loading本资料说首发自www.engbus.com 转载请说明出处。 production and cool summers; b. other dairying areas are based on heavy clay soils; c. dairy farms around all cities. Stock farming rears livestock primarily for It is the chief kind of farming in the North and West of meat. Britain. Mixed farming has elements of cattle-rearing It is in most areas of rural Britain. and crop-growing. Hill farming with sheep and cattle In areas with poorer soils and rougher pastures. Market gardening is the growing of vegetables Near large urban areas. and fruit which can be rapidly transported to The Channel Islands, Cornwall and the Scilly Isles are market while fresh. the greatest providers of early vegetables and flowers. The Garden of London refers to the area in South-East London where have many fruit farms. People like to go there to see blossoms in spring. 3. The North Sea has very good fishing grounds. Ⅳ.Foreign Trade
1. Nation of shopkeepers
Britain is the fifth largest trading nation in the world. It has been a major trading power since the 17th century, when the English East India Company and other trading organization laid the foundations of its empire. Napoleon called it a “nation of shopkeepers”. 2. Pattern Tradition Recent Import Food and basic materials Manufactured Export Manufactured good Fuel 3. Britain’s foreign trade is mainly with other developed countries. About half of the trade is with the EC.
4. Traditionally, Britain has had a deficit on visible trade (trade of goods) and a surplus on invisible trade (trade of
services).
5. The City of London is the business center of London where large financial organizations are located.
Chapter 7 Government and Administration
Introduction
1. The United Kingdom is a constitutional monarchy: the head of State is a king or a queen. In practice, the Sovereign
reigns, but does not rule: the United Kingdom is governed by His or Her Majesty’s Government. 2. There is no written constitution in the United Kingdom, it is made up of statute law, common law and conventions. Ⅰ.The Monarchy
1. Origin: 9th century. It lasted for 1,000 years, with a stop from 1649 to 1660.
2. Title for ElizabethⅡ (who born on April 21, 1926 and crowned on June 2, 1953) is derived partly from statute and
partly from common law rules of descent.
① United Kingdom: “Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and of Her Other Realms and Territories, Queen, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith”.
② the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man: Lieutenant-Governor. ③ Commonwealth: Governor-General. ④ dependent territories: governors.
3. Succession: Son has precedence over daughters. When a daughter succeeds, she becomes Queen Regnant.
4. Qualification: Under the Act of Settlement of 1700, only Protestant descendants of a granddaughter of JamesⅠof
第21页，共84页
本资料说首发自www.engbus.com 转载请说明出处。 England and Ⅵ of Scotland are eligible to succeed.
5. Accession: The Sovereign proclaimed at an Accession Council. The ceremony takes place at Westminster Abbey in
London. 6. Role: The monarchy is the symbol of the whole nation. In law, she is head of the executive, an integral part of the
legislature, head of the judiciary, the commander-in-chief of all the armed forces of the Crown and the “supreme governor” of the established Church of England.
7. Birthday: Sovereign’s birthday is officially celebrated in June by Trooping the Color on Horse Guards Parade. And
ceremonies are held at Buckingham Palace.
8. Expenditure: a. public duties met by the Civil List (an annual grant, which about 3/4 is required to cover the
expenditure on the salaries and expenses of the Royal Household); b. private expenditure met from the Privy Purse (mainly from the revenue of the Duchy of Lancaster). Ⅱ.Parliament 1. Parliament
① The United Kingdom is a unitary State.
② Parliament consists of the Sovereign, the House of Lords and the House of Commons.
③ Main functions: a. pass lows; b. provide the means of carrying on the work of government by voting for taxation; c. examine government policy and administration; d. debate the major issues of the day. ④ Terms: a maximum duration of five years. ⑤ The Houses of Parliament were rebuilt under the design of Sir Charles Barry. 2. House of Lords
① The House of Lords is made up of the Lords Spiritual (Archbishops of Canterbury and York and 24 senior bishops of the Church of England) and Lords Temporal (a. hereditary peers and peeresses without Ireland; b. life peers who assist the judicial duties in Lords of Appeal or “law lord”; c. other life peers).
