Przestępczość i wymiar sprawiedliwości. Scenariusz zajęć poświęconych kategorii semantycznej

VOCABULARY

Read the text and fill in the gaps with a proper word or phrase from the box.

‘The punishment should fit the crime’. National and local newspapers regularly print 1) ____ , and quite often the stories they choose are ones in which the punishment does not appear to 2) ____ . It is easy to read a paragraph about a 3) ____ and to become outraged at the 4) ____ . We have to remember that the short paragraph sums up a 5) ____ which might have taken hour, if not days or weeks of 6) ____ , and that the judge knew a lot more about the case than the casual newspaper reader. However, sentences and penalties 7) ____ from one court to another. As every football fan knows, referees make mistakes, and the referee is much more likely to be mistaken when his decision goes against 8) ____ . Here are some examples of crimes and the penalties chosen by particular judges. Read through them and try to answer the questions below.

MANSLAUGHTER (the act of killing someone unlawfully but not intentionally)

Marianne Bachmeir from Lubeck in Germany was in court watching the 9) ____ of Klaus Grabowski, who had murdered her 7-year-old daughter and had a history of attacking children. In the court Frau Bachmeir pulled a pistol from her handbag and fired eight bullets, six of which hit Grabowski, killing him. The 10) ____ said she had bought the pistol with the 11) ____ of committing suicide. She was found not 12) ____, but was given six years 13) ____ for manslaughter. German newspapers reflected the opinion of millions of Germans that she should have been freed, calling her ‘the avenging mother’.

MURDER

Two youths in London decided to burgle a shop. They were Christopher Craig, aged 16 and Derek William Bentley, 19. During the 14) ____ they were disturbed by Sydney Miles, a policeman. Craig produced a gun and killed him. At that time (it was in 1952) Britain still had 15) ____ for certain types of murder. Because Craig was under 18, he was sentenced to 16) ____ imprisonment while Bentley, who had never touched a gun, was hanged in 1953 as he was over 18 when committing the burglary. The case was quoted by opponents of 17) ____ , which was abolished in 1965.

SHOPLIFTING

Lady Isabel Barnett, a well-known TV personality, was convicted of stealing a tin of tuna fish and a carton of cream, total value 87 p, from a small shop. The case was given 18) ____ . She was fined £ 75 and had to pay £ 200 towards the cost of the case. A few days later she killed herself.

FRAUD

This is an example of a 19) ____ rather than a criminal one. A man had taken out an insurance policy of £ 200,000 on his life. The policy was 20) ____ at 3 o’clock on a certain day. The man was in serious financial difficulties, and at 2.30 on the 21) ____ he consulted his 22) ____ ; he then went out, called a taxi, asked the driver to make a 23) ____ (2.50) and he shot himself. Suicide used not to cancel an insurance policy automatically, as it does nowadays, but the company refused to pay the man’s wife, and the courts supported them.

accounts of legal cases capital punishment civil case complicated legal case court time criminal case death penalty defence due to expire enormous publicity expiry day fit the crime guilty of murder imprisonment intention life note of the time one’s own team robbery sentence passed by the judge solicitor trial vary widely

• Was justice done?
• If you had been the judge, would you have given a different sentence? Lighter or more severe one? What other facts or circumstances would you have wanted to know?

Below you see a list enumerating some crimes and a box containing some words and phrases. For each crime, choose one word or phrase from the box and write a sentence with it, e.g.: Rape is a very serious crime that should always get a very strict sentence.

armed robbery
hacking
extortion
manslaughter
inciting religious hatred
libel
reckless driving
rape

SPEAKING
I. Look at this list of crimes and offences. Try to rate each crime on a three-level scale: very serious – quite serious – not a serious crime/offence. Motivate your choices.

 causing death by dangerous driving
 common assault (e.g. a fight in a disco)
 drinking and driving
 driving in excess of the speed limit
 drug pushing (selling drugs, such as heroin)
 grievous bodily harm (almost killing someone)
 having sex with a minor (i.e. someone who is younger than 15)
 malicious wounding (e.g. stabbing someone in a fight)
 murdering a child or a woman
 murdering a policeman during a robbery
 possession of a gun without license
 rape
 shoplifting
 smoking marijuana
 stealing goods from someone’s home
 stealing money from a bank by fraud
 stealing money from a bank by threatening an employee with a gun

II. You are on the parole board of a prison which is so overcrowded that you must release two prisoners ;). Study the descriptions of five possible candidates for release and make a decision on whom to set free. Be ready to motivate your choice.

1. MICK BROWN - guilty of vandalism and football hooliganism. 19 years old, below average intelligence. Aggressive and gets violent while drunk. One previous offence for drunken driving.

2. CYNTHIA CARTER - English teacher guilty of smuggling her two cats into England, which is against quarantine regulations. The customs officers would like an example to be made of her.

3. JANET GREEN - found guilty of shoplifting for the tenth time. A homeless tramp who likes to spend the winter in prison. It is early December and the winter is very cold.

4. ALAN JONES - guilty of murdering his wife by slowly poisoning her. Described by neighbours as a kind and gentle person, his children love him. His wife had lots of affairs and pushed him to the limit.

5. MIRANDA MORGAN - a drug addict guilty of selling heroin to teenagers. Has already tried two unsuccessful drug treatment programmes. Has a two year old child who will have to go into care if she stays in jail.

LISTENING

HTTPS://WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/WATCH?V=YZM_SWKX1WE

HOUSE OF THE RISING SUN SONGTEXT
There is a house in New Orleans
They _____________ the Rising Sun
And it's been the ruin of many poor __________
And God only knows I'm one

My mother was a ___________
She sewed my new blue ____________
My ___________ was a gamblin' man
Down in New Orleans

Now the only thing a gambler ______________
Is a _________________ and trunk
And the only time he's __________________
Is when he's on a drunk

Oh mother tell your _______________
Not to do what I _______________ done
Spend your lives in ____________ and misery
In the House of the Rising Sun

Well, I got one foot on the _______________
The other _____________ on the train
I'm goin' back to New Orleans
To wear that ball and chain

There is a house in New Orleans
They _____________ the Rising Sun
And it's been the ruin of many poor __________
And God only knows I'm one.

HOMEWORK – WRITING:

Do you strongly agree / agree to some extent / disagree to some extent / or strongly disagree with the following opinions? Choose one and motivate. Write 250 – 280 words. Remember about paragraph division. Try to use adverbs in your writing (e.g. “I strongly believe” etc.)

Certain criminals – sex murderers, terrorists, for example – deserve to die.

Everyone deserves a second chance!

An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.

If the state kills someone, then it admits there ARE circumstances where killing is justified; having admitted that, it is then in no position to condemn murder.

Judge not lest you be judged.