LEGAL ENGLISH 1st year

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F A C U L T Y O F L A W A N D P O L I T I C A L
S C I E N C E O F T U N I S

2022/2023

LEGAL ENGLISH
1st year
1st semester

TEACHER COORDINATOR: BEN MOHAMED AICHA

Teachers: DRIDI MEHDI

MOURALI FATEN

MZOUGHI SAMEH

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CONTENTS

CHAPTER ONE

• Law and society
• Word forms
• Present tenses

CHAPTER TWO

• Legal systems
• Past tenses

CHAPTER THREE

• Law branches
• Linkers

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CHAPTER 1: Law and society

Pre- reading vocabulary

Match a word from A with its definition in B. Write your answers in C.
B

1- law

2- legal

a) A statement that tells you what is
or is not allowed in a particular
game, situation, etc.

b) Punishments for breaking a rule or

law.

3- rule (n)

c) To kill a person in a deliberate and

unlawful way.

4- steal

d) The act of doing something to hurt
someone because that person did
something that hurt you.

5- murder

e) The set of rules governing a society.

6- terrorize

7- property

f) Being in conflict or opposition.

g) To take something that does not
belong to you in a way that is
wrong or illegal.

h) Allowed by law.

8- revenge

i) To fill with terror by threat or

violence.

9- conflicting

j) Something that is owned by a

person, business, etc.

10- penalties

1 –

2 –

3 –

4 –

5 –

6 –

7 –

8 –

9 –

10 –

Definitions taken from: Merriam-webster dictionary.

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READING COMPREHENSION

Law is the skeleton of our society. It controls what we do, when we do it and how
we do it. If we choose to break this law then we are punished. A well- ordered society
cannot exist without some sort of legal system, even if it is just one simple rule. If there
was no system of law to control how people operate their lives then there would not be
a society to live in. People would be free to make decisions based solely on their
principles, they would be free to steal, murder, damage, and terrorize what or
whomever they wanted, and nothing would be done about. Therefore it would be
disastrous if not impossible to base a society solely on such principles.

There are different categories of law, each with its own priorities. But by and large,
law is there to maintain order in society, to protect property and rights.

If people knew they would not be punished for their actions then nothing would stop
them fulfilling whatever they wished to do. People would in turn, look for revenge and
the cycle would continue. Eventually there would be no society left for a system of law
to control.

A system of rules is needed in society to regulate relationships between people with
conflicting interests, for example, employers and employees, landlord and tenants and
neighbours. A legal system is the only procedure which can ensure that human rights
are respected.

Law is one of the most basic social institutions and one of the most necessary. No
society could exist if all people did just as they pleased, without regard for the rights of
others, nor could a society exist if its members did not recognize that they also have
certain obligations toward one another. The law thus establishes the rules that define a
person's rights and obligations. The law also sets penalties for people who violate these
rules and states how government shall enforce the rules and penalties.

Read the text quickly and tick () the right answer.

www.lawteacher.net

➢ The text is about:

 Citizens’ rights and duties
 The importance of law

➢ The writer states some acts performed by:

 Law – breaking citizens
 Law – abiding citizens

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Read the text again and answer the following questions.

1) Say whether the following statements are true or false and justify with details from the

text.

a) People who break the law are punished. …………………………

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

b) Law protects individuals’ rights only. …………………………

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

c) Human rights are still preserved in the absence of a legal system. ………………………

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

2) Find in the text words which correspond to the following definitions:

………………………………… = a person or business that employs one or more people, especially

for wages or salary.

………………………………… = a person working for another person or a business firm for pay.

………………………………… = a person who owns and leases land, buildings, etc.

………………………………… = a person who rents and occupies land or a house from another

person for a period of time; lessee/ lodger.

………………………………… = to break, infringe, or transgress (a law, rule, agreement, promise,

instructions, etc.)

3) Say what the underlined words in the text refer to.

It (§ 1) : ………………………………

them (§ 3) : ………………………………

its (§ 5) : ………………………………

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LANGUAGE

Fill in the blanks with the right preposition (in – to – for – on).

