assas post 70

8/13/2019 Assas Post 70

1/14

THE ASSAS POST ISSUE 44 31.10.2011 A STUDENT NEWSPAPER FOR ENGLISH TRAINING UNIVERSITE PANTHEON ASSAS PARISII

Congratulations Kate

THE ASSAS POST ISSUE 70 11.12.2012 A STUDENT NEWSPAPER FOR ENGLISH TRAINING UNIVERSITE PANTHEON ASSAS PARISII

The Judicial Branch The Boston Tea Party Carla Bruni-Sarkozyapologises

Equity Law

8/13/2019 Assas Post 70

2/14

Vocabulary

advanced

On December 16th, 1773, more than 5,000 colonists met at the Old South Meeting House to decide the fate of

three shiploads of tea docked in Boston Harbor.

America

The BostonTea PartyM

any events led to theAmerican Revolution.While no one event can

be pointed to as the actualcause of the revolution, the

war began as a disagreementover the way in which GreatBritain treated the coloniesversus the way the coloniesfelt they should be treated.

Americans felt they deservedall the rights of Englishmen.The British, on the otherhand, felt that the colonies

were created to serve theCrown and Parliament. Mainly,England used the colonies asa way to raise revenue.

England taxed many

products sold in America.Parliament, which had norepresentatives from thecolonies to contradict itsdecisions concerning America,decided to monopolize andcontrol the importation of teato the colonies. The tea taxwas as high as 25%, which

angered the colonists.It should be noted, too, that

from a geographical pointof view the distance of thecolonies from Great Britain

created an independence thatwas hard to overcome. Thosewilling to colonize the newworld generally had a strongindependent streakdesiringnew opportunities and morefreedom.Also, the existence of

colonial legislatures meant

a streak:a quality that is noticeableespecially because itis different from otherqualitiesto levy:to raiseto muster:to gather to togetherespecially for battle or warto curtail:to reduce or to limita beverage:a drinkto smuggle:to move something fromone country into anotherillegally and secretlynooks and crannies:small openings or spacesto repeal:to officially make a law nolonger validlaw-abiding:obeying the lawa Redcoat:a British soldier of the 18thand early 19th centuriesand especially during the

American Revolutionduties:a tax on goods beingbrought into a countrya ploy:a clever trick or plan usedto get someone to dosomethingladen:loaded heavily withsomething; carrying alarge amount of somethingto dump:to get rid ofbold:courageouswrath:angerwickedness:evilfife:a musical instrument thatlooks like a small flute

this article is written inAmerican English

Issue 70 11.12.2012 The Assas Post1

8/13/2019 Assas Post 70

3/14

advanced America

The Assas Post 11.12.2012 Issue 702

advanced

http://www.oldsouthmeetinghouse.org/osmh_123456789files/AnnualReenactment.aspx

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/26/boston-tea-party-was-act-_n_2193916.html

http://americanhistory.about.com/od/revolutionarywar/a/amer_revolution.htm

http://www.landofthebrave.info/boston-tea-party.htm

http://www.friendsoffortpointchannel.org/239th-anniversary-boston-tea-party-annual-reenactment

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/26/boston-tea-party-was-act-_n_2193916.html

http://www.boston-tea-party.org/in-depth.html

that the colonies were inmany ways independent ofthe Crown. The legislatureswere allowed to levytaxes,mustertroops, and passlaws. Over time, these powersbecame rights in the eyesof many colonists. Whenthey were curtailedby theBritish, conflict ensued. Thefuture leaders of the UnitedStates were born in theselegislatures.

How did all this troubleover tea begin?Tea was imported regularlyto the American Coloniesstarting in the early 1720s.By the 1760s, colonists wereconsuming 1.2 million poundsof tea a year. Both men and

women had come to enjoy itas an everyday beverage,although it was morepopular among the ladies ofcosmopolitan communitiessuch as Boston.

England soon realized thatit could make more money onthe tea trade by imposing newtaxes. This made English teavery expensive. In responseto the increase in the price ofEnglish tea, colonists began

smugglingcheaper tea fromHolland. While Parliamentknew about the smuggling,it had a hard time enforcingthe law. There were notenough customs officials inthe colonies, and the nooksand cranniesof the Americancoastline made it easy to find

ways to smuggle goods intothe colonies.

