Лекция: Types of Legal Professions

Solicitors

There are about 50,000 solicitors, a number which is rapidly increasing, and they make up by far the largest branch of the legal profession in England and Wales. They are found in every town, where they deal with all the day-to-day work of preparing legal documents for buying and selling houses, making wills, etc. Solicitors also work on court cases for their clients, prepare cases for barristers to present in the higher courts, and may represent their client in a Magistrates' court.

Barristers

There are about 5,000 barristers who defend or prosecute in the higher courts. Although solicitors and barristers work together on cases, barristers specialize in representing clients in court and the training and career structures for the two types of lawyer are quite separate. In court, barristers wear wigs and gowns in keeping with the extreme formality of the proceedings. The highest level barristers have the title QC (Queen's Counsel).

Judges

There are a few hundred judges, trained as barristers, who preside in more serious cases. There is no separate training for judges.

Jury

A jury consists of twelve people («jurors»), who are ordinary people chosen at random from the Electoral Register (the list of people who can vote in elections). The jury listens to the evidence given in court in certain criminal cases and decides whether the defendant is guilty or innocent. If the person is found guilty, the punishment is passed by the presiding judge. Juries are rarely used in civil cases.

Topical Vocabulary

Solicitor – поверенный; адвокат (выступающий в судах низшей инстанции)

To make will – составить завещание

Higher court – суд высшей инстанции

Barrister – адвокат (выступающий в высших судах)

To defend – защищать

To prosecute – предъявлять иск

Proceedings – судебное разбирательство (процедура)

Counsel – адвокат

Judge – судья

To preside – председательствовать

Jury – жюри

To vote – голосовать, избирать

Elections – выборы

Guilty – виновный

Innocent – невиновный

Punishment — наказание

The most common type of law court in England and Wales is the magistrates' court. There are 700 magistrates' courts and about 30,000 magistrates.

More serious criminal cases then go to the Crown Court, which has 90 branches in different towns and cities. Civil cases (for example, divorce or bankruptcy cases) are dealt with in County courts.

Appeals are heard by higher courts. For example, appeals from magistrates' courts are heard in the Crown Court, unless they are appeals on points of law. The highest court of appeal in England and Wales is the House of Lords. (Scotland has its own High Court in Edinburgh, which hears all appeals from Scottish courts.) Certain cases may be referred to the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg. In addition, individuals have made the British Government change its practices in a number of areas as a result of petitions to the European Court of Human Rights.

The legal system also includes juvenile courts (which deal with offenders under seventeen) and coroners' courts (which investigate violent, sudden or unnatural deaths). There are administrative tribunals which make quick, cheap and fair decisions with much less formality. Tribunals deal with professional standards, disputes between individuals, and disputes between individuals and government departments (for example, over taxation).

Topical Vocabulary

Magistrate’s court – мировой суд

Criminal case – уголовное дело

Civil case – гражданское дело

A magistrate – мировой судья

The Crown Court – суд короны

Country court – суд графства

Appeal – аппеляция, жалоба

Justice – правосудие

Juvenile court – суд по делам несовершеннолетних

Offender – правонарушитель

Coroner’s court – коронерский суд