B. Solicitors and Barristers

TASK 1 Before listening to thq Jape, read the following text

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^v England ^is almost unique in having two different kinds of lawyers, with separate Jobs in the legal system. The two kinds of lawyers are solicitors and barristers.*^ *'i«

If а рег«Ш1 has a legal problem, he will go and see a solicitor.

Almost every town will have at least one. In fact there are at least 50,000

^ ^xi solicitors in Britain, and the number is increasing

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Many problems are delalt with exclusively by a solicitor. 'For'instance, solicitor deals with petty crimes and some matrimonial matters in

Magistrates' Courts, the lowest Courts. He prepares the case and the 'evidence. ^He Actually speaks {ц Court for you.

In a civH action he can speak in the County Court, when the case is one of divorce or recovering some deMs. In the County Court the solicitor wears a black gown over his ordinary clothes.

A ^olicitor also deals with matters outside Court. He does the legal work involved in buying a house, for Instance. He writes legal letters for you and carries or» legal arguments outside Court. If you want to make a will the best man to advise you is a solicitor.

To qualify as a solicitor, a young man or woman joins a solicitors a "clerk" and works for him whilst studying part time for the "Law Sdciery" exams. Interestingly enough, it is not necessary for you to go to university. When you have passed all the necessary exams, you can "practice", which means you can start business on your own.

Barristers are different from solicitors. Barristers are experts in the

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interpretation of the Law. They are called in to advise on really difficult points. The barrister is also an expert on ^advocacy (the art of presenting cases in Court). Indeed,r if you desire" representation in any Court except* me Magistrates' Court, you must have a barrister, with one or two exceptions.

Barristers are rather remote figures. If you need one, for irisbnc'e, you never see him without your solicitor being with him. Barristers do not have public offices in any street They work in „wfyat are known as chambers', often in London. They all belong to institutions called Inns of Court, which are ancient organizations rather like exclusive clubs^ In many ways the remoteness they have and the job they do are medieval in conception. 71» To qualify as a barrister you have to take the examinations of the Bar

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Council. These are different from solicitors' examinations. There are pver f 5,000 barristers in England. A good one can earn 30,000 pounds a year.¹ Only "*" barristers can become judges in an English Court above a Magistrates' Court.

*Barristers are also found in South Africa and New South Wales (Australia)

TASK 2. Answer the questions

1. What is almost unique about the English legal system?

2. What kind of problems does a solicitor deal with? 3 How do you qualify as a solicitor?

4. What are barristers experts in?

5. When must you have a barrister?

6. What reasons are there for saying a barrister is rather remote?

7. How do you qualify as a barrister?

TASK 3. Read the following text and answer the questions

One of the most important figures in the British legal system is the solicitor.i-It is his job to advise you on legal matters of all kinds. If you get into 'trouble with the police you will probably ask a solicitor to help prepare your defence and, if the offence is to be heard in a Magistrates' Court, you can ask a solicitor to appear for you and argue your case. If the case goes to a higher Court, the solicitor still advises you, but you must get a barrister to appear for you. _} , ^ _ltl , v *л

On this tape a young solicitor discussed his experience: the reasons for theft, crimes of violence and how he feels when he knows the man he is

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defending is guilty. He gives his reason for defending someone in these circumstances.

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1. What are the two main jobs of a solicitor?

2. What does the young solicitor talk about on the tape?

TASK 4. Listen to Part 1 of the tape. /

The solicitor says why he thinks thefts occur and then gives his views on violence.

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TASK 5 Match each word or expression on the left with the correct definition on the right.

a) motive

b) there's a patte)(h of...

c) we'll do that house

d) broken homes

TASK 6. Answer the questions.

1. the same thing occurs again and

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2. families in which either the father or mother has left

3.reason

4. we'll rob this house

1. What is the strongest motive for theft?

2. What pattern often occurs in lives of people involved in theft?

3. What house do robbers usually choose?

4. What background do robbers most often come from?

TASK 7. Listen to Part 2 of the tape.

The solicitor describes a case of a violent crime he has had to defend.

TASK 8. Explain the meaning of the following words and expressions.

a) fair degree of seriousness (of a crime);

b) to chase sb.;

c) to assault sb.

TASK 9. Answer the questions.

1. After what event in his life did the man become a criminal?

2. Why couldn't the man keep any job for very long?

3. How serious was the crime that this man committed?

4. Where did the crime occur?

5. Where was the elderly man sitting when the criminal beat him ? Why did the criminal beat him?

6. What information did the solicitor obtain about his defendant (before starting to work on the case)?

TASK 10 Listen to Part 3 of the tape

The solicitor explains why he defends people who admit they are guilty. Then he gives an example.

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TASK 11. Match each word or expression on the left with the correct definition on the right.

a) witness

b) crosis-examme

c) witness box

d) evidence

e) defence

f) allege

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1. everything witnesses say in court: facts, etc.

2. where witnesses stand in court.

3. someone who sees a crime or an accident

4. ask all witnesses involved in a case questions

5. to say something happened though the fact hasn't been proved yet

6. all the evidence, facts, things, etc. that a solicitor can use to prove a man is not guilty.

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TASK 12. Answer the questions.

1. What reputation does the solicitor's firm have?

2. Why does the solicitor defend people he knows are guilty?

3. Describe what he has been told in the case he has at the moment.

4. What will his client do in court?

5. What exactly will the solicitor do? What will he ask questions about?

6. How does the solicitor feel about what he has to do?

*' TASK 13. Discuss the following.

1. Are you satisfied with the solicitor's reasons for defending guilty people? Say why you are or are not.

2. What would happen if solicitors refused to do their best for people they think or know are guilty?