1/ If it were not ……………….. the law, you could not go out ……………….. broad day-light without
the fear of being kidnapped, robbed or murdered.

2/ To make law is necessary ……………… the interests of everyone.

3/ ……………….. the absence of law you could only rely ……………….. the law of the jungle.

4/ It is obvious ……………….. everyone that laws are necessary.

5/ Members of every community have made laws ……………….. themselves ……………….. self-
protection.

II)

Put the bracketed words in the right tense/ form.

Mr. Jones, having murdered his wife, was burying her in the garden one night, when his
neighbour, hearing the noise, (ask) …………………………..him what he was doing.
"Just burying the cat," said Mr. Jones.
"Funny sort of time to bury a cat," said the neighbour.
"Funny sort of cat," said Mr. Jones.
Now it is obvious to everyone that, in a community such as the one in which we (live)
………………………….. , some kind of law is necessary to try to prevent people like Mr. Jones
from (kill) …………………………..their wives. When the world was at a very primitive stage,
there was no such law, and, if a man chose to kill his wife or if a womansucceeded in killing
her husband,
(official)
…………………………... But, for a very long time now, members of every community have made
laws for themselves in self-protection. Otherwise it would have meant that the stronger
man could have done what he liked with the (weak) ………………………….., and bad men could
have joined together and (terrorize) …………………………… the whole neighbourhood.

their own business and no one

that was

interfered

III)

Circle the right alternative.

Voltaire once said that “a multitude of laws in a country is like a great number of
physicians, a sign of (weak /weakness) and malady.” Historically, laws have been (create /
created)in an attempt to correct perceived problems within a society. An epidemic of
adultery must have occurred before laws (allowing / forbidding)such activity came into
existence. Several affluent members of society must have been (robbed / stolen) before
anti-theft laws were passed. Undoubtedly a number of politicians were (shoot / shot) and
killed before gun-control laws were believed to be necessary. For the most part laws are
created out of fear of (become / becoming) victimized.

IV)

Highlight the passive voice in the previous paragraph.

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WRITING

I/ Reorder the utterances to get coherent sentences.

1) peaceably /Law /to live together /for men /in a community / makes it possible.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

2) necessary /is /keep / to /and / peace /Law / order.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

3) law /written / was /the /history /first / in /Hammurabi's /human /Code /.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

4) is/Crime /kind /a /of /that/ be /should /treated /disease.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

II/ Reorder the following sentence parts to get a coherent paragraph.

a) what is legally right and legally wrong.

b) so that people can know how to order their affairs.

c) If any society is to survive, its citizens must be able to determine

d) They must also know what sanctions will be imposed on them

e) One of the important functions of law in any society

if they commit wrongful acts.

g) is to provide stability, predictability and continuity

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WORD FORMS

• Singular Nouns
• Plural Nouns
• Compound nouns

NOUNS

• Adjectives
• Comparatives
• Superlatives
• Compound Adjectives

ADJECTIVES

• Full infinitive
• Bare infinitive
• Gerund
• Past participles

VERBS

• Adj +ly = Adv
• Exceptions (well, hard,fast ...)

ADVERBS

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Simple Present

Present Progressive

Present Perfect

Form

-AF: I drink tea.
He works at home.
-NF: I don’t drink tea.
He doesn’t work at
home.
-IF: Do you drink tea?
Does he work at
home?

-AF: I’m drinking tea.
He’s working at home.
-NF: I’m not drinking tea.
He’s not working at
home.
-IF: Are you drinking tea?
Is he working at
home?

Use

-Habits & routines.
-General truth.
-Future Timetables.

-Things happenning now.
-Temporary situations.
-Future plans.