In 1767, Parliamentresponded to smuggling bypassing the Indemnity Act.This repealedthe duty ontea and made English teathe same price as Dutch tea.This pleased both the EnglishEast India Company and law-abidingcolonial merchants.However, Parliament alsopassed the Townshend Acts in

1767, which once again put atax on tea.The colonists protested

against the taxes for manyreasons. They believed thatBritain was unfairly using thetaxes to help pay for Britishtroops sent to America duringthe French and Indian War

(1754-1763). Perhaps mostimportantly, they felt thatParliament did not have theright to tax them because the

American colonies had norepresentative in Parliament.The colonists believed thatonly taxes they were able tovote on were legal.

In the late 1760s and early1770s, many Bostoniansbecame increasingly angryat the way they were treated

by the British government.Bostons patriots wereoutraged by the arrivalof British troops sent tokeep order in 1768. Theyconsidered the Redcoatsquartered in Boston achallenge to their liberty. OnMarch 5th, 1770, tensions

8/13/2019 Assas Post 70

4/14

advancedAmerica


erupted when British soldiersfired into a menacing crowd,killing 5 men. This event isreferred to as the BostonMassacre.

The Sons of Liberty, a

group of colonists organizedto protest English rule,warned merchants, artisans,and others that more unjustlaws would follow. Colonistsbegan to boycott Britishgoods to protest taxes. Astea was the most commonand widely used of the newlytaxed items, attention wasfocused on the tea tax. Theanti-British movement andthe boycott of British goodswere successful. In the springof 1770, Parliament repealedthe Townshend Acts and the

dutieson all items excepttea.On May 10th, 1773, the

British Parliament passedthe Tea Act of 1773. This actallowed the English East IndiaCompany to sell tea in the

American colonies at bargainprices but there was still atax on the tea. Patriot leadersbelieved the cheap tea wasa ployto get them to acceptParliaments right to tax thecolonies.

Under the Tea Act, the EastIndia Company could shiptea directly to the Americancolonies, where it would besold by a specific group ofmerchants. These merchants

were called tea consignees,and were the only merchantsin the colonies who couldbe allowed to sell the tea.

All of these merchants wereLoyalists.A consignment of tea, which

today would be valued at over$1 million, was due to arrivein Boston in late Novemberof 1773. The Patriots triedto persuade the consigneesto refuse the tea throughpublic embarrassmentand harassment. The teaconsignees refused.

At 10 oclock in the morningon December 16th, 1773,a mass meeting of severalthousand people gathered atthe Old South Meeting House.Led by Samuel Adams, theangry assembly forced ActingRoyal Governor Hutchinsonto remove the British troopsto a fort in the harbor. On thatday, over 5,000 men crowdedinto the Old South MeetingHouse and joined in a fierydebate on the controversial

tea tax. When the final attemptat compromise failed, Samuel

Adams gave the signal thatstarted what is referred to asthe Boston Tea Party.

That night there were three

ships of Britains East IndiaCompany lying in port andladenwith a cargo of tea.The Patriots were determinedto prevent the tea on theseships from being landed on

American soil, because if itwere, a tax would be due uponit. After hearing word aboutthe Governors refusal to havethe tea returned to England,members of the Sons ofLiberty began to disguisethemselves, some as MohawkIndians, and made their waydown to the harbor. Joined

by many more people alongthe way, these participantsdumped340 chests of teainto Boston Harbor, in theevent now known as theBoston Tea Party.

The day after the Boston TeaParty, John Adams wrote in his

journal that this destruction ofthe tea is so bold, so daring,so intrepid and so inflexible,and it must have so importantconsequences and so lastingthat I cant but consider it an

epoch in history.The audacity and firmness

of the Bostonians wereapplauded throughout thecolonies. But among theCrown Officers in America and

the Ministerial Party in GreatBritain there was fierce wrathThe news of the Boston TeaParty reached England afew months later. The Kinghad waited for overwhelmingevidence of the wickednessof the Americans, which hefound in letters from GovernorHutchinson and AdmiralMontagu, the consignees ofthe tea. With various piecesof evidence, the King askedParliament to devise meansfor the immediate suppressionof the rebellion in the colonies

