首页
外语
计算机
考研
公务员
职业资格
财经
工程
司法
医学
专升本
自考
实用职业技能
登录
外语
How efficient is our system of criminal trial? Does it really do the basic job we ask of it—convicting the guilty and acquitting
How efficient is our system of criminal trial? Does it really do the basic job we ask of it—convicting the guilty and acquitting
admin
2011-05-29
41
问题
How efficient is our system of criminal trial? Does it really do the basic job we ask of it—convicting the guilty and acquitting the innocent? It is often said that the British trial system is more like a game than a serious attempt to do justice. The lawyers on each side are so engrossed in playing hard to win, challenging each other and the judge on technical points, that the object of finding out the truth is almost forgotten. All the effort is concentrated on the big day, on the dramatic cross-examination of the key witnesses in front of the jury. Critics like to compare our "adversarial" system (resembling two adversaries engaged in a contest) with the Continental "inquisitorial" system, under which the judge plays a more important inquiring role.
In early times, in the Middle Ages, the systems of trial across Europe were similar. At that time trial by "ordeal"— essentially a religious event—was the main way of testing guilt or innocence. When this was eventually abandoned, the two systems parted company. On the Continent, church-trained legal officials took over the function of both prosecuting and judging, while in England these were largely left to lay people, the Justice of the Peace and the jury. The jurymen were often illiterate and this meant that all the evidence had to be put to them orally. This historical accident dominates procedure even today, with all evidence being given in open court by word of mouth on the crucial day.
On the other hand, in France for instance, all the evidence is written before the trial under supervision by an investigating judge. This exhaustive pretrial looks very undramatic; much of it is just a public checking of the written records already gathered.
The Americans adopted the British system lock, stock and barrel and enshrined it in their Constitution. But, while the basic features of our systems are common, there are now significant differences in the way serious cases are handled. First, because the U. S. A. has virtually no contempt of court laws to prevent pretrial publicity in the newspaper and on television, American lawyers are allowed to question jurors about knowledge and beliefs.
In Britain this is virtually never allowed, and a random selection of jurors who are presumed not to be prejudiced are empanelled. Secondly, there is no separate profession of barrister in the United States, and both prosecution and defense lawyers who are to present cases in court prepare them themselves. They go out and visit the scene, track down and interview witnesses, and familiarize themselves personally with the background. In Britain it is the solicitor who prepares the case; the barrister who appears in court is not even allowed lo meet witness beforehand. British barristers also alternate doing both prosecution and defense work. By being kept distant from the preparation and regularly appearing for both sides, barristers are said to avoid becoming too personally involved, and can approach cases more dispassionately. American lawyers, however, often know their cases better.
Reformers rightly want to learn from other countries’ mistakes and successes. But what is clear is that justice systems, largely because they are the result of long historical growth, are peculiarly difficult to adapt piecemeal.
The passage ______.
选项
A、questions whether the system of trial by jury can ever be completely efficient
B、suggests a number of reforms which should be made to the legal system of various countries
C、describes how the British legal system works and compares it favourably with other systems
D、compares the legal systems 9fa number of countries and discusses their advantages and disadvantages
答案
D
解析
综合全文,我们可以看到,文章第一段指出了英国法律制度存在的弊端,第二段谈到英国法律制度的优点,第三段谈到英国法律制度相比法国法律制度存在的利弊,第四、第五段则评述了英美国家法律制度的异同。由此我们可以推断全文的主旨是将几国的法律制度相比较并阐述了他们各自的利弊,因此正确答案应当为D。
转载请注明原文地址:https://jikaoti.com/ti/nG5YFFFM
0
考博英语
相关试题推荐
Readthenewreportbelow.ChoosethecorrectwordtofilleachgapfromA,BorC.Foreachquestion(29-40),markoneletter(A,
Lookatthelistbelow.Itshowsthecontentspagefromadirectoryofbusinessservices.Forquestions6-10,decidewhichbusin
ManagersshouldinformPersonnelwhichstaff
Readthearticlebelowaboutrelationshipwithcustomers.Foreachquestion(23-28)ontheoppositepage,choosethecorrectanswe
VP50PROJECTORDetailsofretailersavailableonwww.viewpoint.projectors.com
Lookatthechartbelow.Itshowsthesharepriceofeightcompaniesintwoweeks.Whichcompanydoeseachsentence(11-15)desc
IncomeinequalityintheUnitedStatesremainedrelativelystableforaperiodofnearlyfortyyears.Beginninginthe1970’s,h
Wearetotallyunable,afterdecadesofexperiment,toreplicateancientglazedpottery.
Americanshadalwaysbeenpreoccupiedwithreformingtheirsociety,with"makingitover,"andbetweenthe1890sandtheendof
TheAleuts(阿留申人)werenamedsobyRussians,buttheycallthemselvesUnanganwhichmeans"thepeople."Theyarenativeinhabit
随机试题
男性,32岁,上呼吸道感染2天后出现肉眼血尿,血压正常,尿常规蛋白阳性、尿红细胞满视野,24小时尿蛋白定量3.8g,血浆白蛋白29g/L,血肌酐110μmol/L男性,29岁,双下肢水肿、间断性肉眼血尿3个月,血压增高,血色素89g/L,尿常规蛋白阳性
不反映医学心理学重要性的是
关于发热的临床分度,下列说法不正确的是
【2013年真题】工程寿命周期成本的常用估算方法有()。
企业所有者权益在数量上等于()。
为了保持公司的控制权,通常管理层会在公司章程中设置反收购条款。常见的反收购条款有()。
2008年8月,某油田开采原油10万吨,开采天然气800万立方米;当月销售原油8万吨,销售天然气700万立方米:当月修理油井使用原油0.1万吨。原油和天然气资源税税额分别为30元/吨和15元/千立方米。2008年8月该油田应纳资源税()万元。
同业拆借市场在金融市场体系中属于()。
旅游者为争得旅游车较好的位置而发生矛盾,这是旅游者之间的事情,与导游人员无关。()
非正式学生群体的主要特点有()。
最新回复
(
0
)