AMENDMENT VI

In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been pre­viously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have Assistance of Counsel for his defense.

AMENDMENT VII

In Suits at common law, where the value in controversy shall exceed twenty dollars, the right of trial by jury shall be preserved, and no fact tried by a jury, shall be otherwise reexamined in any Court of the United States, than according to the rules of common law.

AMENDMENT VIII

Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflic­ted.

AMENDMENT IX

The enumeration in the Constitution of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retai­ned by the people.

AMENDMENT X

The Powers not delegated to the United States by a Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reser­ved to the States respectively, or to the people.

 

 

Task 6. The First Amendment. Fill in the blanks in this paragraph about the First Amendment using the words and expressions in the list.

A. establishment B. threat C. press D. free exercise E. petition F. advocate

G. guarantees H. engage I. exercise J. state-imposed K. speech L. assembly

The First Amendment (1) ……….. six fundamental principles. The first is called the (2) ……….. clause and deals with freedom of religion, i.e. a citizen’s right to (3) ……….. his religion freely. The second, the so-called (4) ……….clause, guarantees freedom from (5) …………religion. No government, either federal or local, may (6)…….. in any act that would promote or establish a particular religion. The third right is freedom of (7) ………..: citizens have the right to (8) ……….. any idea of belief in public. The fourth is freedom of the (9)………….. The fifth is the right of peacefully (10) ………, i.e. citizens may gather in groups, so long as they do so without causing any (11) ………… to public order. The sixth and final right is the right to (12) ……… the government when they have a grievance.

 

Task 7. Speak about the competence of the State Duma, Federation Council, and the Government of the Russian Federation. Make diagrams reflecting the competence thereof.

Task 8. Read and discuss the procedure of passing the law in Russia. Make up a diagram reflecting the law-making process in Russia.

Law-making machine

 

Federal laws adopted by the State Duma are submitted within five days for examination by the Federation Council. A federal law is considered to have been approved by the Federation Council if over a half of the total number of members of that chamber have voted for it or if the Federation Council does not examine it within fourteen days. In the event that the Fed­eration Council rejects a federal law, the chambers may set up a conciliatory commission to settle differences, after which the federal law shall be recon­sidered by the State Duma.

In the event that the State Duma disagrees with the decision of the Fed­eration Council a federal law is considered to have been adopted if in the second vote not less than two thirds of the total number of deputies of the State Duma have voted in favour of it. If the President of the Russian Feder­ation rejects a federal law within fourteen days of receiving it, the State Duma and the Federation Council shall reconsider that law in accordance with the procedure established by the Constitution of the Russian Federation. If upon reconsideration the law is approved in the previously adopted wording by a majority of not less than two thirds of the total number of members of the Federation Council and of deputies of the State Duma, it must be signed by the President within seven days and promulgated.

Task 9.

A) Read the text about the land law and identify land law as a branch of law.