Speaking

Exercises

I. Read the part “Common Law” and say whether the following statements are true or false. Explain why.

1. What are the foundations and development of the law compared to?

2. What two major palaces are chosen for comparison and why?

3. Why are the laws and constitution referred to as “invisible”?

4. What are statutes and statute law?

5. What do Year Books contain?

6. Why are law reports and Year Books so important?

7. What is judge-made law and what two main types are judge-made laws divided into?

II. Answer the questions about the text:

1. William the Conqueror grasped England in 1066.

2. William’s Curia Regis set the foundations for the present day courts.

3. Kings delegated their work in the courts to others mainly because they found it unimportant.

4. An Assize was an early form of a special court held by an important judge travelling different parts of the country.

5. Judges travelling on Assize saw to it that national laws would apply to everyone everywhere.

6. The Common law was called like that because common people used to take part in making it.

7. The Common law, originally based upon the common customs of the country, has a reputation for sound common sense and justice.

III. Read the part “Equity”. In pairs find different information.

A. Find information about:

1. drawbacks of the common law courts;

2. how the Court of Chancery appeared;

3. the example illustrating how the common law courts & the Court of

Chancery could differ;

4. the reputation the Court of Chancery earned with the passage of time.

B. Find information about:

1. petitioning the King to “redress the grievances”;

2. three important conditions which a person seeking justice from the

Court of Chancery had to meet;

3. why the Court of Requests came under mighty attacks from the common law courts;

4. the example where the courts have refused to alter the law, but recommended that Parliament should consider reforms.

IV. Draw up the plan for rendering the text and then summarize it.

V. Discuss these issues.

1. Can you name any drawbacks of the Common law courts of the past and present?

2. Find the description of an ordinary reasonable man given by Lord Justice Bowen. How would you describe an ordinary reasonable man of our country?

3. No doubt that over centuries judges have been responsible for mak- ing a great deal of law and English senior judges are still doing so. If not, how would the common law and the law of equity have developed?