Unit 1 American Legal System.docx

Unit 1 American Legal System.docx

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Unit1AmericanLegalSystem

UnitOne

Regardforthepublicwelfareisthehighestlaw.

关注公共利益的法律是最高法律。

Thereisnogeneralrulewithoutsomeexception.

任何法律都不能面面俱到。

PartI

ReadingandUnderstanding

AmericanLegalSystem（Part1）

TheAmericanlegalsystemisacommonlawsystem,wherecasesaresettledbasedontradition,commonpracticeandinterpretationofstatutes.Aswehavealreadyknown,asamatterofpractice,evenincommonlawcountriestherearequiteafewnumberofcodesoflaw.Butwhatshouldbeemphasizedisthatthecentralfeatureofthesystemliesinitsrelianceoncaselaworjudge-madelaw.Thatis,precedentsareusedasguidancetodealwiththesameoranalogoussituationsarisingtoday.

TheAmericanlegalsystemisoriginallybasedontheBritishlegalsystemandtheUnitedStatesConstitution.ArticleIII,SectionIoftheConstitutionStatesthatthejudicialpoweroftheUntiedStatesshallbevestedinoneSupremeCourt,andinsuchinferiorcourtsastheCongressmayfromtimetotimeordainandestablish.SointheUnitedStatesofAmerica,aUnitedStatesSupremeCourtisprovidedbytheConstitutionandothercourtsareestablishedbytheU.S.CongressinaccordancewiththeConstitution.

1.Legislation

LawintheUnitedStatesiscomposedofcaselawprecedent（priorjudicialdecisions）,justaswiththeBritishsystem,aswellasstatutorylawcreatedbyboththefederalgovernmentandthestates.

1.1TheUnitedStatesConstitution

TheUnitedStatesConstitutionwasdraftedin1787andwasamended26timeseversince.TheConstitutionseparatesthegovernmentintothethreecoordinatebranches.TheConstitutionprovidesforpowerstoeachofthethreebranches,aswellasthestates.Inadditionitsetslimitsonthepowersoffederalandstategovernment.

1.2StateConstitution

BesidestheUnitedStatesConstitution,eachofthe50stateshasalsoadoptedaconstitution.Thestateconstitutionsetsoutboththeformandoperationofgovernmentinthatstateandprovidesforandsetslimitsonitspower.

1.3EnactmentofLegislativeBodies

ThisincludestheActsofCongressandstatutesofstatelegislatures.Thelegislaturesofeachofthe50statesmaypassandenforcetheirownlawswithoutexceedingtheprinciplesestablishedbytheUnitedStatesConstitutionandtheUnitedStatesCongress.Thisresultsinthefactthatthestatelawinthesamefieldsmaybedifferentfromonetoanother.Forinstance,thelengthoftimewithinwhichonemustcommenceacivillawsuitorbetime-barred,referredtoasthestatuteoflimitations,canvarydramaticallyfromstatetostate;andvariousothermatterssuchashowtradesecretesortortsaredefinedalsomayvarysignificantly.

1.4CaseLaw

Inacommonlawcountry,caselawplaysaveryimportantpartindeterminingthelawthatappliestoaparticularsetoffacts.Inapplicationofcaselaw,theweightthatcaselawisgivenbyaparticularcourtintheUnitedStatesdependssignificantlyuponthecourtinwhichtheprecedentoccurred.Forexample,whenacaseisbroughtinFederalcourt,decisionsoftheSupremeCourtareobviouslythemostbindingonaparticularissue,followedbydecisionsofthecircuitcourttowhichanappealfromadistrictcourtliesandfinally,priordecisionsofthedistrictcourtitself.Inmanyinstances,adistrictcourtwilllooktothelawoftheappropriatestatewhilerenderingadecisioninacasewhereissuesofstatelawareofpriority.