A bill was then submitted,in the middle of March 1774,for the severe punishmentof Boston. It provided forthe removal of the Custom-house, courts of justice andgovernment offices of all kindsfrom Boston to Salem, andforbade every kind of shippingbusiness in the harbor ofBoston. It also provided thatwhen the rebellious townshould fully and humblysubmit to royal authority, the

8/13/2019 Assas Post 70

5/14

advanced America


Exercise True or False

1. The Boston Tea Party was the firstevent before the American Revolution.

True False

2. The British Parliament was contradictedby representatives from the colonies.

True False

3. The participants in colonial legislatureswere those who eventually becameleaders in the new American government.

True False

4. English tea was smuggled into thecolonies because it was cheaper than theDutch tea.

True False

5. British troops were based in Boston tokeep the peace.

True False

6. Duties on most goods were eliminatedafter colonists boycotted British goods.

True False

7. The Loyalists persuaded theconsignees to refuse reception of the teashipment.

True False

8. The Crown Officers in Americasupported the Sons of Liberty.

True False

King should have the power toopen the port and restore thegovernment business.

The 239th anniversaryof this historical protestagainst taxation without

representation, will take placeon December 16th 2012. Allthose who would like to relivethe Boston Tea Party as if theywere there are being invited toparticipate in the re-enactmentof this event. Led by fifeanddrums, the public is invitedto march from the Old SouthMeeting House to BostonHarbor and follow the sameroute as the Patriots walked todestroy the tea!

The Boston Tea Party isconsidered to be a majorevent leading to the American

Revolution and is revered inAmerican history. Some say,the Revolution would havebeen put off until much later,had there been no tea party.

But the new Texas educationcurriculum is trying to offera new attitude to this event,portraying it as a terroristact. The issue is ignitingfury among the parents andteachers.

Please go online for more exercises

8/13/2019 Assas Post 70

6/14

intermediate

Vocabulary

Carla Bruni-Sarkozy has apologised for her very clumsy remarks on feminism that triggereda backlash

criticising Frances former First Lady.

clumsy:something said withoutcare that could offend thefeelings or views of othersto trigger:to initiate,or set off aprocessa backlash:a violent reactionto spark:to provokehowls of indignation:loud, angry utterancesat something consideredunjustthe breach:a gap in somethingto point out:to draw attention toa wide gender divide:a large difference betweenmen and womenapologetic:sorry, remorsefulcommitted:pledged to, fully involved into support:to promote the interestsor causes of, defended as

validto appease:to quieten, conciliate, satisfyslammed:criticised violently andcuttinglybespoke:custom made, according tothe persons needsroot:source, originstats:abbreviation for statisticsfluffy:light, soft, airymyopia:a narrow, incomplete view ofsomethingsolipsism:a theory that the self is theonly existent thing, extremeegocentrismto draw fire:to provoke an angryresponseantidepressants:medication to helpdepressed, unhappy people


Carla Bruni-Sarkozy apologisesfor clumsy feminism remarks

The 44-year old wifeof former FrenchPresident Nicolas

Sarkozy, sparked howls ofindignationfrom womensrights campaigners thisweek after declaring: In mygeneration, you dont need to

be a feminist. Instead, shesuggested a womans place isin the home with her children.

In an interview for theJanuary issue of Voguemagazine, to be published onDecember 1, she developedher views on the womens

liberation movement, adding:There are pioneers whoopened the breach.

Im not at all an activefeminist. On the contrary, Ima bourgeois. I love family life,I love doing the same thingevery day.

Mrs. Bruni-Sarkozy, latersought to clarify her remarksbut not before journalists,politicians and feminist groupshad pointed outthere wasstill a wide gender dividein

France.In a second interview withElle magazine, she said thesentence was very clumsyand did not translate mythought properly.

In a phone interview withElles French website, anapologeticMrs. Bruni-Sarkozy said she completelyunderstood why her remarkscould be viewed as shocking.

This phrase should haveread: I have never personallyfelt the need to be a feministactivist, she told the fashion

website.When asked whether shewas in fact a feminist, thesinger and model said: Iimagine I am if feminismmeans claiming onesfreedom. But I am not if itmeans being committedinan active way to the fight thatsome women are still leadingtoday. She added: I admiretheir bravery a lot, but I havechosen to commit myselfelsewhere, citing her charity

France

8/13/2019 Assas Post 70

7/14

intermediate


Exercise Multiple-choice

work for education and thefight against Aids.

