UNIT 3 MAKING A LAW 11.10.2016 08:17

UNIT 3 MAKING A LAW

   Why do we need laws? We all depend on other people. Even those who live alone depend on others to provide them with heat, light and other services. They generally accept that these services can only be provided if they obey the rules and pay their bills. Those of us who live as part of a group, perhaps a family, find that we have to follow unwritten rules which tell us how we should behave towards the other members of our group. At the college your timetable provides one set of rules, telling you which lesson you should be in at a given time. The fire regulations are a different set of rules, which could save your life. As well as belonging to a group at home, college or work, we all belong to a national group and have to obey the national rules known as laws.

   How Parliament makes Laws? Every year Parliament passes about 100 Laws directly by making Acts of Parliament. Parliament sometimes passes a very general law and leaves a minister to fill in the details. Using the powers given to them by Parliament, ministers become lawmakers themselves.

   No new law can be made by Parliament unless it has completed a number of stages in both the House of Commons and the House of Lords. The Queen also has to sign a Bill to show that it has been given the Royal Assent (a formality). Only after the Royal Assent it becomes a new law or Act of Parliament. Before this it is called a Bill. Bills can begin in the House of Lords or the House of Commons so they can pass through Parliament in one of two ways:

1. Commons = 2. Lords = 3. Queen

BILL                               ACT

1. Lords = 2. Commons = 3. Queen

   There are two main sorts of Bill: Private and Public Bill. Private Bills deal with local matters and individuals. Public Bills deal with matters of public importance. Important Bills are usually sponsored by the Government. One example of a Government Bill is the Sea Fish (Conservation) Bill of 1992-1993, which affects the amount of time that fishing boats may spend at sea. Although a rather old example, it illustrated well how a Government Bill becomes an Act of Parliament. This particular Bill was introduced into the Commons by the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food.

   This stage is called First Reading. It gives MPs notice that the Bill will soon be coming for discussion. The text is then printed and read by Members in time for the important Second Reading. Here the main purpose of the Bill is explained by the Minister of State responsible for fisheries, and the Bill is debated by the House.

   The House then votes to decide whether the Bill should continue its passage through Parliament.

   The Bill continues to its Committee Stage where eighteen Members from both Government and Opposition discuss it in detail, considering many possible changes (amendments). This is followed by Report Stage when the committee reports back to the rest of the House.

   At the Third Reading stage, the House decided to pass the Bill as a whole. The Bill cannot be changed at this stage - it is either accepted or rejected. Once a Bill has passed its Third Reading in the Commons, one of the Clerks at the Table carries the Bill to the House of Lords.

   The House of Lords has the job of reviewing Bills received from the Commons. A different group of people can often see something in a completely different way. The House of Lords often makes changes to Commons Bills. Once both Houses of Parliament have passed a Bill, then it has to go to the Queen for the Royal Assent. After receiving the Royal Assent the Bill becomes an Act of Parliament.

   Even after an Act has received the Royal Assent, it may not come into force straight away.

WORDS AND PHRASES

To provide - зaбeзпечyвaти

rule - правило

bill - зaкoнoпроeкт; рaхунок

to behave - діяти, поводити ce6e

to save - pятyвaти

Act of Parliament - зaкон пaрлaмeнтy

lawmaker - зaкoнoдaвець

conservation - зберeжeння

First Reading - 1-е читaння зaкoнoпроeктy у пaрлaмeнті

Second Reading - 2-е читaння зaкoнoпроeктy у пaрлaмeнті

Committee Stage – пaрлaмeнтський плeнyм, який обговopює деталі зaкoнoпроeктy

amendment - поправкa (дo зaкoнoпроeктy)

Report Stage - дoпoвідь про зaкoнoпроeкт у пaрлaмeнті пeред третім читaнням

Third Reading - 3-є читaння зaкoнoпроeктy у пaрлaмeнті

to accept - приймaти

to reject - відхиляти

                EXERCISES

EXERCISE 1 Fill in the blanks:

1. Every country has its own ... .

2. People must obey the national ... known as laws.

3. Every year Parliament passes about 100 Laws directly by king....

4. A new law in the making is called a ... .

5. Every Bill must complete certain ... in Parliament before becomes a new law.

6. Important Bills are usually sponsored by the ... .

7. Bills can be introduced into the ... or ... .

8. There are two main types of Bills - ... Bills and ... Bills.

9. Once both Houses of Parliament have passed a Bill, then it has to go to the Queen for the ... ... .

10. Once a Bill has received the Royal Assent it becomes an ... .

EXERCISE 2 Find words and expressions in the text which mean:

1. the approval by the British Sovereign of a Bill which has been passed by both Houses of Parliament;

2. a proposed law - the preliminary version of an Act of Parliament:

3. changes in a rule, document, law, etc.;

4. law or custom which guides or controls behaviour or action.

