serving England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, since the United Kingdom does not have a single unified judicial system. The Constitutional Reform Act 2005 created a new Supreme Court of the United Kingdom to take over the judicial functions of the House of Lords and devolution cases from the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council. The Supreme Court began its work in 2009, and serves as the highest court of appeal in England, Wales and in Northern Ireland, and for civil cases in Scotland. The High Court of Justiciary remains the court of last resort in Scotland for criminal cases.
Выразите согласие/несогласие со следующими утверждениями.
1. The British Constitution is unwritten unlike the Constitutions of the USA and the proposed European Constitution.
2. The British Constitution can be found in a variety of documents.
3. Amendments to the British Constitution need the approval of both Houses of Parliament, but they do not need the Royal Assent.
4. Parliamentary sovereignty has always been the core principle of the British Constitution.
5. The Sovereign has no power to dissolve Parliament.
6. Parliament has no power to change the structure of its houses.
7. The British Parliament consists of the House of Commons and the House of Lords.
8. The European law has priority over the UK law.
9. The executive power in the United Kingdom is exercised by the Sovereign.
10. The Constitutional Reform Act 2005 created a new Supreme Court of the United Kingdom.
Infinitive
Инфинитив — это неличная форма глагола, которая называет действие и в русском языке соответствует неопределенной форме глагола (инфинитиву), которая отвечает на вопросы: «что делать?», «что сделать?»: to read — читать, прочитать to investigate — расследовать to detect — разыскать, разыскивать Формальным признаком инфинитива является частица to, однако частица to перед инфинитивом в некоторых случаях опускается.
Е. g. We must learn how to find the criminal as quickly as possible.
Инфинитив в предложении может быть:
1. Подлежащим:
То detect the criminal is very often not an easy task. (Разыскать преступника — это очень часто нелегкая задача).
2. Составной частью сказуемого:
The main duty of policc officers is to fight crime. (Главная обязанность сотрудника полиции — это бороться с преступностью).
3. Дополнением:
At our College we are also taught to find evidence. (В институте нас также учат находить улики).
4. Определением:
Не had no intention to commit a criminal act. (У него не было намерения совершать преступное деяние).
5. Обстоятельством цели:
I entered the Moscow Law Institute (in order) to become a good lawyer. (Я поступил в МЮИ, чтобы стать хорошим юристом).
Инфинитив имеет формы залога (Active, Passive), а также формы времени (Indefinite, Continuous, Perfect)
Выпишите таблицу в тетрадь и выучите
Наиболее распространенными являются формы Indefinite Infinitive Active и Passive. Остальные формы инфинитива встречаются значительно реже.
1. То elect and to be elected is the right of every citizcn. (Избирать и быть избранным — право каждого гражданина).
2. The delegation is said to have left Moscow. (Говорят, делегация уехала из Москвы).
3. Не cannot be studying at such a late hour. (He может быть, чтобы он занимался в такой поздний час).
4. Не is known to have been working on this problem for many years. (Известно, что он работает над этой проблемой в течение многих лет).
5. Не is happy to have been invited there. (Он счастлив, что его пригласили туда).
Passive Infinitive в функции определения.
Пассивный инфинитив, стоящий после существительного, обычно переводится придаточным предложением с оттенком моральности, в котором действие, выраженное инфинитивом, совершается над лицом или предметом, к которому оно относится.
E.g. The case to be investigated by this young officer is rather difficult. (Дело, которое должно быть расследовано этим молодым следователем, довольно трудное).
Ex. 4. Translate the sentences:
1. The evidence to be found at the crime scene is very important for the investigation.
2. The report to be written by the investigator must include all he facts collected during the investigation.
3. The crimc to be investigated by Scotland Yard occurred on the Thames.
4. The criminal case to be tried by our district court next week is much spoken of in our city.
5. Justice in this country to be administered equally by judges often depends on the sum of money a person has.
6. He spoke of the problems to be settled in the nearest future. 7. The article to be discussed by the students is about the American Constitution.
No comments:
Post a Comment