2.CourtSystem

Thereare51separatecourtsystemsintheUnitedStatesofAmerica.Inadditiontothefederalcourtsystem,eachstatehasaseparatesystemunderitsownconstitutionandlaws.Eachofthe50statesintheUnitedStateshas,withinitsborders,bothastatecourtsystemandafederalcourtsystem.Federalandstatecourtsexistvirtuallyside-by-sideineverystate,andreviewbothcivilandcriminalcases.Therearelargeareaswherethejurisdictionoffederalandstatecourtsoverlaps.Thepartiesmay,attheirdiscretion,decideonthecourtwheretheyinitiatealawsuit.Andthereisachoiceforthedisputesbetweenthemastowhichofthetwosystemstheyshouldbein.

2.1JurisdictionoftheFederalCourts

FederalcourtsarenotcourtsofgeneraljurisdictionbutrathermorelimitedjurisdictionasprescribedbytheUSCongress.TheUnitedStatesConstitutionestablishedtheSupremeCourtandvestscertainoriginalandappellatejurisdictioninit.ThecourtsinthefederalcourtsystemincludeSupremeCourt,courtsofappeals,districtcourts,courtsofclaims,courtsofcustomsandpatentappeals,customscourts,taxcourtsandcourtsofmilitaryappeals.TheSupremeCourtisthehighestappellatereviewforeitherfederalcourtsorstatecourts.Italsohastheoriginaljurisdictioninthosecasesaffectingambassadors,ministersandconsulsandthosecasestowhichastateisaparty.

2.2JurisdictionoftheStateCourts

Eachstatehasitsowncourtsystemandeachstatecourtsystemhasatrialcourtlevelandtwolevelsofappellatereview.Withreferencetothejurisdictionofacourttohearalawsuit,statecourtsarecourtsofgeneraljurisdiction.Hence,aslongasthedefendantisservednoticeofthependinglawsuit,astatecourtmayexertpersonaljurisdiction（alsoreferredtoas“territorialjurisdiction”）overthedefendantandhearanycivilmatter.Astatecourtmayexerciseterritorialjurisdictioninthefollowingcases:

（1）adefendantconsentstobeusedinthestatewherethestatecourtislocated;

（2）thedefendantisphysicallypresentintheforumstate;or（3）suchstatehasastatutewhichauthorizestheexerciseofterritorialjurisdictionoverpersonsorpropertiesoutsidethestate’sborders;（4）theforumstateiswherethedefendantisdomiciled.Inadditiontotheabovestatecourtswithgeneraljurisdiction,statecourtsarealsocourtswithspecializedtrialjurisdiction,suchascriminalcourts,circuitcourts,civilcourts,juvenilecourtsandprobatecourts.

2.3AdministrativeAgencies

Inadditiontotheabovecourtsystems,someadministrativeagencieshavebeenestablishedoutofthecourtsystemtomonitorcompliancewithvariousfederalstatutoryschemesandareempoweredtocommenceproceedingsoractionsforviolationsofthoselaws.Forexample,theUnitedStatesDepartmentofJusticemonitorsandinvestigatescompliancewiththeantitrustlawsandisempoweredtocommencesuitsonbehalfoftheUnitedStatestoremedyorcorrectviolations.TheFederalTradeCommissionisthegovernmentalagencythatmonitorscompliancewithlawrelatingtotraderegulationsandisempoweredtotakeactionstoensurecompliance.TheSecuritiesandExchangeCommissionmonitorscompliancewithabroadrangeoflawsgoverningallaspectsofsecuritiestransactions.Besides,thereareotherfederaladministrativeagencieswithsimilarfunctions,suchasNuclearRegulatoryCommission,InterstateCommerceCommission,andtheFederalCommunicationsCommission,etc.

