Reading 1. The Law and the Family

Read the following text on Family Law in different countries and do all the tasks after it.

In this chapter, we will look at how the law sees the family as a special institution; capacity to enter into marriage contract and marriage contract itself; how some legal systems treat married couples and their children differently from the unmarried; the process of divorce; custody of and responsibility for children; and protection from violence in the home. Finally, we will consider the rights of succession to the property of a family member when they die.

Beyond the mere function of providing a new generation of children, the family is often promoted for its moral contribution to society. Despite a growing labor shortage, the Japanese government has passed very little legislation challenging the assumption that mothers should stay at home rather than go out to work. Ireland, which is strongly influenced by the doctrines of the Catholic Church, divorce remains illegal.

In some societies the family is thought to be so important that there is very little legal intervention in family life. In many Islamic countries, for example, fathers, brothers and sons are allowed considerable authority over the females in their family. As late as the 1970s, the male head of the household in Switzerland was deemed to represent the interests of everyone within that household, and, consequently, none of the women could vote in national elections. But in many parts of the world the law now promotes the rights of individuals within the family unit, and regulates family relations through legislation. Raised from the taxes of the working population as a whole, Child Benefit is paid directly to the mother, and retirement pensions are paid to grandparents, so that they are less dependent upon financial support from a family member. In Sweden, parents can be prosecuted for physically punishing their children and children have a limited capacity to divorce their parents. In Britain, as in many countries, there are special family courts with very strong powers to control and transfer private property in the interests of children. Much of the work of other courts is also directly relevant to family life.

Answer the following questions.

1 Give examples from different countries of how the family is given special legal consideration.

Ex. 2 Use a dictionary, explain the law-terms and make up sentences with them.

1) custody

2) to take into custody

3) custody business

4) custody of juries

5) custody of law

6) custody of prisoner

7) custodier (custodian, guardian, tutor)

8) custodianship

9) custodianship order

10) custodian trustee

11) custodian supervision

12) custodially secure institution

13) to be in confinement indoors

14) confinement to bed

15) solitary confinement

16) life imprisonment

17) under the guardianship (tutorship) of the laws

Ex. 3 Use of English For questions 1-10 read the text below and decide which answer (A, B, C or D) best fits each space. There is an example at the beginning (0).