Time
Expressions

-Always, Never, Every
week, Usually, Often,
Sometimes, Hardly ever
…

-Now, At the moment,
Today, This week …

-AF: I have drunk tea.
He has done his
homework.
-NF: I haven’t drunk
tea.
He hasn’t done
his homework.
-IF: Have you drunk
tea?
Has he done his
homework?
-Past actions related
to the present time.
-Period of time hasn’t
finished.
-Time is not
mentioned in the
past.
-For+ period
-Since+ date
-Just, Yet, Already,
Ever …

Put the verbs in the right present tense

• The legislator (introduce) ……………………………………. bills.

•

The Senators (vote) ……………………………………. on the bill now.

• Our bus driver often (break) ……………………………………. traffic rules.

• For a very long time now, members of every community (make)

……………………………………..……. laws to protect themselves.

• Members of Parliament (pass/ already) …………………………………..……………. anti-smoking

laws.

• Some TV reporters (film) ……………………………………. the hearing of the case in the court

today.

• Listen ! the witness (give) ……………………………………. evidence about the crime.

• My neighbor (commit) ……………………………………. a serious crime recently and the police

(look for) ……………………………………. him.

• Look at the mess ! A burglar (break into) ……………………………………. the house.

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CHAPTER 2 LEGAL SYSTEMS

Legal systems elaborate rights and responsibilities in a variety of ways. A basic distinction is generally made
between Civil law jurisdictions and systems using Common law.

TEXT 1

CIVIL LAW
Civil law is a legal system inspired by Roman law, the primary feature of which is that laws are written

into a collection, codified, and not determined, as in common law, by judges. It holds legislation as the

primary source of law, and the court system is usually inquisitorial, unbound by precedent, and

composed of specially-trained judicial officers.

The principle of civil law is to provide all citizens with an accessible and written collection of the laws

which apply to them and which judges must follow. It is the most prevalent and oldest surviving legal

system in the world. Colonial expansion spread the civil law system and European civil law has been

adopted in much of Latin America as well as in parts of Asia and Africa.

The primary source of law is the legal code, which is a collection of statutes, arranged by subject

matter in some pre-specified order; Law codes are usually created by a legislature's enactment of a new

statute that embodies all the old statutes relating to the subject and including changes necessitated by

court decisions. In some cases, the change results in a new statutory concept. The two other major legal

systems in the world are common law and Islamic law.

Reading Comprehension

Read the text and answer the following questions

1/ Complete the following table.

Origin of civil law

Main source of law

…………………………………..................….

…………………..................………………….

2/ Say whether the following statements are true or false and justify with details from the text.

a/ In civil law systems, precedents are not binding in the courts. ………………

JUSTIFICATION: …................................……………………...................…………………………………………………….

b/ Civil law is a modern legal system. ……………….

JUSTIFICATION: ……..................................................……………………………………………………………………….

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c/ Civil law spread because of colonisation. ……………….

JUSTIFICATION: …………………................................................………………………………………………………….

d/ Common law and Islamic law are parts of Civil law. …………………

JUSTIFICATION: …………………………………………………………………...............................................………….

3/ Answer the following questions with reference to the text.

What is the main characteristic of civil law?

.................................................................................................................................................................

What is a legal code?

..................................................................................................................................................................

How are legal codes created?

.................................................................................................................................................................

4/ Choose the right alternative

i. The word ‘’codified’’ means a- lawful
b- disorganized
c- arranged in a code

ii. The word ‘’prevalent’’ means a- widespread

b- limited
c- perfect

iii. The word ‘’concept’’ means a- principle

b- notion
c- aim

5/ Say what the underlined words refer to

which (par 1) ……………...................………….

it (par 1) ....................……………………….

them (par 2) ……....................………………….

that (par 3) .....................………………….....

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Language

1/ Classify the following words in the right column.

Legal – primary – legislation – law – inquisitorial - provide – apply – judges – spread –
adopt -code – statutes – enactment – necessitate – decision – statutory – major

VERBS

............................

NOUNS

..........................

ADJECTIVES

............................