She said that she had onmany occasions supportedthe cause of women andwould continue to do sowhen she could be of use.However, her clarification didnot appeasecritics, including

journalists from outsideFrance.

In a recent editorial in TheObserver, Barbara Ellen,slammedthe former First

Lady with, In short, Carlahas exposed herself as beingwhat I would term a bespokefeminist.. someone forwhom feminism has no truecore: no rootor ideology,certainly nothing as tediousas facts or stats. These typesseek to customise feminismto fit in with their own lifeexperiences and worldview.She continued with, Thisis where the likes of Carlaspend their days in a fluffy,moneyed space, suspendedsomewhere between myopia

and solipsism. Carla doesntsubscribe to feminism, ratherCarla-ism, or Its all aboutme-ism.

In a caustic attack in TheIndependent, Valeria CostaKostritsky wrote Dear CarlaBruni, I love doing the samething everyday too. Have youread the news recently?

In her letter to Bruni-Sarkozy she cited recentevents in France suchas the reinstatement of asexual harassment law, and

a lenient verdict in a gang-rape case which provoked afeminist march in the streets.Feminism is still needed,Carla, when you are madeto look 22 on a Vogue coverwhen youre actually 44. Andwhen ignorant people likeyou, deny that there is still anyneed for feminism.

Her remarks in Vogue alsodrew firefrom Francesruling Socialist party, whoseminister for womens rights,

Najat Vallaud-Belkacem, said:We need everyone to be afeminist. Feminism is the fightfor the equality of sexes, notfor the domination of one sexover another.

Green MEP Corinne Lepagetweeted that while thereare no women at the ECB(European Central Bank) weneed feminism.

Others were quick to pointout the inequality of thenumber of women politiciansin France, as well as the factthat on average, women there

are paid nearly a third lessthan men.In the World Economic

Forums 2012 gender equalityreport, France ranks 57th -well behind Britain, in 18thplace, but also Venezuela andKyrgyzstan. It ranks almostlast overall on the wageequality index 129th out of135 countries.

French women have themost babies in Europe but arealso the biggest consumers ofantidepressants.

1. Carla Bruni was criticised for her very clumsy remarkson:

a) the division in the UMP.b) Franois Hollande.c) feminism.d) none of the above.

2. She suggested that a womans place:a) is to work for a lower salary than men.b) is to be a loyal and obedient wife.c) is in the home with the children.d) none of the above.

3. In her first interview with Vogue, she claimed to be:a) a closet feminist.b) a bourgeois.c) a good wife.d) a mediocre singer.

4. Her second interview was with:a) Vogue magazine.b) Le Monde Diplomatique.c) Elle Magazine.d) The Sun.

5. According to Mrs. Bruni, she is involved in:a) funding education for impoverished children.b) the fight against AIDS.c) cancer research.d) all of the above.

6. Carlas ill-conceived remarks drew fire from:a) Valeria Costa Kostritsky.b) Barbara Ellen.

c) Najat Vallaud-Belkacem.d) all of the above.

7. Women in France are paid:a) a third more than women in Spain.b) a third less than men in France.c) a third less than women in the UK.d) none of the above.

8. Which country ranks higher than France in the WorldEconomic Forums 2012 gender equality report?a) Britainb) Venezuelac) Kyrgyzstand) all of the above.

Please go online for more exercises.

http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/comment/dear-carla-brunisarkozy-feminism-is-as-relevant-as-ever-in-france-what-a-shame-you-havent-noticed-8368069.htmlThe Independent, November 29, 2012 by Valeria Costa Kostritskyhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/dec/02/feminisms-over-carla-bruni-sarkozyThe Guardian/The Observer, December 2, 2102, by Barbara Ellenhttp://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/nicolas-sarkozy/9711607/Carla-Bruni-Sarkozy-apologises-for-clumsy-feminism-remarks.htmlThe Telegraph, November 29, 2012, by Henry Samuelhttp://www.standard.co.uk/news/world/carla-brunisarkozy-outrages-feminists-on-twitter-8371616.htmlLondon Evening Standard, 30 November 2012

France

8/13/2019 Assas Post 70

8/14

easy

Vocabulary


United Kingdom

The following is a made-up conversation between a barrister and an Attorney General. John Larkin is

defending Joel Kerr, 30, whose home in Belfast was taken from him by compulsory purchase, but is still

paying a loanon the property.