② Main function: bring the wide experience of its members into the process of lawmaking. ③ Head: Lord Chancellor or Speaker of the House, who takes his place on the woolsack ④ Clerk of the Parliaments responsible for: a. the records of proceedings; b. the text of Acts of Parliament; c. accounting officer; d. administrative staff (Parliament Office).
⑤ Black Rod: responsible for security, accommodation and services in the House of Lords’ part of the Palace of Westminster.
3. House of Common (651MPs represent 651 constituency)
① It is in the House of Commons that the ultimate authority for law-making resides. ② Parliamentary Electoral System
A. Two types: a. General Election (all the seats are contested); b. by-election (when an MP dies or resigns or is given
a peerage).
B. Terms: A General Election must be held every five years and is often held at more frequent intervals.
C. Qualification: a. voters (aged 18 or over; in the annual register; no disqualification); b. candidates (aged 21 or
over; no disqualification; deposit ￡500 which is returned if he takes 5% or more of the vote). ③ The Political Party System
A. Two-party system: a. Conservative Party; b. Labor Party. B. 1988, Social and Liberal Democratic. C. Government
第22页，共84页
本资料说首发自www.engbus.com 转载请说明出处。 ④ Other Aspects of the House of Commons
A. Head: Speaker, who is a member and is acceptable to all shades of opinion in the House. B. 1992, first woman Speaker. C. Bills (Royal Assent)
Other opportunity: a. Question time (55 minutes each day from Monday to Thursday); b. Adjournment debates (House grants leave asked by MP after question time, the matter will be debated for three hours in emergency debate on the following day); c. Early day motions (chance for backbench); d. The 20 Opposition days; e. debates on three days in each session on details of proposed government expenditure, chosen by the Liaison Committee.
Ⅲ.The Cabinet and Ministry
1. Prime Minister
① Name: First Lord of the Treasury and Minister for the Civil Service ② Sits: in the House of Commons
③ Official residence: No. 10 Downing Street in London
④ Cabinet: The most senior ministers (usually about 20) compose the Cabinet, which meets under the chairmanship of the Prime Minister for a few hours each week to decide Government policy on major issues. 2. Ministers are responsible collectively to Parliament for all Cabinet decisions. Ⅳ.The Privy Council
1. History: ① Witan; ② Great Council.
2. Role: Today it’s role is largely formal, advising the sovereign to approve certain government decrees (so called
orders-in-council) and issuing royal proclamations.
3. Its membership is about 400, and includes all Cabinet ministers, the Speaker of the House of Commons, the
Archbishops of Canterbury and York, and senior British and Commonwealth statesmen. 4. Head: Lord President of the Council
Ⅴ.Government Departments and the Civil Service
1. Government Departments and their agencies are the main instruments for implementing government policy. (Since
1972, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland has been the Cabinet Minister responsible for Northern Ireland affairs.)
2. Civil Service: whose duty is to assist in carrying out the administration of laws passed by Parliament. 3. Civil Service is managed by the Treasury and the Cabinet Office.
4. Level in Civil Service: a. grades 1 to 7 are the Open Structure; b. lower structure is based on a system of occupational
groups. (The diplomatic service is a separate service, with its own grade structure, linked to that of the Home Civil
第23页，共84页
本资料说首发自www.engbus.com 转载请说明出处。 Service.)
Ⅵ.Local Government
1. Two tiers: counties and smaller districts.
2. Greater London is divided into 32 boroughs and the City of London, each of which has a council responsible for local
government in its area.
3. County councils provide large-scale services; district councils are responsible for the more local ones.
Chapter 8 Justice and the Law
Introduction
1. Common features to all systems of law in the United Kingdom: a. there is no complete code; b. the distinction made between criminal law and civil law
2. The sources of law: a. statutes (Acts of Parliament); b. “unwritten” or common law (gathered from experiences); c.
equity law (cases uncovered by common law); d. European Community law. Ⅰ.Criminal Proceedings
1. Criminal offence is controlled by:
① England and Wales: Crown Prosecution Service ② Scotland: Lord Advocate
2. The reason for the criminal convicts like to be tried first before the magistrates’ courts: ① Magistrates’ courts try summary offences and “either way” offences.
