Legal system - England + Wales (not everything), low is everywhere the same, but names are different.

SOURCES OF LAW

1. Legislation

• Acts of Parliament

• Orders (decisions taken by ministers)

• By-laws (decisions taken by local governments)

2. Common Law - ancient law, derived from customs and interpreted in court by judges

3. European Union Law - economic and social matters

CRIMINAL LAW

Cases: Queen against the criminal or…

Private person/police - criminal charge

Crown Prosecution Service - deals with everything

1. Head: The Director of Public Prosecution - choose prosecutors for courts (he doesn't many things - he is involved only in very difficult cases). He provides lawyers.

2. Chief Crown Prosecutors

CRIMINAL LAW (from lowest to highest instances)

1. Magistrates Courts - not very complicated, not serious. Sometimes victim decides whether trial should start here or in higher court.

Judges: Lay Magistrates - they are not lawyers, only trustworthy citizens. It is not permanent work, they work for some days and they are not paid for it - they get money as compensation for time they were not working.

Term: Justice of Peace

2. Crown Courts - 1^st intstance (for more serious crimes) or 2^nd instance court

Circuit judges (they are lawyers, ONLY barristers can be judges). It's their job but they can't be promoted.

If criminal pleads no guilty -> trial.

JURY - 12 people, ordinary citizens, they say guilty or not. Both sides have to agree, they can reject some people.

3. High Courts - judges (Mr Justice). It can be 1^st instance for extremely difficult or very important cases.

Judges have to be barristers (from high court up) - it means a lot of experience as a lawyer. Their job is extremely important. They cannot be dismissed from work (2 houses have to decide to dismiss these person - in the case of serious crime for example).

4. The Court of Appeal

Judges (Mr Justice)

CRIMINAL DIVISION (there is also civil division - deals with civil cases)

5. The Supreme Court - very few cases will go here. Only extremely important, extremely complicated.

Judges (Justice)

Judges always wear wigs (peruki).

APPEALS

1. Magistrate -> Crown Court

2. Crown Court/The High Court of Justice -> The Court of Appeal

3. The Court of Appeal -> Supreme Court

Some magistrate courts are different. SPECIAL COURTS:

1. Juvenile Courts (for youngsters, under 17 years old). Lay magistrates. No media, no public, nobody can go (that's the only difference). Other magistrate courts are open; journalists can come and see trials.

SPECIFIC COURTS

Coroner's Courts - dealing with EVERY sudden death (even in home).

Coroners (lawyers, doctors).

KULTURA - WYKŁAD - 22.11.2011

---