System of Precedent and

Equity Law help incompulsory purchase case

L:Attorney General JohnLarkin.M: Barrister, Tony McGleenan.

L:In 2007, my client Mr. Kerrbought a home in Belfast.Then, in 2010, the Departmentof Social Developmentdeceptivelytook it from him!Kerr paid 150,000 for it,but it was bought from himby compulsory purchase formuch less than he had paid.My client was left with nohome and 50,000 of debtwhich he is still paying off. Heis currently repaying 600 amonth, and has had to rent aroom elsewhere.

M: Yes, his home along with580 others was seizedwhenthe area was chosen forredevelopment. And as the

rules state, he received aspayment the market valueof the property in 2010. It istrue that the property value

dropped, but my client,the Department of SocialDevelopment, cannot beresponsible for paying morethan the market value.

L: I absolutely disagree! UnderEuropean human rights lawthe compulsory purchase ofthe house has placed Mr. Kerrunder an excessiveburden.He has been forced to pay outmoney and now gets nothingin return. Mr. Kerr should getfullcompensationto the fullvalue of what he paid for the

house and not just the marketvalue at the time it was takenfrom him.

M: Mr. Larkin, on averagethe current system is fair. Ofthe 580 houses subject tocompulsory purchase, only

54 belonged to landlordsin negative equity. Very fewhomeownershavelost outon the purchase.

L: Perhaps, but this clienthas lost out. The flexibility ofequity lawputs this clientin the right to demand ahigher compensation for thesale of his home and thetrouble it has put him through.Furthermore, in 2005 in a verysimilar trial, theplaintiffwasgranted full compensationof his property costs. We

plan to invokethe system ofprecedent to win this case.

compulsory purchase:a demand made by apublic authority to buy landor property from a privateowner in order to use theand for public purposesa loan:a sum of money which isborrowed, often from abank, and that has to bepaid back, usually togetherwith an extra amount ofmoney (interest) that youhave to pay as a chargeor borrowing

deceptively:n a way or to an extenthat gives a misleadingmpressiono seize:o take forcible possession

ofmarket value:he amount for whichomething can be sold on

a given marketa burden:a duty or misfortune thatcauses worry, hardship, ordistresscompensation:money that is paid toomeone in exchange foromething that has beenost or damaged or forome problem

a landlord:a person or organizationhat owns a building or an

area of land and is paid byother people for the useof itequity:he value of a mortgaged

property after deduction ofcharges against ita homeowner:a person who owns theirown homeo lose out:

be deprived of anopportunity; bedisadvantagedplaintiff:omeone who makes aegal complaint againstomeone else in courtnvoke:o request or use a power

outside yourself, especiallya law, to help you whenyou want to improve aituation

System of Precedent:a rule of law establishedfor the first time by a courtfor a particular type of caseand thereafter referred to in

deciding similar casesCommon Law:the body of legal rules commoto the whole countryEquity law:a branch of law that developedalongside common law;formerly administered in speciacourtsCase law:the set of existing rulings whichmade new interpretations oflaw and, therefore, can be citeas precedents

Lawyers vocabulary

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-20547136

The BBC, November 29, 2012

8/13/2019 Assas Post 70

9/14

easy


Exercises

United Kingdom

Comprehension questions:

1. Joel Kerr sold his home for 150,000.

True False

2. Joel Kerr willingly sold his home (it was hisdecision).

True False

3. The barrister feels Kerr should only receivethe current market value for the property.

True False

Grammar Questions:

1. Choose the correct sentence:a. The dog was find yesterday.b. The dog was found yesterday.c. The dog was finding yesterday.

2. Choose the correct sentence:a. The law was passed.b. The law were passed.c. The law was pass.

3. Transform this sentence into the passive

voice:The boy opened the windows.a. The windows opened by the boy.b. The windows was opened by the boy.c. The windows were opened by the boy.

Vocabulary:

Match the images to a word in the vocabulary1. Picture A 2. Picture B 3. Picture C

a

b

c

Grammar passive voice (in the simple past)

The passive voice is used when the focus is on the action. It is notimportant or not known, however, who or what is performing the action.Here, we will look at it in the simple past although it can be used withany tense.

Form:to be in the past simple + Past Participle

My bike was stolen.A letter was written.The windows were closed.