2/ Fill in the blanks with the right preposition from the box.

by - with – from - on - into – of - in - around

a) Law is divided ……………. categories and subcategories.

b) Civil procedure consists ……………. the rules by which courts conduct civil trials.

c) Criminal law is concerned ……………………. the treatment of people who break the law and are victims of

crimes such as robberies, murders and burglaries.

d) Law students are often interested …………….. international political issues.

e) Civil law is the legal system used ……............ most countries …….......… the world today.

f) Modern Civil Law systems essentially derive ……..........… the legal practice of the Roman Empire.

g) Religious law is based ….........…… scriptures and interpretations.

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TEXT 2
Common law (also known as case law or precedent) is law developed by judges through decisions of
courts and similar tribunals rather than through legislative statutes or executive branch action. A
"common law system" is a legal system that gives great precedential weight to common law, on the
principle that it is unfair to treat similar facts differently on different occasions. The body of
precedent is called "common law" and it binds future rulings. In cases where the parties disagree on
what the law is, an idealized common law court looks to past precedential decisions of relevant
courts. If a similar dispute has been resolved in the past, the court is bound to follow the reasoning
used in the prior decision (this principle is known as stare decisis). If, however, the court finds that
the current dispute is fundamentally distinct from all previous cases (called a "matter of first
impression"), judges have the authority and duty to make law by creating precedent. Thereafter, the
new decision becomes precedent, and will bind future courts.

Reading Comprehension

Read the text and answer the following questions

1/Pick up the definition of Common Law.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

2/Match the following words with their definitions.

1/ precedent

2/ Stare decisis

3/ Matter of first impression

B
a/ A legal case in which there is no binding authority on the
matter presented.
b/ A judicial decision that may be used as a standard in
subsequent similar cases
c/ A legal principle by which judges are obliged to respect
the precedents established by prior decisions.

3/Say whether the following statements are true or false and justify with details from the text.

a/ Judges can make laws in common law countries. ………………

JUSTIFICATION: …................................……………………...................…………………………………………………….

b/ Similar facts of cases should be treated similarly on different occasions. ……………….

JUSTIFICATION: ……..................................................……………………………………………………………………….

c/Judges are bound to apply precedents in similar disputes. ……………….

JUSTIFICATION: …………………................................................………………………………………………………….

4/Find words which nearly mean the following.

relating to, or constituting a precedent = …………............……………
imposes legal obligation = ……………….............……….

•
•
• decisions of a judge = ………………...............……….
• Belonging to the present time = …………..............…………….

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Language

1) Match a word or expression in A with a word or expression in B to get meaningful pairs.

A
enforce

legal

make

settle

B
system

PAIRS
…………………… + …….……………..

a system

………………………+ …..……………….

code

……………..……… + ……………………..

a decision

……………………… + …………..……….

inquisitorial

a dispute

…………………….. + ……………..……..

adopt

the law

………………….… + ……………….…….

2) Put the bracketed word in the correct form.
There are five main (law) ……………..………………. systems in the world. Civil law and Common
law are the most important ones. Civil law is based on (write) ……………………..……….. codes.
Disputes are settled according to a code (arrive) ……………………………… at through (legislate)
…………………………………….. However, Common
(create)
…………………………………….. by the judges’ (decide) ……………………………………… over time. Civil law
uses (codify) …………………………………… (statute) ………………………………… law.
3/ Put the following expressions under the right heading.

is based on precedents

law

Case law - Principle of legality - One or a panel of judges - customs - jury system - legislation -

Trial dominated by lawyers with judge as referee - Roman law - adversarial system - codification -

Judges actively participate in seeking of evidence and examining of witnesses - continental law -

precedents - Statutory law - Stare decisis - judge-made law - inquisitorial system - Anglo-American law

Common Law

Civil law

………………………………………………………………..

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Writing Tasks

1. Reorder the following statements to get a meaningful paragraph about the two main systems

of law in the world.

a) One is based on English common law, and has been adopted by many Commonwealth countries

and most of the United States.

b) Each country in the world has its own system of law.

c) Continental law has also influenced Japan and several socialist countries.

d) The other tradition, sometimes known as continental, or Roman law, has developed in most of

continental Europe, Latin America and many countries in Asia and Africa.