2.4ArbitrationandMediation

Arbitrationisthemosttraditionalandwell-knownformusedinthedisputeresolutionoutofcourt.Arbitrationischaracterizedbyflexibilityandmutualacceptanceofmeansofconflictresolution.Butrecently,arbitrationhasbeencriticizedasoverlyformal,expensiveandalmostastime-consumingastraditionallitigation.Consequently,commercialpartiesoftenseeklessformalandmoreefficientmeanstosettletheirdisputes,suchasmediation.

Mediationisaprocessinwhichdisputingpartiesareaidedbyaneutralthirdpartytoattempttosettletheirdispute.Mediation,unlikearbitration,isnotgenerallybinding.Thepartiesmay,however,agreetoenterintoasettlementagreement.Mediationisvoluntaryandnon-bindinganditsprocessisunderthecontrolofthepartiesthemselves.Settlementwillbereachedonlyifitisacceptabletoalltheparties.Ifmediationfails,thedisputeusuallywillgoontoarbitrationorlitigation.（tobecontinued）

NewWords

statuten.法令，法规

coden.法规，法典

reliancen.信赖，依靠

precedentn.先例，前例

guidancen.引导，指导

analogousa.类似的

Constitutionn.宪法

vestv.授权，给与

ordainv.任命，命令

draftv.起草，征兵

amendv.修正，改善

coordinatea.同等的，等位的

enactmentn.颁布，制定

commencev.开始

time-barreda.由于时间被禁止的

tortn.侵权行为

bindinga.有约束力的

appealn.恳求，上诉

renderv.提供，致使

priorityn.优先权

virtuallyad.几乎，实际上

jurisdictionn.司法权，审判权，管辖权

overlapv.重叠，重复

discretionn.辨别力，考虑

initiatev.开始，创始

appellatea.控诉的，上诉的

ambassadorn.大使

pendinga.未决定的，待决的

exertv.发挥，运用，施以影响

consentn.同意，许可

domicileda.指定支付地点的

probaten.遗嘱查验，遗嘱查讫证

monitorv.监视，监督

compliancen.承诺，遵从

empowerv.授予权力，允许

remedyv.治疗，矫正

arbitrationn.仲裁，公断

mediationn.调停，调解

litigationn.诉讼，起诉

PhrasesandExpressions

commonlaw普通法，习惯法

commonpractice惯例

caselaw案例

judge-madelaw法官法

judicialpower司法权

SupremeCourt最高法院

inaccordancewith按照，根据，与……一致

statutorylaw成文法

ActsofCongress国会法

lengthoftime诉讼时效

circuitcourt巡回法院

withreferenceto关于（根据）

forumstate审判地所在国家

NuclearRegulatoryCommission核管制委员会

InterstateCommerceCommission州际商业委员会

FederalCommunicationsCommission联邦电讯委员会

Notes

1.commonlawsystem

普通法体系。

普通法体系是以英国中世纪至资本主义时期的法特别是普通法为基础和传统而发展起来的各国和地区法的总称，故称为普通法体系、英国法体系，亦称英美法体系，由于它以判例法为法的主要表现形式，故称为判例法体系。

普通法体系的渊源主要有三个：

其一是普通法。

普通法是普通法法系的一个主要历史渊源，它是自11世纪法国诺曼底人入侵英国后开始逐渐形成的适用于英格兰全境的一种判例法。

判例法产生于法官的判决，是法官从判决中所揭示的原则，是法官创造的法，由于它是适用于英格兰全境的判例法，通称为普通法。

其二是衡平法。

衡平法是与普通法相对称的一种法，意指公平的法。

它从15-16世纪开始出现，并与普通法平行发展，并产生了与普通法法院并行的衡平法院，亦称大法官法院。

其三是制定法。

到18-19世纪时，制定法大量增加。

2.Britishlegalsystem

英国法律制度。

英国法律制度属普通法系。

在英国，法律最初为法官法，所采用的制度为判例制。

除《普通法》外，《法典法》也是英国法律制度的一部分。

由女王在议会制定的法律（《议会法》或《成文法》）和依据《成文法》的授权而制定的法律所起的作用越