法律英语课件-Legal English(case brief)案例摘要

1、English Cases Case BriefCitationCase ReporterCivil litigation How to read English CasesHow to read English CasesMarbury v. MadisonCalifornia v. O.J.SimpsonMiranda v. ArizonaGreenman v. Yuba Power Products, Inc. Hamer v. Sidway1. Case Name1. Case NameE.g. Marbury v. Madison V. is short for versus ( 诉

2、求）2. Court rendering the opinion2. Court rendering the opinionE.g. New Jersey Supreme Court3. Citation3. Citation4. Justice wrote the opinion4. Justice wrote the opinion5.Opinion5.Opinion stating the issue raised, describing the parties and facts, discussing the relevant law, and rending judgment.1.

3、 主审法官的意见用现在时态；前审法院的意见用过去时态；2. 主审法官的意见是法院意见；3. 除法院意见外还有两种意见，被称为“反对意见”与“配合意见”。反对意见（dissenting opinion)_opinion offered by a judge disagreeing with the majority panel of judges conclusion配合意见(concurring opinion)_opinion written by a judge agreeing with the majority6. Votes of the court 6. Votes of the

4、court affirmance (维持原判） reversal (撤销原判） remandment （发回重审） Court decisions are complied chronologically by date of issuance and published in volumes called case reporters.Law reports include decisions of court appeals and the decisions of the supreme courts that give the common law lawyer information

5、 on the status of the law. It is also these decisions that a student of law school. A citation identifies a legal authority or reference work, such as a constitution, statute, court decision, administrative rule, or treatise. The function of a citation is to help a reader to do legal researches, whi

6、ch serves to help the reader locate a legal authority or reference work. A standard case citation contains:1. the name of the case;2. the published sources in which we can find the case;3. information in parentheses indicating;A . the year the decision was issued , andB . When not apparent from the

7、name of the cited reported volume, the court which issued thee decision; and 4. the prior or subsequent history, if any, of the case.The name and the citation of the case -names of litigants and correct legal citation for this reported case. Name Official Citation Unofficial Sources Year Function: t

8、o help a reader to do legal researches.Hebb v. Severson, 201 P. 2d 156 (Wash. 1984) Hebb-plaintiffSeverson-defendant(volume 201 of the Pacific Reporter Second Series beginning on page 156)(Washington State Supreme Court)Jackson v. Metropolitan Edison Co. , 384 F. Supp. 954(M.D. Pa. 1972 ), affd , 48

9、3 F. 2d 754(3d Cir. 1973), affd, 419 U.S. 345(1974)Name : Jackson v. Metropolitan Edison Co.A decision in the case of Jackson v. Metropolitan Edison Company is reported in volume 348 of the Federal Supplement, beginning at page 954 of that volume. This decision was issued by the United States Distri

10、ct Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania M.D. Pa. in 1972. The District Courts decision was affirmed affd on review by the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit 3d Cir., with the Third Circuits decision issued in 1973 and published in volume 483 of the Federal Reporter, Second

11、 Series F. 2d , beginning at page 754 in that volume. The Third Circuit s decision was reviewed and affirmedaffd by the United States Supreme Court, whose decision was issued in 1974 and published in volume 419 of United States Reports U.S. , beginning at page 345 in that volume.Example:State v. Yod

12、er, 49 Wis. 2d 430 , 182 N. W. 2d 539 (1971)1.93N.J324, 461A.2d138(1983) 2.Morgan v. United States,298 U .S.468, 56S.Ct 906, 80L.Ed.1288(1936) 3.New York Times Co.v. Sullivan 376 U.S.254(1964)Case brief（案例摘要） 对案例汇编中收录的案例所做的概述。A short summary of a published case.A case brief is one way to summarize a

13、 reported case. The brief helps you identify the key facts and issues; then you are prepared to compare the reported case with your clients situation1. Who are the parties ?2.If the case is an appeal, what happened in the lower court(s)?3.What happened to bring these parties into court in the first

14、place?4.What is the legal question before this court?5.What rules (primary law ) did the court rely on in reaching its decision?6.How did the court analyze the facts in light of the legal question and the rules?7.How did the court resolve the dispute?A. The name and the citation of the case The name

15、 and the citation of the case _names of litigants and correct legal citation for this reported case.B. The judicial historyThe judicial history_What happened to bring the parties before the court?C. The factsThe facts_What happened to bring the parties before the courts?D. The issuesThe issues_What

16、is the legal question before this court?E. The rulesThe rules_What rules (primary law) did the court relyOn in reaching its decision?F. The analysis (reasoning)The analysis (reasoning)_How did the court analyze the facts in light of the legal question and the rules?G. The conclusionThe conclusion_Ho

