Chapter8Justice and the Law.docx

Chapter8Justice and the Law.docx

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Chapter8JusticeandtheLaw

　　了解英国法律制度的特点，英国的刑事程序、刑事法庭、民事法庭、司法机构、警察以及对违法者的处理。

　　1.PrimarysourcesofBritishlaw

　　2.CommonfeaturesofBritishlaw

　　3.Criminalcourts

　　4.CourtsofAppeal

　　5.Civilcourts

　　6.ThejudiciaryinBritain

　　7.TheBritishpolice

　　8.Treatmentofoffenders

CommonFeaturesoftheBritishLaw

ThereisnosinglelegalsystemintheUnitedKingdom

TheScottishsystemisdifferentextensivelyfromthoseoftherestofthecountry,althoughthereissubstantialidentityatmanypoints.

However,thereisageneralsimilaritybetweentheseparatesystemsofEngland,WalesandNorthernIreland.

Thereisnocompletecode

　　　Thesourcesoflawinclude:

Statutes,whichareActsofParliamentandsubordinatelegislationmadeunderpowersconferredbyParliament.

Commonlaw,whichisalargeamountof'unwritten'lawgatheredfromnumerousdecisionsofthecourtsandothersources.

Equitylaw,whichisasupplementarymeanstodealwithcasesnotcoveredbycommonlaw.

EuropeanCommunitylaw,whichderivesfromBritain'smembershipoftheEuropeanUnionandisconfinedmainlytoeconomicandsocialmatters.

Thereisdistinctionbetweencriminallawandcivillaw

Thecriminallawisconcernedwithwrongsagainstthecommunityasawhole.

Thecivillawisconcernedwithdisputesbetweenindividualsabouttheirrights,dutiesandobligations;anddealingsbetweenindividualsandcompanies,andbetweenonecompanyandanother.

CriminalProceedings

CriminalCharges

ItisthelawthroughouttheUnitedKingdomthatasanyoneisarrested,hemustbechargedandbroughtbeforethecourtwiththeleastpossibledelay.

Thearrestedpersonwillusuallybegrantedbail（i.e.moneypaidbyorforapersonaccusedofacrime,assecuritythathewillreturnforhistrialifheisallowedtogofreeuntilthen）ifhecannotbebroughtbeforethecourtwithinaday,unlessthecasewithwhichheischargedisveryserious.

Prosecution

InEnglishandWales,oncethepolicehavechargedapersonwithacriminaloffence,theCrownProsecutionServiceassumescontrolofthecaseandindependentlyreviewstheevidencetodecidewhethertoprosecute.

InScotland,theLordAdvocate,theprincipalLawofficeroftheCrown,isresponsibleforprosecutionsintheHighCourt,thesheriffcourtsandthedistrictCourts.

CriminalTrials

Allcriminaltrialsareheldinopencourt,becausethecriminallawpresumestheinnocenceoftheaccuseduntilhehasbeenprovedguiltybeyondreasonabledoubt.Everypossiblestepistakentodenytotheprosecutionanyadvantageoverthedefence.

Noaccusedpersonhastoanswerthequestionsofthepolicebeforetrial;ifhedoesmakeastatement,thiscannotbeusedinevidenceathistrialunlesshehasbeencautionedinthepropertermsthat'Imustwarnyouthatanythingyousaymaybetakendownandusedinevidence（against）you'.Theaccusedpersonisnotcompelledtogiveevidenceortosubmittocross-examinationincourt.

Everyaccusedpersonhastherighttoemployalegaladvisortoconducthisdefense.Ifhecannotaffordtopay,hemaybegrantedaidatpublicexpense.Ifheischargedwishmurder,andhasinsufficientmeans,hemustbegrantedlegalaid.

Incriminaltrialsbyjury,thejudgepassessentence（asinalltrials）,butthejurydecidestheissueofguiltorinnocence.Thejuryconsistsofordinary,independentcitizenschosenbythecourtatrandom:

12inEngland,Wales,andNorthernIreland,and15inScotland.Normally,theirverdictisaunanimousone;butitmayalsobeamajorityverdict,providedthattherearenotmorethantwopeoplewhodisagree（7inScotland）.Averdictof'notguilty'meansacquittalfortheaccused,whocanneverbechargedagainwiththatspecificcrime.Ifagreementcannotbereached,theremustbearetrial.

CriminalCourts

EnglandandWales

Magistrates'Courts

Theytrysummaryoffences（thelessseriousoffencesandthevastmajorityofcriminalcases）and'eitherway'offences（theft,thelessseriouscasesofburglaryandsomeassaults,whichcanalsobetriedbyjuryintheCrownCourt）.

Amagistrates'courtusuallyconsistsof3unpaid'lay'magistrates,knownasjusticesofthepeace（JPs）,whoareadvisedonpointsoflawandprocedurebyalegallyqualifiedclerkoraqualifiedassistant.Afewfull-time,stipendiarymagistratesmaysitalone,usuallyinurbancourts.Amagistrates'courtsitswithoutajury.

YouthCourtstrymostcasesinvolvingpeopleunder18.Theyarespecialistmagistrates'courtsthateithersitapartfromothercourtsorareheldatadifferenttime.