EXERCISE 3 Answer the questions:

1. What is the difference between a Bill and an Act of Parliament?

2. What two types of Bills do you know?

3. What 8tages should a Bill complete to become an Act?

4. What is the function of the House of Lords in making a law?

5. Which of the two Houses of Parliament has more power?

6. When does a Bill become an Act of Parliament?

EXERCISE 4 Complete the following text with the words and expressions from the box.

Speaker           defeated                    Second Reading

laws              agreed                      opinions

national          the House of Commons        vote

debates           international               the House of Lords

law-making        Lord-Chancellor             Woolsack

DEBATES IN PARLIAMENT

   Both Houses of Parliament share opinions and reach their decisions by means of debates. Many hours are spent debating proposed laws. These debates can involve  matters of national and international importance. Each year the House of Commons alone spends over 1,500 hours debating. Debates in the House of Commons are chaired by the Speaker. All speeches are addressed to the Chairman, the Speaker. When a Member finishes speaking the Speaker decides who should speak next. Only one Member is allowed to stand and speak at any one time. Members normally speak only once during a debate. There is a time limit on most debates - many debates have to end at 10.00 p.m. At the end of a debate, the House of Commons decides  if the motion should be agreed or defeated. If the debate were on the Second Reading of a Bill the Speaker would say «The Question is that the Bill be now  read a second time. He or she then invites the two sides to express their opinions by saying «Aye» or «No». The Speaker listens while the two Sides shout  out «Aye» and «No». He or she will decide which side sounded more numerous and then say «I think the Ayes (or the Noes) have it)). If the other side protests, then there has to be a proper vote called a Division.

   Debates in the House of Lords are, in many ways, similar to those in the Commons. Many debates in the Lords, like those in the Commons, are concerned  with the various stages of law-making. In the first place there is the position of the Lord-Chancellor. He is the Speaker of the House of Lords. From his special seat, known as the Woolsack, he presides over debates.

EXERCISE 5 Give Ukrainian equivalents for the following words and expressions:

- debates;

- to share opinions;

- matters of national and international importance;

- to defeat;

- to agree;

- motion;

- to express one's opinion;

- a proper vote;

- division;

- to preside over debates.

EXERCISE 6 Complete the following text by translating the words expressions in brackets.

THE ROYAL ASSENT

   Once both Houses of Parliament have passed a (законопроект), then it has to go to the (королева) for the (королівська санкція) .If she had been living 500 years ago, the Queen would have (підпісувати) all Bills herself. She would also have gone in person to the (Палата лордів) to announce in Norman French whether she agreed to a Bill or wished (відхиляти) it. No (монархи) since the sixteenth century have signed Bills themselves. There are now two ways in which the Queen can assent to a Bill. Usually she signs what are known as Letters Patent which allow the two Houses (the Speaker of the House of Commons and (лорд-канцлер) to announce that the Queen has given her (санкція). The other method of giving the Royal Assent occurs about once a year. The Queen signs a document known as a Commission which commands certain (лорди), known as Royal Commissioners, to go to the House of Lords and let (члени) of both Royal Assent has been given. The ceremony for Houses know the Royal Assent has been given. The ceremony for Royal Assent by Commission is rather like the State Opening Ceremony. Once a Bill has received the Royal Assent it becomes an (закон парламенту). A bill usually takes several months to complete all its stages in (парламент).

EXERCISE 7 Work in pairs. Imagine your friend is a Member of Parliament. Ask him about law-making process in Great Britain. Discuss the following questions:

- the functions of the Cabinet, the House of Commons, the House of Lords;

- the functions of the Queen.

Use the following expressions:

- As far as I know...

- The thing is...

- You see ...

- You know ...

As a matter of fact ...

EXERCISE 8 Answer the following questions:

1. What are the differences between the UK law-making process and your own in Ukraine?

2. Are there significant similarities between the processes in the UK and in Ukraine?

3. Are there any debates in Parliament of your country? How are debates carried out in Ukrainian Parliament?

WHO'S THE BOSS?

From the box on the right, choose the name of the person who is the leader or head of each body, organisation, etc. on the left. Some names are used more than once.

a) The House of Commons                   - 1) the British Sovereign

b) The UK Government                        - 2) the Speaker

c) The UK                                             - 3) the President

d) The USA                                           - 4) the Lord Chancellor

e) The House of Lords                          - 5) the Prime Minister

f) Ukraine

g) The British Commonwealth of Nations