17、w did the court resolve the dispute?1. The facts of the case: the statement of the facts of the case includes only those facts that are relevant for the (appellate) courts decision.Facts:Necessary factUnnecessary factHypothetical fact2. The legal history of the case: the disposition of the case by t

18、he first court to consider it, the trial court, and by any lower appellate that also considered the case.3. The issue or issues raised on appeal: a legal issue or legal issues that one of the parties to the law suit claims was or were incorrectly resoled by any one of the lower courts. 4. The holdin

19、g: the resolution of this legal issue by the court whose decision One is reading.5. Ratio decidendi(判决理由) (rules): (Stare Decisis) the principle of law necessary to reach the holding in the case. Any general discussion included in the opinion of which is not necessary for resolving the issue raised

20、on appeal is referred to as obiter dicta or simply dicta.(遵循先例原则）Stare DecisisDoctrine of PrecedentCommencing a LawsuitPre-trialTrial Judgment, Enforcement, and Appeal1.Considering questions2.Challenge to the Plaintiff s choicesubject-matter jurisdictionpersonal jurisdictionvenue3.Summon4.The compla

21、int5.the Defendants Response to the Complaint ( a motion to dismiss)6.Amendment and Supplemental Pleadings1.Techniques of the DiscoveryDeposition Written Interrogatories2.Purposes of Discovery3.Function of Discovery4.Dismissal, Summary Judgment, Default Judgment and settlement 1. Demand for Jury2.Ju

22、ry Selection3.Opening Statements4.Direct Examination and Cross Examination5.Motion for Directed Verdict6.Closing Argument7.Jury Instructions8. General Verdict9. Post-Trial Motions 1.Judgment 2.Enforcement 3.Appeal 1)Appellate Courts(affirm, reverse, modify) 2)The Final Judgment Rule 3)Scope of Revie

23、wThe adversary systemThe adversary systemThe inquisitorial systemThe inquisitorial systemThe Accusatorial systemThe Accusatorial systemThe Jury system The Jury system The American system of law is an adversary system, which means a system arrives at a decision by having each side to a dispute presen

24、t its best case and then permitting a neutral decision-maker to determine the facts and the law in light of the opposing presentations of the two sides. 对抗制（抗辩制），是目前英美法系国家实对抗制（抗辩制），是目前英美法系国家实行的一种审判制度，奉行当事人主义，即诉讼活行的一种审判制度，奉行当事人主义，即诉讼活动以双方当事人在诉讼中居主导地位。当事人提动以双方当事人在诉讼中居主导地位。当事人提起诉讼起诉讼当事人提出证据；当事人提出证据； 当事

25、人进行证明。当事人进行证明。允许纠纷中对立各方争锋相对地辩论，一般由律允许纠纷中对立各方争锋相对地辩论，一般由律师代理，向陪审团提出证据和主张，多数情况下，师代理，向陪审团提出证据和主张，多数情况下，法官只主持诉讼活动而非进行实际的事实调查法官只主持诉讼活动而非进行实际的事实调查. .1.The neutral finder of fact is usually the jury and the neutral finder of law is the judge2.It is instituted as a means of meeting this need with each side

26、presenting witnesses to testify on its behalf.3.It is based on the theory that partisan advocacy by the two opposing sides will best lead to the determination of truth and will best promote community confidence in the decision-making process. 指大陆法学国家所实行的一种审批制度，奉行职权主义，即由法官代表国家利益进行审判，其可询问当事人，可依据职权自己调查

27、事实并直接提取证据。 Jury trial is a fundamental tool of the Anglo-American dispute resolution process. It was first formalized in the twelfth century in England and it fast became the hallmark of the common law courts. 即由一定数量（一般为12名）的普通公民组成陪审团参与审判的制度。陪审员须经一定程序挑选。陪审团的有关职责是依据他们的常识来对案件中的事实作出判断，有关法律的问题则由法官做出裁定。因

28、此，陪审制是公民参与审判程序的一种方式。 1.in accordance with 1.in accordance with （按照（按照规定）规定） The arbitration is to be administered by the American Arbitration Association and is to be conducted in accordance with the Commercial Arbitration Rules of the American Arbitration Association.2.SAVE2.SAVE（除非（除非,除除外）外） Save

29、as otherwise provided in this Contract, each Party shall bear its own legal and other professional costs in relation to the preparation, negotiation and entry into of this Contract.3.NOTWITHSTANDING3.NOTWITHSTANDING （尽管有（尽管有的规定）的规定） Notwithstanding clauses(a)and (b) of this Article 5.6 above, the As

