Learn English via Listening - Level 3 - The Rights of the Accused | Текст песни

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• The Rights of the Accused

The Rights of the Accused - Level 3

In English-speaking countries, the rights of an accused person are taken very seriously.

Over many centuries, laws evolved in such a way that people could not be arrested or
charged without a very good reason.
Of course, every country needs to enforce its laws. This means that police officers are
needed, and so are "prosecutors"-the lawyers whose job is to make criminal charges
against people who break the laws, and to prove that those charges are true. However, it
is very important that people's freedoms are not taken away wrongly. People should not
be punished unfairly, and people who are accused of crimes must have the opportunity
to defend themselves.
In some parts of the world, people can be arrested and imprisoned for long periods of
time, without any criminal charges being made against them. One of the most important
principles of justice in English-speaking countries is that a person cannot be held by the
police unless that person is charged with a crime. This principle is known by the Latin
term, "habeas corpus." According to the idea of habeas corpus, the police are not
allowed to detain a person for more than a certain period of time (usually, twenty-four
hours), unless some charge is made against the person. A judge will order the release of
a person who is not charged with a crime.
Another important feature of justice systems in most English-speaking countries is that
accused individuals have the right to be represented by a lawyer. Most accused people
want to hire an expert lawyer. However, even if a person cannot afford to hire a lawyer,
the criminal court must provide a lawyer who will represent that person. The lawyer for
an accused person is required to defend that person as thoroughly as possible.
One of the most important aspects of justice systems in the United States and the British
Commonwealth is that an accused person must be fully informed of any charges made
against them. Also, any evidence that will be used to show the accused person's guilt
must be shared with the accused person and with that person's lawyer. In this way,
accused persons can challenge the truth of any evidence that will be used against them.
Similarly, any person who acts as a witness against an accused person can be cross-
examined by the accused person's lawyer. This means that the statements of a witness
can be challenged by the accused person.
Another important element of most English-speaking justice systems is that evidence
must be obtained fairly. Police officers cannot simply enter a person's home to look for
evidence of a crime. They must first have a good reason to believe that a crime has been
committed, and they must obtain permission from a judge to enter the person's property.
This permission is called a "search warrant." Because search warrants are required,
people are free from arbitrary invasions of their property by the police.
Finally, another important aspect of most English-speaking justice systems is that trials
must be held in public, where other citizens can watch the trial. An accused person is not
tried secretly. Moreover, as discussed in another passage, the accused person has the
right to be tried by a jury of other free citizens. All of these rules ensure that order can be
maintained without taking away the freedom of innocent people.