We can only form a passive sentence from an active sentence whenthere is an objectin the active sentence:

Peter built a house ahousewas built by Peter.The children ate the cookies the cookieswere eaten by the children

8/13/2019 Assas Post 70

10/14

At a glance

1. What is the happy royal news?a) Kate Middleton is pregnant for the first time.b) Kate Middleton is pregnant for the second time.c) Queen Elizabeth is going to be a grandmother.d) Prince Charles has renounced his succession to thethrone.

2. The Windsor dynasty will be:a) strengthened by the new arrival.b) weakened by the new arrival.c) stabilised by the new arrival.d) none of the above.

3. The duchess was hospitalized:a) in order to have an ultrasound test.b) for a monthly check-up.c) because of severe morning sickness.d) none of the above.

4. Which of the following best describes a stiff upper lipattitude?a) panicking in situations of stressb) being inflexible towards others ideasc) restraint in the face of adversityd) none of the above

5. News of the pregnancy spread via which media?a) Facebookb) TVc) mobile phonesd) all of the above

6. The Telegraph reported that the couple had known aboutthe pregnancy:a) for twelve weeks.b) for more than a month.c) for 12 days.d) none of the above.

7. Once the baby is born, Prince Harry will be:a) third in line to the throne.b) fourth in line to the throne.c) fifth in line to the throne.d) none of the above.

8. British Prime Minister David Cameron tweeted:a) that he had sent flowers to the hospital.b) that he had visited Kate at the hospital.c) that he had had a celebratory whiskey with Prince William.d) that the couple will make wonderful parents.


Happy royal news! The Duke

and Duchess of Cambridgeare expecting a baby

The news that all ofBritain has been waitingfor Will and Kate are

pregnant! is more thanjust a boonfor the baby-

mad media; its a reassuringsymbol of continuity for themonarchy and, by extension,the United Kingdom itself.

Girl or boy, it means a futuresovereignfor the Britishthrone is on the way. Its onlythe second time in 1,000years of English history thata reigning monarch, great-grandmother Queen ElizabethII, would be alive at the sametime as three generations ofher future sovereign heirs.In effect, her already stableWindsor dynasty is bolstered

again.Nearly 20 months aftertheir wedding, PrinceWilliam of Wales and hiswife, Catherine, Duchess ofCambridge, are pregnant withtheir first child. The palacemade the announcement onMonday, after the Duchesswas hospitalized with severemorning sickness.

The news was greeted withjoy in the UK, transformingstiff upper lipsinto broad

United Kingdom

Exercise Multiple-choice

Please go online for more exercises.

8/13/2019 Assas Post 70

11/14

At a glance

Vocabulary


smiles across the land, andespecially among the media.The news of a thoroughlymodern royal pregnancyspreadin a thoroughly

modern way: via Facebookaccounts, TV screens in pubsand train stations, and news

alerts sent to mobile phones.Brits reacted with thoroughlymodern sentiment.

I did become quiteexcited, says Bev Isherwood,an assistant shop managerfrom North Yorkshire who wasvisiting London. They seemlike a very genuine and happycouple, and it just feels veryright.... I feel more happy forthem as a couple than for thelineagegoing on.

The Telegraph reportedthat the couple have knownfor about a month of thepregnancy but did not wantto announce it until at least

12 weeks had elapsed, whichhas become customaryevenfor non-royal couples. But that

became mootafter she wasadmitted to the hospital.

The baby, due next year, willbe third in line to the throne,now that Britains antique rulesof royal succession have beenchanged to allow a first-borngirl to succeed even if she hasyounger brothers.

So this, the most eagerlyawaited royal baby sinceWilliam was born in 1982,will follow grandfather Prince

The palace said the royalfamily was delightedby the news, setting off anavalanche of congratulatory

messages and tweets

Charles, 64 (first in line),father William, 30 (second inline), and great-grandmotherElizabeth, 86. Once the babyis born, Williams younger

brother, Prince Harry, willmove to fourth in line.The palace said the royal

family was delighted by thenews, setting off an avalancheof congratulatory messagesand tweets. British PrimeMinister David Camerontweeted that the couple willmake wonderful parents.

Even President Obama andfirst lady Michelle Obamaweighed in, congratulatingthe couple on the welcomenews through spokesmanJay Carney in Washington.

