Контрольная работа по "Английскому языку"

Билет № 9

Criminal trials

1. Письменно переведите текст на русский язык.

Criminal trials in the United Kingdom take the form of a contest between the prosecution and the defense. Since the law presumes the innocence of an accused person until guilt has been proved, the prosecution does not have any advantage over the defense. A defendant has the right to employ a legal adviser and may be given legal aid from public funds.

In England, Wales and Northern Ireland during the preparation of the case the prosecution tells the defense about relevant documents which are supposed to be used as evidence. The prosecution should also inform the defense about witnesses whose evidence may help the accused 

Criminal trials are normally held in open court and rules of evidence are strictly applied. Criminal proceedings have numerous complex rules about what evidence is admissible, and how it may be introduced. The rules are supposed to exclude irrelevant, unreliable, or unfairly matters, especially in jury trials. The judge has a very important job of deciding all matters of law and admissibility of evidence. The jury’s verdict is to be based solely on the evidence properly produced at the trial. 

During the trials the defendant has the right to hear or cross-examine witnesses for the prosecution, normally through a lawyer; to call his or her own witnesses; and to address the court in person or through a lawyer. The defense has the right to the last speech at the trial. The defendant cannot be questioned as a witness in his or her own defense.

1. Письменно составьте аннотацию (краткий пересказ) текста.

The text is devoted to the features of criminal trials in the United Kingdom. It is pointed out that the prosecution has no advantage over the defense, as the law presumes that a suspect is innocent until proven guilty. It is emphasized that both the defense and the prosecution should inform each other of any relevant evidence that may help the accused. It is shown that the rules of evidence are strictly applied in court. It should be noted that the rules are supposed to exclude irrelevant, unreliable, or unfairly matters. 

Special attention is given to the fact that the jury’s verdict is to be based solely on the evidence properly produced at the trial. The rights of the defendant during the trials are described in the final part of the text. They are the right to hear or cross-examine witnesses for the prosecution; to call his or her own witnesses; and to address the court in person or through a lawyer. The importance of the fact that the defendant cannot be questioned as a witness in his own defense is stressed.