Before you begin: Essential words CHECK YOUR ENGLISH VOCABULARY FOR LAW

CHECK YOUR ENGLISH VOCABULARY FOR LAW

Before you begin: Essential words

The words in this exercise are used a lot in the legal profession, and appear at various stages throughout this book, so it is important you understand what they mean before you do any of the other exercises. Match the definitions on the left with the words on the right. Note that (a) there are more words than definitions, and (b) many of the words on the right can have more than one meaning, but only one of those meanings is in the column on the left. Note that many of the words and accompanying expressions in this exercise (and in the following exercises on business law) are not exclusive to business law, but may also be applied to other legal and general areas. 1. Money claimed by someone as compensation for harm done. 2. To send someone to prison or to a court. 3. An adjective referring to a judge or to the law. 4. Not guilty of a crime. 5. Any act which is not legal. 6. A person who has studied law and can act for people on legal business. 7. A disagreement or argument between parties. 8. A specialist court outside the judicial system which examines special problems. 9. A set of arguments or facts put forward by one side in a legal proceeding. 10. An official who presides over a court. 11. To make an allegation in legal proceedings. 12. Someone who is accused of a crime in a criminal case. 13. A person who makes a claim against someone in a civil court. 14. An agreement reached after an argument. 15. To hold someone legally so as to charge them with a crime. 16. A case which is being heard by a committee, tribunal or court of law. 17. To find that someone is guilty of a crime. 18. Failure to carry out the terms of an agreement. 19. To bring someone to court to answer a criminal charge. 20. To ask a high law court to change its decision or sentence. 21. To say that someone has committed a crime. 22. Having the legal ability to force someone to do something. 23. An adjective referring to the rights and duties of private persons or organisations. 24. The arguments used when fighting a case. 25. A legal agreement between two or more parties. 26. An adjective referring to crime. 27. A group of 12 citizens who decide whether or not someone is guilty in a trial. 28. A written or spoken statement of facts which helps to prove or disprove something at a trial. 29. To order someone to pay money as a punishment. 30. A court order telling someone to stop doing something, or not to do something. appeal arrest binding breach case charge civil claimant commit contract convict court crime criminal damages defence defendant dispute evidence fine guilty hearing injunction innocent judge judicial jury lawyer legal offence plead prosecute sentence settlement trial tribunal

 

ANSWER KEY

1. damages 2. commit 3. judicial 4. innocent 5. offence 6. lawyer 7. dispute 8. tribunal 9. case 10. judge 11. plead 12. defendant 13. claimant 14. settlement 15. arrest 16. hearing 17. convict 18. breach 19. prosecute 20. appeal 21. accuse 22. binding 23. civil 24. defence 25. contract 26. criminal 27. jury 28. evidence 29. fine 30. injunction