7.) Read and translate the text. Give the main idea of the text in five sentences.

Courts

British law is divided into civil law and criminal law. Civil law concerns

disagreements between individuals about matters such as business

contracts. Criminal law deals with offences. In civil cases, the plaintiff brings

an action against the defendant in the hope of winning damages. Criminal

cases are brought against criminals by the state.

In England most towns have a Magistrates’ court where minor criminal

cases are judged by three magistrates called Justices of the Peace, specially

trained members of the public. More serious cases are heard in a Crown

Court by a judge and jury. Minor civil cases, such as divorce and bankruptcy

are heard in the country courts and more serious ones in the High Court of

Justice. Appeals against decisions from the Crown Court or the High Court

go to the Court of Appeal. A few cases, where a question of law is in doubt

go to the House of Lords.

The laws of all countries are to be found in written records - the legal codes

of countries with continental systems, the statutes and case judgments of

common law countries, warnings on official forms and notices in public

buildings. Many people do not know where to find these records and do

not find it easy to read them. But ignorance of the law is almost never a

defense for breaking it. Governments usually expect citizens to be aware of

the laws which affect their lives. Sometimes they seem very harsh, for

example, when the law is very technical.