It is generally true that there are two main traditions of law in the world.

2. Match a sentence part in A with a sentence part in B to get a coherent paragraph.

A
1. England has a body of law known as the

B
A/ in the development of the English legal

Common Law

system.

2. The Common Law has been hugely

B/ then other judges will usually give a similar

important

verdict in cases involving similar facts.

3. Common Law works

C/ which has developed over centuries from

judgments given in courts.

4. If a judge makes a decision in a case

D/ through the system of Precedent.

Answers

1 +

2 +

3 +

4 +

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WORKSHEET

THE LEGAL SYSTEM

1- Match these bodies of law (1-3) with their definitions (a-c).

1/ Civil law a/ area of the law which deals with crimes and their punishments. including
fines and/or imprisonment (also penal law).

2/ Common law b/ 1) legal system developed from Roman codified law. established by a state
for its regulation: 2) area of the law concerned with non criminal matters,
rights and remedies.

3/ Criminal law c/ legal system which is the foundation of the legal systems of most of the
English-speaking countries of the world, based on customs, usage and court
decisions (also case law, judge-made law)

Complete the text below contrasting civil law, common law and criminal law using the words in the box.

based on - non-criminal - bound by - codified - custom
disputes - precedents - provisions - rulings - legislation

The term 'civil law' contrasts with both 'common law' and 'criminal law'. In the first sense of the term,
civil law refers to a body of law 1) ................................. written legal codes derived from fundamental
normative principles. Legal 2) ................................. are settled by reference to this code, which has been
arrived at through 3) ...................................... . Judges are 4) .......................................... the written law and
its 5) .................................
In contrast, common law was originally developed through 6) ................................., at a time before laws
were written down. Common law is based on 7)................................. created by judicial decisions, which
means that past 8) ................................. are taken into consideration when cases are decided. It should be
noted that today common law is also 9) ................................., i.e. in written form. In the second sense of the
term, civil law is distinguished from criminal law, and refers to the body of law dealing with 10)
................................... matters, such as breach of contract.

Which body of law, civil law or common law, is the basis of the legal system of your jurisdiction?

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

4- Fill in the table with the right body of law:

Body of law

..........................................

.........................................

Definition

Laws come primarily from customs,
usage and earlier court decisions.

Laws come from written legal
codes.

Countries

England, Wales and Northern
Ireland, USA, Canada....

Much of continental Europe,
Tunisia ....

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Simple Past

Past Progressive

Past Perfect

Form

-AF: He worked at home.
I drank tea.

-NF: He didn’t work at
home.
I didn’t drink tea.

-IF: Did he work at home?
Did you drink tea?

Use

- events that happened in a
specific time in the past,
and were finished in the
past.

-AF: He was working at
home.
They were drinking tea.

-NF: He wasn’t working at
home.
They weren’t drinking
tea.

-IF: Was he working at
home?
Were they drinking tea?

-an action that was in
progressat a specific time
in the past.
- an action in progress
when another action
happened.

-AF: I had drunk tea.
He had done his
homework.
-NF: I hadn’t drunk tea.
He hadn’t done his
homework.
-IF: Had you drunk tea?
Had he done his
homework?

-completed action before
something happened in
the past.
-

Time
Expressions

-Yesterday, Last week,
Two years ago, In 2000 …

-While, all day …

-after …

Police interview:

Police officer: I'm just going to ask you some questions. Where (be) ……………………… you on the
3rd of October 2011?

Suspect: I (be) ……………………… at a cafe in Greenwich.

Police officer: Whom(be) ……………………… you with?

Suspect: I (be) ……………………… by myself, but I (meet) ……………………… an old friend from university
who (have) …………………………… lunch there with her partner and we (talk)…………………………… for
about five minutes.

Police officer: And what is her name?

Suspect: Joanna Crawley.

Police officer: What (talk / you) ……………………………… about?

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Suspect: We (not / see) ……………………………each other in a few years so we (catch up)
…………………………………. She told me she is getting married and (ask) …………………………me what I (do)
……………………………….