A ROYAL BABY AT LAST!,shouted the Express onlineheadline, in one typical ofthe press reaction in the UK.Indeed, the happiest peoplein Britain may have beenthe editors of tabloids andcelebrity publications, whowere eager for the return ofthe old days of all-royal-baby-all-the-time news.

a boon:a timely blessing orbenefitsovereign:a king, queen, or othernoble person whoserves as chief of stateheir:a person who is inline to succeed to ahereditary rank, title, orofficeto bolster:to support or strengthensickness:the condition of beingsick, unwell or illa stiff upper lip:a very Englishattitude of determinedendurance or restraintin the face of adversityto spread:to cause to becomewidely seen or knownlineage:direct descent froma particular ancestor;ancestrycustomary:commonly practiced,used, or encountered;usualmoot:of no practicalimportance; irrelevanteager:having or showing keeninterest, intense desire,or impatient expectancydelighted:very happy, ecstaticto weigh in:to participate; give onesopiniona spokesman:a man who speaks onbehalf of another orothersa headline:the main title or captionof a newspaper article

Source: http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/people/2012/12/03/palace-kate-middletons-pregnant-expecting-duchess/1742541/

USA Today, December 4, 2012

United Kingdom

8/13/2019 Assas Post 70

12/14

any level

CASE

ST

UD

Y

The judiciary of the UnitedStates consists of two differentsystems of courts. On the onehand are the various differentkinds of federal courts. On the

other hand are the courts ofeach of the fifty states. For themost part, these two systemsoperate independently. Statecourts deal mainly with casesthat arise from the applicationof state laws. Federal courtshandle cases that involve theapplication of federal lawsand the interpretation of theConstitution. Since there aretwo court systems existingside by side, we say that theUnited States has a dual courtsystem.

Role of the ConstitutionAmerican concern for Justiceis written into the basic lawof the land, the United StatesConstitution, which establishesthe framework for the federalgovernment and guaranteesrights, freedom and justice forall.

The Constitution, writtenin 1787, established agovernment of three branches.One of these is the judicialbranch, and the SupremeCourt of the United Statesis the most powerful part

of it. It consists of a ChiefJustice and eight associatejustices. The responsibility andpower of these nine peopleis extraordinary. SupremeCourt decisions can changesociety significantly. This hashappened many times in

American history. In the past,Supreme Court rulings havehalted actions by Americanpresidents, have declaredunconstitutional laws passedby Congress, have fed people

in prison and have given newprotection and freedom toBlack Americans and otherminorities.

The other two branchesof the national governmentare the Legislative branch,which consists of a Congressof elected representativesof the people (see Issue69 of The Assas Post), andthe Executive, headed bythe President as chief of

state (see Issue 68 of TheAssas Post). The peoplewho wrote the Constitutiondistributed power amongthe three branches so thatno one person or group ofpeople in the governmentcould exercise enoughpower to control the others.The procedure for naming

justices to the Supreme Courtis one example of how thisdistribution of powers, calledchecks and balances, works.

One example of checksand balances in the USThe Chief Justice and theassociate justices are namedby the President. Thisauthority represents greatpower, considering the majoreffect court decisions haveon the legal system and onsociety in general. The writersof the Constitution tried tomake certain, however, that

presidents would name onlyqualified justices and alsothat they could not remove

justices whose decisionsthey disagreed with. Thisensures the independence ofthe judicial branch. For thatreason, no one can becomea member of the court unlessthe upper house of Congress(the United States Senate)approves. The Senate doesnot approve an appointmentuntil its members are satisfied

THE JUDICIALBRANCH

11Issue 70 11.12.2012 The Assas Post

Case Study

By Jean-Eric BranaaMatre de Confrences (Universit Paris 2-Assas)

8/13/2019 Assas Post 70

13/14

Case Studyany level

that the candidate is qualified.Once approved, a justicecannot be removed by eitherthe President or the Congresswithout very good reasons.The Chief Justice andassociate justices serve onthe court for life and need nottake into consideration politicalissues or the opinions ofofficials in the other branchesof government when making

legal decisions.

