Role play

Enact in English with roles on the theme “Hearing the Case in a Criminal Court”.

Situation:

53-year-old Mr Charles Bell committed a crime before (stealing a car) and was punished with every week visiting the police station during 6 months. He was also imposed a fine of Ј1,500. Now he is accused of robbery and grievous bodily harm. A victim is 36-year-old mistress (співмешканка) of Mr Charles Bell, whose salary he took away and drank away, having beaten her (what resulted in concussion of the brain (струс мозку)). A witness of the crime appeared to be the mistress’s girl-friend, who had just come to see her.

Play participants:

Ernest Brain, county presiding judge

Glen Robinson, prosecutor

Charles Bell, defendant (accused)

Mitchell Fisher, defendant’s barrister

Linda Smith, victim’s solicitor

Carol Evans, witness

the jury

Taking part in the play as acting characters of a criminal case give proof (обґрунтуйте) of your point of view, in particular:

a) Prosecutor, Glen Robinson, prosecuting a crime in the court, is making a report about the basic facts of the case, details of the process and the results of the investigation that completely proves the criminal essence of the offence, committed by Charles Bell, characterizes the personality of the accused … Mr Robinson taking into consideration all the circumstances of the crime that took place and were proved in the court, asks the jury to find the accused Charles Bell guilty according to three articles of the Criminal Code … He also demands punishment on the strength of these articles (у сукупності цих статей). The Prosecutor demands that he should go to prison for seven years and six months with the confiscation of property of Ј50,000 as compensation for physical and moral damages to the victim …

b) Witness Carol Evans testifies upon a trial about the circumstances of the crime … She saw Charles Bell cynically beat a defenceless woman, who did not even resist him … The witness said that she, in fact, had to tear the victim out of the hands of the malicious (злісний) Hooligan, then to call for the ambulance and the police …

c) The defendant’s barrister (баристер підсудного / обвинувачуваного) Mitchell Fisher calls the jury’s attention to a number of facts and circumstances that can influence the jury’s opinion … He states that part of the money, taking away from the victim (потерпіла), was really drunk away by Charles Bell, the Accused, but the basic sum was given to the hospital, where his mother was to be operated on. In addition, the defendant understood that he had committed a crime and voluntarily gave himself up (прийти з повинною) to the police …

d) The victim’s solicitor Linda Smith states that it is very dangerous for the society when family relations turn into a criminal act (кримінал) and, what is more, weak persons (women and children) suffer in these cases … She finds the guilty of Charles Bell in this case completely proven: moreover, she does not think that he is recommended for mercy (заслуговує на милість), giving proof (підкріплюючи доказами) of it by the facts … Linda Smith also calls the attention off the jury to the defendant’s rudeness and lack of restraint (невгамовність) in combination with hard drinking (пияцтво) that became dangerous for the society …

e) Defendant Charles Bell pleads guilty according to all three articles of the Criminal Code, brought by the prosecutor … He deeply repents (кається) and asks the jury to bear in mind the circumstances that he has a sick mother, who will feel very bad without his support … Besides, he think that his great service (великі заслуги) to his country must be taking into account (взяті до уваги) by the jury: he commanded the landing of troops (висадкою дисанта) on the Falkland Isles (Фолклендські острови) and his hard service in the army had a bad influence on his character …

Дата добавления: 2014-12-17