Police officer: When (be) ……………………… this? In the morning or in the afternoon?

Suspect: It (be) ……………………… at about one o’clock in the afternoon.

Police officer: And why (have/you) ……………….…………… lunch at a cafe by yourself?

Suspect: I (have) …………………………… lunch and working on an article. I'm a writer for a magazine.

Police officer: (you / notice) ……………………………… anything unusual while you (eat)

……………….………… lunch?

Suspect: No. I go to that cafe often and it (be) ……………………… the same as every other day.

Police officer: What time (you / leave) ……………………… the cafe?

Suspect: I (leave) ……………………… at about two thirty.

Police officer: And how (you / get) ………………………………home?

Suspect: I (walk) ………………………, I don't live far.

Police officer: Ok Madam. Thank you for your time.

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WORKSHEET 2 Branches of law Match the branches of law from the table to the definitions below. The first one is done for you. a. Civil law b. Constitutional law c. Criminal law d. Law of tort e. Law of contract f. Land law g. International law h. Family law i. Sentencing & the penal system j. Criminal procedure & criminal evidence k. k. European Union law l. Commercial law m. Labour law n. Intellectual property o. Company law p. Conflict of laws _h__ The branch of law relating to family matters and domestic relations. It deals with areas such as marriage and divorce, child custody, child/spousal abuse, adoption and alimony. ____ (US: corporate or corporations law). An area of law which concerns the creation and regulation of businesses organized as companies or corporations. It also deals with topics such as shareholders, directors and management, responsibilities and mergers. ____ The study of the prosecution (punishment) of offenders (individuals who have committed illegal acts against other individuals or the state). ____The area of law which deals with civil wrongs which are independent of contract, such as negligence, defective products and libel. It deals with liability (i.e. who has committed the wrong) and the damages (money) that are paid to the person or people who have suffered as a result. ____Also known as penal law, this branch is distinguished from civil law. It relates to illegal acts committed against individuals and the state. ____This term is actually short for public international law (distinguished from private international law). It is the body of law that regulates the international activities of states, international organizations and multinational corporations. This branch of law covers areas such as territory, treaties and human rights. ____The area of law relating to the employment of workers. It encompasses issues such as contracts, conditions of work, trade unions, discrimination, redundancy and wrongful dismissal. This branch is sometimes called industrial law. ____The branch of civil law that relates to legally binding agreements

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___A branch of

law which deals with

issues

such as

the

and
lucrative ideas

registration,

ownership

and

protection

intangible

trademarks
potentially

____Also called private

international

law or

law

that covers private

of
has
and whose laws should be applied in order to reach a judgement.

international disputes

authority), where

jurisdiction

(legal

international private
in which
should

trial

____ The

study of

the

laws

that determine a

branch of
government and also their relationship with the individual.

law deals with

legal

relationships between

foundational
the

law. This
it

the branch
is often unclear who
venue)
(the

held

state’s

constitution. This
the various bodies of a

____This branch of
that deals with
disputes and torts such as negligence and libel).

law
relations between private

is distinguished

from criminal

law.

individuals

It refers to the area of
(for example wills,

law
contractual

____ The study of
between member
the
relevant
Parliament.

the objectives and
from
states
institutions

such

implementation of

the system of

the European

continent. This
Council

European

the

internal

laws
subject also examines
European

and

the

____ (Also called business
It

system.
such
law
of
to business and commerce.

is a general
the
as

law). This

is not a distinct branch of

legal
includes various aspects of different branches
relevant
property, which

in the English

contract

and

law

are

term which
of
law

____ The area of law that deals with ownership of property.

____ The area of

law which regulates the way

in which

criminal

in
confessions,
suspects,
trials, the function of judge and jury, witnesses, verdicts and appeals.

cases.
decision

It deals with

prosecute,

issues

etc.),

such

legal proceedings are conducted
(interrogation of
criminal
rights,

as police powers
criminal

End of the booklet

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