Criminal justice ENGLISH COLLOCATIONS IN USE (ADVANCED)

 

ENGLISH COLLOCATIONS IN USE (ADVANCED)

UNIT 38

Criminal justice

 

A	Expressing views about crime and punishment Look at these extracts from calls to a radio phone-in programme called Your Call to Jeremy, which on this occasion is about crime and punishment. Hello, Jeremy. I want to know why financial criminals in the City always seem to escape punishment while poor people always seem to receive custodial sentences1 even for committing minor offences. My view is that if someone is put on trial and is found guilty and given a sentence, then they should have to serve out2 their sentence. Releasing someone early for good behaviour is a complete nonsense. Jeremy, I’d like to point out that there have been a couple of serious miscarriages of justice3 recently and people don’t seem to realise how damaging this is. No one should face trial on the basis of unreliable evidence or trumped-up charges4. We’re facing soaring5 crime rates in this city and it’s about time the criminals were brought to justice. And I’m sick of hearing about extenuating circumstances6 – that someone had a deprived childhood, or they’re not fit to stand trial. Rubbish! 1 a sentence to be served in a prison or similar institution 2 serve the full amount of time 3 situation where innocent people are found guilty 4 invented and false accusations 5 rising very fast 6 circumstances that lessen the blame, also mitigating circumstances
B	Courts and trials These newspaper extracts contain typical collocations about courts and trials. A key witness gave evidence today in the Misthorpe murder trial. The witness claimed to have seen the accused leaving Ms Bartram’s house. The trial was adjourned1 until March 7th. The accused, 27-year-old Liam Grout, was remanded in custody2. In a unanimous verdict3 today in Raylton District Court, Clare Irene Wilson, 37, was found not guilty of murder. The judge said the prosecution had failed to prove beyond reasonable doubt that Ms Wilson was guilty. Mr Hanry had denied all knowledge of the alleged fraudulent business deal. His lawyers attempted to show that Derek Yardley was an unreliable witness. Despite suggestions that the judge might dismiss the case4, he found in favour of Mr Hanry and awarded damages5 to him. Mary Jones was released this morning a­fter her lawyers successfully contested the verdict6 which sentenced her to prison for three years. The judge, Mr James Egdon, overturned the verdict in the Court of Appeal. Mary Jones herself did not appear in court but later said that she felt justice had been served. 1 was suspended till a later time or date 2 send to prison until the trial begins or continues 3 verdict which all the decision makers agree 4 decide that the case is not worth considering 5 ordered the organisation or person who has been responsible for causing injury or loss to to pay money to the victim as compensation 6 disagreed with the verdict and tried to change it

 

EXERCISES

 

38.1	Rewrite the underlined part of each of these extracts from conversations to make them sound more like extracts from newspaper reports. 1 An increasing number of crimes per head of the population have been recorded in the last 12 months. 2 Why should young criminals get away without being punished for crimes just because of their age? 3 The lawyers disagreed with the court’s decision. 4 The judge threw out the case because he felt the evidence was not strong enough. 5 John Jones said he didn’t know anything about the robbery. 6 The judge said that the trial would now take place next month.
38.2	Choose the correct collocation. 1 Someone might get out of prison early for soaring / extenuating / good behaviour. 2 If you get a custodial sentence, you go to prison / only serve the sentence if you commit another crime / have to do some community service. 3 If you are remanded in custody, you are allowed to go home / obliged to pay some money / kept in prison. 4 If you serve out a sentence, you are released from prison early / kept in prison for the full amount of time / kept in prison for life. 5 If charges are trumped up, they are accurate / invented / exaggerated.
38.3	Correct the mistakes with prepositions in the collocations. 1 He was put in trial for murder. 2 He was later remanded on custody. 3 The witness appeared on court for the first time today. 4 The murderer was soon brought into justice. 5 The case against Mr Sharp was proved over reasonable doubt.
38.4	Complete each sentence using a word from the opposite page. 1 Unfortunately, there have been a number of ___________ of justice recently. 2 The lawyer claimed that there were some ___________ circumstances. 3 This is the sixth time the accused has ___________ in court. 4 The jury was quick to reach a ___________ verdict, finding the accused guilty. 5 The accused ___________ all knowledge of the crime, but no one believed her. 6 Charles Weiss was ___________ damages for the injury he had suffered. 7 The newspaper said ___________ had been served by the conviction of Joe Lee. 8 The trial has been ___________ until next week. 9 He has been in court on several previous occasions but only for committing ___________ offences.
38.5	For each word, find two collocating words in the box. Then write sentences using each of the collocations. contest face evidence evidence guilty not guilty overturn sentence stand witness 1 find ____________________________________________. 2 give ____________________________________________. 3 trial ____________________________________________. 4 unreliable ____________________________________________. 5 verdict ____________________________________________.

 

ANSWER KEY

 

38.1 1 Soaring crime rates have been recorded in the last 12 months. 2 Why should young criminals escape punishment for crimes just because of their age? 3 The lawyers contested the verdict of the court. 4 The judge dismissed the case because he felt the evidence was unreliable. 5 John Jones denied all knowledge of the robbery. 6 The judge adjourned the trial until next month.   38.2 1 good                    4 kept in prison for the full amount of time 2 go to prison        5 invented 3 kept in prison   38.3 1 He was put on trial for murder. 2 He was later remanded in custody. 3 The witness appeared in court for the first time today. 4 The murderer was soon brought to justice. 5 The case against Mr Sharp was proved beyond reasonable doubt.   38.4 1 miscarriages 2 extenuating 3 appeared 4 unanimous 5 denied 6 awarded 7 justice 8 adjourned 9 minor   38.5 1 find guilty, find not guilty (Note that a guilty verdict and a not guilty verdict are also possible collocations.) 2 give evidence, give a sentence (usually used in passive – be given a sentence) 3 stand trial, face trial 4 unreliable witness, unreliable evidence 5 contest a verdict, overturn a verdict   Possible sentences using the collocations: He was found guilty of theft, but found not guilty of murder. The witness gave evidence which resulted in the accused being given a five-year sentence. She was facing trial for murder, but escaped from prison and never actually stood trial for the offence. It was an example of unreliable evidence from an unreliable witness. The verdict was contested and was subsequently overturned.