A COCK AND BULL STORY
There were never any doubt as to the guilt (1) … the accused. In the French country of Valois, in the year 1314, he (2) … deliberately killed a man. Several people had witnessed the attack. The accused (3) … sentenced to death and hanged soon afterwards. The accused was a bull. Modern law does not recognize the idea that animals can (4) … a crime, but in medieval Europe it was quite common for animals to (5) … taken to court on all sorts (6) … charges – everything from witchcraft to murder. On one occasion the rats of Atun in central France (7) … called before the court on a charge of infesting local houses and barns. When they failed (8) … appear, their lawyer explained that their lives would have (9) … put in danger by the number of cats in the neighbourhood. He said that (10) … court would have to guarantee the safety of each of his clients on their way to and from the trial. The case (11) … postponed indefinitely. In the 15th century, a cock in the Swiss town of Basel was not so lucky. He was accused (12) … laying an egg, which the superstitious townsfolk saw as a sure sign that he was a sorcerer. As a result, the cock (13) … tied to a stake and burned, along with the egg. And in Lavegny, France in 1457, a sow that had killed and partly eaten a child was hanged (14) … murder. Her six piglet accomplices (15) … not punished, however, on the grounds that they had been too young (16) … know any better.
UNIT 4 POLICE POWERS IN THE WORLD OF CRIME LEAD – IN 20 words and expressions in the list below are related to the topic “Police”. You have two minutes to tick them all. Chief Constable; aggravated kidnapping; Chief Inspector; community service; Criminal Investigation Department; manslaughter; detective; adversarial; Drugs Squad; seal; fingerprints; firearms; peer group pressure; Home Secretary; Sergeant; monarchical; Traffic warden; sacrifice; interrogation; stoning; scene of crime; deliberations; search; express contract; police community support officer; inmates; senior officers; endangered species; assessment tests; vetting procedure; parenting order; ensure public safety; indecent; honesty; prison; school liaison officer; celebrity; evade; Internal investigations.
TASK 1 Match the key terms of Unit 4 in ‘Legal English’ on the left to their equivalents on the right.
TASK 2 Can you guess what words are meant by their definitions? Choose from the variants a or b. Consult the Glossary if necessary. Give yourself 1 point for each correct answer. 1. Showing strong dislike – a) hostile; b) friendly 2. Formal systematic questioning – a) negotiation; b) interrogation 3. To examine the person or personal effects in order to find something lost or concealed – a) seizure; b) personal search 4. A partiality that prevents objective consideration of an issue or situation – a) prejudice; b) objectivity 5. Adhering strictly to laws, rules and customs – a) felonious; b) law-abiding 6. A legislative body or council of a municipal government – a) court; b) common council 7. A file containing detailed records on a particular person or subject – a) summary; b) dossier 8. The impression of a fingertip on any surface – a) fingerprint; b) blueprint 9. To tell or make known; admit – a) confess; b) renounce 10. The act of making timid or fearful or of deterring by threats – a) interrogate; b) intimidate TASK 3
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