30、signing Party may transfer all or part of its amount of the registered capital of the Company to an Affiliate (the “Affiliate Assignee”) of the Assigning Party on the following conditions.4. PROVIDED THAT4. PROVIDED THAT但（前提）是但（前提）是 Provided that if any representation and warranty of a Party under A

31、rticle B .1 is not true and correct in all material respects when made, or if there is a breach of Article E, then there shall be no Cure Period.5.SUBJECT TO5.SUBJECT TO ( (根据根据的规定，在不抵触的规定，在不抵触的前提下，的前提下， 在符在符合合的情况下）的情况下） Subject to this section, an appeal shall be brought in such manner and shall be

32、 subject to such conditions as are prescribed by rules made under subsection 在英汉法律翻译中，上述词条的翻译不可一概而论。在英文中能够表达法律中“条款”之类的词汇大概有：article; section;subsection; paragraph; subparagraph; item; clause; rule; regulation;provision，以及stipulation等等。1.1.关于关于“articlearticle”一词的翻译一词的翻译 将article一词译为“条”，争议不大。例如，美利坚合众国

33、宪法（THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA，1789）共有“7条”（seven articles）。再如，世界贸易组织中华人民共和国加入议定书（Protocol on the Accession of Peoples Republic of China）中文译本也将“article”译为“条”。美国权威的布莱克法律字典（Blacks Law Dictionary. Garner, 1999:106）,Article: A separate and distinct part （as a clause or stipulation） o

34、f a writing, esp. in a contract, statute, or constitution. 再如，美国法律词典（A Dictionary of the Law. Clapp, 2000:36），Article: subdivision of a written instrument; particularly a. a subdivision of a statute or constitution, usually subdivided into sections. b. one of the items or clauses in a contract, trea

35、ty, or other agreement.注意：注意：不能混淆不能混淆“ArticleArticle”与与“ArticlesArticles”的意义、的意义、用法。用法。“ArticlesArticles”应译为应译为“条例条例”。例如，在美国宪法之前颁布的邦联和永久联合条例（Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union），这一宪法性文件直接称自己为“Articles”。不过，这不妨碍我们仍将该“条例”中的具体的13个“Article”译为“条”。2.2.关于关于sectionsection一词的翻译一词的翻译 分歧比较大，主要有两种声音。第一

36、种观点：“section”应译为“条”或者“节”，而绝不可以译为“款”。第二种观点：“section”可译为“款”，此外，注释所言，新汉英法学词典中也认为“款”可以译为“section”。注意：注意：sectionsection一词在英汉法律一词在英汉法律英语英语翻译中，通常翻译中，通常译为译为“节节”，也可以译为，也可以译为“条条”，极少数情形下，极少数情形下可译为可译为“款款”。把。把SectionSection译为译为“节节”，是因为，是因为“sectionsection”这一概念有时很大，它比这一概念有时很大，它比“articlearticle”（条）还大，若译为（条）还大，若译为“款

37、款”、“项项”、“目目”过过小，译为小，译为“章章”、“编编”则又过大。则又过大。例如：在与贸易有关的知识产权协定（Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights，简称Trips协议）中，第二部分关于知识产权效力、范围和使用的标准（Standards Concerning the Availability，Scope and Use of Intellectual Property Rights）包括8个section，第三部分知识产权的实施（Enforcement of Intellectual Prope

38、rty Rights）包括5个section，每个section又包括若干条article。此时，译为“节”最好。例如，第二部分中的“SECTION 1: COPYRIGHT AND RELATED RIGHTS”，直接译为： “第一节：版权和相关权利”。第二十三条* 公民有下列情形之一的，利害关系人可以向人民法院申请宣告他死亡：（一）下落不明满四年的；（二）因意外事故下落不明，从事故发生之日起满两年的。战争期间下落不明的，下落不明的时间从战争结束之日起计算。第二十三条*第二十三条第一款第1项第二十三条第二款Article 23* Under either of the following c

39、ircumstance， an interested person may apply to the peoples court for a declaration of a citizens death：（1）if the citizens whereabouts have been unknown for four years or，（2）if the citizens whereabouts have been unknown for two years after the date of an accident in which he was involvedIf a persons

40、whereaboutsbecome unknown during a war， the calculation of the time period in which his whereabouts are unknown shall begin on the final day of the wararticle 23*the subparagraph （1） of article 23*the second paragraph of article 23*Subparagraph 1 （b） and 1 （c） of Article XXIII of GATT 1994 shall not apply to the settlement of disputes under this Agreement for a period of five years from the date of entry into force of the WTO Agreement. 自WTO协定生效之日起5年内