TheCrownCourt

Ittriesthemostseriousoffenses（murder,manslaughter,rapeandrobbery）and'eitherway'offencesreferredtoitbymagistrates.ItalsohearssomeappealsfromMagistrates'Courts.

TheCrownCourtispresidedoverbyHighCourtjudges,full-timeCircuitJudgesandpart-timeRecorders.Itsitswithajury.

EnglandandWalesaredividedintosixcircuitsforpurposeofhearingcriminalcases.EachcircuitisdividedintoareascontainingoneormorecentresofHighCourtandCrownCourt.Thesixcircuitsare:

MidlandandOxford,North-earthen,Northern,South-eastern（includingLondon）,WalesandChester,andWestern.

TheCourtofAppeal（CriminalDivision）

IthearsappealsfromMagistrates'CourtsandtheCrownCourt.Incertaincaseswherepointsoflawarecertifiedasofgeneralpublicimportance,theHouseofLordsisinvolved.

Scotland

TheDistrictCourt

Ittriesminoroffences.Childrenunder16whohavecommittedanoffencenormallydealtwithbychildren'shearings.

Districtcourtjudgesarelayjusticesofthepeace（IPs）.InGlasgow,therearealsofull-timestipendiarymagistrateswhohave.

Summaryprocedureisusedinallcasesinthedistrictcourt.Thismeansthatthejudgesitswithoutajury.

TheSheriffCourt

Itdealswithlessseriousoffences.

Summaryprocedureisusedinthelessseriouscasesinthesheriffcourt,whilesolemnprocedureisusedinthemoreseriousones,thatistosay,thejudgesitswithajury.

TheHighCourtofJudiciary

Ittriesthemostseriouscrimesandhasexclusivejurisdictionincasesinvolvingmurder,treasonandrape.Italsohearsappeals,andthereisnofinalappealtotheHouseofLords.

AllcasesintheHighCourtaretriedbyajudgeandajury.

NorthernIreland

Magistrates'courts

Theydealwithcasesinvolvingminorsummaryoffences.

AMagistrate'scourtispresidedoverbyapaid,full-timeresidentmagistrate.

Youngoffendersunder17aredealtwithbyajuvenilecourtconsistingoftheresidentmagistratesandtwospeciallyqualifiedlaymembers,atleastoneofwhommustbeawoman.

TheCrownCourt

Itdealswithcriminaltrialsonindictment.Contestedcasesareheardbyajudgeandjury.

ItisservedbyHighCourtandcountycourtjudges.

TheNorthernIrelandCourtofAppeal

　　　IthearsappealsfromtheCrownCourtagainstconvictionorsentenceandappealsfromMagistrates'Courtonapointoflawalone.SomeappealsofimportantcasescanalsobeheardbeforetheHouseofLords.

CivilCourts

EnglandandWales

Magistrates'courts

　　　Theyhavelimitedciviljurisdictionoverfamilyproceedings（forcustodyandmaintenanceorders,adoptionorders,guardianshipordersandfamilyprotectionorders）,publichealthcases,andtherecoveryoflocaltaxes.

CountyCourts

Theyarethemaincourtsofciviljurisdiction,whichincludes:

Actionsfoundeduponcontractandtort（actionablewrongssuchasnegligence,deformation,maliciousprosecution,nuisanceandtrespass）,trustandmortgagescases,actionsfortherecoveryofland,casesinvolvingdisputesbetweenlandlordsandtenants,admiraltycases（maritimequestionsandoffences）andpatentcases,anddivorcecasesandotherfamilymatters.

TheCountyCourtsareregularlypresidedoverbyoneormorecircuitjudgesappointedtoitbytheLordChancellor.Meanwhile,alljudgesoftheSupremeCourtofJudicature（withtheCourtofAppealandtheHighCourtasitstwodivisions）andallcircuitjudgesandrecordershavethepowertositinthem.

TheHighCourt

Itdealswiththemorecomplicatedcivilcases.Itsjurisdictioncoversmainlycivilandsomecriminalcases;italsodealswithappealsfromtribunalsandmagistrates'courtsinbothcivilandcriminalmatters.ItalsohearssomeappealsfromMagistrates'CourtsandCountycourts.

Ithasthreedivisions:

TheFamilyDivision（concernedwithfamilylaw,includingadoptionandwills）,theChanceryDivision（dealingwithcorporateandpersonalinsolvency;disputesintherunningofcompanies,betweenlandlordsandtenantsandinintellectualpropertymatters;andtheinterpretationoftrustsandcontestedwills）,andtheQueen'sBeachDivision（concernedwithcontractandtortcases;applicationsforjudicialreview;andadmiraltycasesandcommercialcases）

TheCourtofAppeal（CivilDivision）

　　　Themoreimportantappealscomebeforeit,whileafewareheardbeforetheHouseofLords,whichistheultimatecourtofappealincivilcasesthroughouttheUnitedKingdom.

Scotland

TheSheriffCourt

　　　Itistheprincipallocalcourt.

TheCourtofSession

Itisthesupremecentralcourt,subjectonlytotheHouseofLords.

ItisdividedintotheOuterHouse（acourtoffirstinstance）andtheInnerHouse（mainlyanappealcourt）

NorthernIreland

Magistrates'Courts

　　　Itdealswithcertainlimitedclassesofcivilcases.

CountyCourts

　　　The