The court of last resortAlthough the three branchesare said to be equal, theSupreme Court often hasthe last word on an issue.The courts can rule a lawunconstitutional, which makesit void. The majority of suchrulings are appealed to theSupreme Court, which isthus the final arbiter of whatthe Constitution means.Newspapers commonly printexcerpts from the justices

opinions in important cases,and the Courts decisions areoften the subject of publicdebate. This is as it shouldbe. The decisions may settlelongstanding controversiesand can have social effectsfar beyond the immediateoutcome. Brown v. Board ofEducation of Topeka (1954) isamong one of the most well-known examples.

In this case, the court heldthat deliberately segregatedpublic schools violated theFourteenth Amendments

equal protection clause. The1954 ruling applied directlyonly to schools in the cityof Topeka, Kansas, but theprinciple it articulated reachedevery public school in thenation. What is more, the caseundermined segregation in allgovernmental actions and setthe nation on a new course oftreating all citizens alike.

The Brown decision causedconsternation among somecitizens, particularly in the

South, but was eventuallyaccepted as the law of theland. Other controversialSupreme Court decisions havenot received the same degreeof acceptance. In severalcases between 1962 and1985, for example, the Courtdecided that requiring studentsto pray or listen to prayer inpublic schools violated theConstitutions prohibition

against establishing a religion.Critics of these decisionsbelieve that the absence ofprayer in public schools hascontributed to a decline in

American morals; they havetried to find ways to restoreprayer to the schools withoutviolating the Constitution.In Roe v. Wade (1973), theCourt guaranteed womenthe right to have abortionsin certain circumstances,a decision that continuesto offend those Americanswho consider abortion to be

murder. Because the Roe v.Wade decision was basedon an interpretation of theConstitution, opponents havebeen trying to amend theConstitution in order overturnit.

Congress has establisheda number of lower federalcourtsThe only federal courtspecifically named in theConstitution is the SupremeCourt. But Congress hasestablished a variety of lower

trial and appellate courts tohandle the multitude of casesthat must be settled in modern

American society. Thesecourts are of two basic types:the constitutional federalcourts and the legislativefederal courts.

The constitutional federalcourts are those courts thathave been established byCongress under Article III ofthe Constitution. This Articleprovides for such inferior

courts as the Congress mayfrom time to time ordain andestablish.

The courts establishedunder this Article, aside fromthe Supreme Court, includethe federal district courts,the courts of appeals, andthe United States Court ofInternational Trade.

State courtsPeople often think of thenational judiciary as a highercourt system, with statecourts coming second inimportance. This is probablybecause the US judiciaryapplies federal law andinterprets the Constitution,which is the Supreme lawof the land. Also, somecases may be appealed toa federal court after havingbeen decided by a statecourt. For these reasons, it is

difficult to recognize the greatimportance of state courts.State courts are important

because state laws areimportant. If you think aboutthe laws that affect your lifeduring an average day it isobvious that, as an American,this would be presided over bystate laws.

The housing codes whichaffect homes are made inthe United States by localgovernments.

The traffic laws which affectthe students on their way touniversity are also made inthe USA by state and localgovernments.

Most of the laws whichregulate education are alsomade by local and stategovernments.

In reality, most of the laws

which directly touch theeveryday life of citizens comefrom state governments orlocal governments, whichoperate under the authority ofstate governments.

State courts interpret andapply state and local laws.State courts decide mostmurder, assault and recklessdriving cases, which areusually violations of state lawsState courts also decide caseswhich involve local laws, likelittering or illegal parking. Alllocal courts are part of a state

court system. If you wish tochallenge a local traffic ticket,you might appear before amunicipal court which is partof a state court system.

To get an idea of theimportance of state courts,consider this fact: the statecourt system handles over3 million cases each year,compared to about 150,000which are handled by thefederal judiciary.


8/13/2019 Assas Post 70

14/14

Please post your comments on

facebook and they may appear here

next time!

YOURWEEKINCOMMENTS

Samantha Deversin

Queen :-)

Walking on the moon

- listening to the song.The goal of a lifetime!

While, in the rest of

the world, people aredying of starvation.

Gautier Plattelet Alexis Neuhaus

Space firm to offer private missions to themoon. If you could afford to, would you goto the moon?

Royal baby: Kate, the Duchess ofCambridge, is pregnant!

Happy Saint Nicholas to you all!

Excellent! It will be a future king

or queen :-)

Wish you the same!

Violette Capucine

Esrah Rashali Fernando

assas post 70

Documents