② In the United Kingdom, as soon as anyone is arrested, he must be charged and brought before the court with the least possible delay.
③ All criminal trials are held in open court because the criminal law presumes the innocence of the accused until he has been proved guilty beyond reasonable doubt.
3. Bail: If the case isn’t very serious, the accused person who can’t be brought before the court within a day will be
granted bail. 4. Lawyer: Every accused person has the right to employ a legal adviser. Or, he may be granted aid at public expense, if
he shot of money. 5. Jury:
① Role: Jury decides the issue of guilt or innocence.
② Qualification: people between ages of 18 and 70 (65 in Scotland)
③ Numbers: 12 in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and 15 in Scotland Ⅱ.Criminal Courts
1. England and Wales Court Magistrates’ Courts Youth Courts Case Judge Jury Without Summary offense and Justices of peace “either way” offences under 18 years old Case involving people When the child is charged jointly with someone of 18 or over, the case is heard in magistrates’ court or the Crown Court. If he found guilty, the sentence will be left to youth court. High Court judges, full-time Circuit Judges, part-time Recorders. Six circuits: Midland and Oxford, North-eastern, Northern, South-eastern (include London), Wales and Chester, and Western. Grown Court Most serious offenses and “either way” offences presented by magistrates Note: Appeals in criminal cases may be heard by the Crown Court, the High Court, the Court of Appeal, and when it involve general public importance, by the House of Lords. 第24页，共84页
本资料说首发自www.engbus.com 转载请说明出处。 2. Scotland Court High Court Sheriff Court Case Most serious crimes Less serious More serious offences Less serious Judge Judge Judge Judge Justices of peace Jury Procedure Attendance Solemn procedure Attendance Solemn procedure Without Without Summary procedure Summary procedure District Court Minor offences Note: 1. Children under 16 who have committed an offence are normally deal with by children’s hearings. 2. Appeals are heard by three or more judges of the High Court of Justiciary; there is no final appeal to the House of Lords. 3. Northern Ireland Court Magistrates’ courts County courts (Juvenile court) Case Minor summary offences Civil law courts Offenders under 17 Judge Magistrate Jury No mention No mention Magistrate and two No mention specially qualified lay members (one woman) High Court and county Contested cases heard court judges by judge and jury Crown Court Criminal trial on indictment Note: 1. Appeals from magistrates’ courts against sentence are heard by the county court. 2. Northern Ireland Court of Appeal tries the appeal on a point of law alone and appeals from the Crown Court against sentence. Ⅲ.Civil Courts
1. England and Wales Court Magistrates’ courts Case Detail Limited civil Family proceedings for custody, maintenance, adoption, jurisdiction guardianship, and family protection orders; public health cases; the recovery of local taxes. a. actions founded upon contract and tort; b. trust and mortgages cases; c. actions for the recovery of land; d. cases involving disputes between landlords and tenants; e. complaints about race and sex discrimination; f. admiralty cases and patent cases; g. divorce cases and other family matters. a. the family Division (family law: adoption and wills); b. the Chancery Division (corporate and personal insolvency, disputes in the running of companies and between landlords and tenants, intellectual property matters, interpretation of trusts and contested wills); c. the Queen’s Bench Division (contract, tort, judicial review). Appeals (a few are heard before the house of Lords, which is the ultimate court of appeal in civil cases throughout the U.K.) Feature Principal local court Detail County Courts High Court More (It forms part of the complicated Supreme Court of civil cases Judicature.) Court of Appeal 2. Scotland Court Sheriff court Court of Session (Edinburgh) More important Supreme central court, which is subject a. Outer House: first instance; to the House of Lords in London b. Inner House: appeal court. 第25页，共84页