Basic Legal Vocabulary

Question 1

accuse (v.)

Answer 1

to say someone has done something morally wrong, illegal or unkind. You accuse someone of something

Question 2

accuse (v.) (e.g.)

Answer 2

The prisoner, David Hicks, was formally accused of conspirancy to commit war crimes, attemptes murder by an unprivileged belligerent, and aiding the enemy… or was accused of conspiring to commit war crimes

Question 3

accusation (e.g.)

Answer 3

The accusation of fraud was later found to be false

Question 4

accused (the) (n.)

Answer 4

Defendant in a criminal proceeding

Question 5

accused (the) (n.) (e.g.)

Answer 5

The accused is said to be a member of a right wing gang

Question 6

acquit (v.)

Answer 6

to find a defendant not guilty in a criminal trial

Question 7

acquit (v.) (e.g.)

Answer 7

Acquitted of the kilings, Simpson says he holds the news media responsible for persauding a majority of the public that he was guilty

Question 8

aquital (n.) (e.g.)

Answer 8

The acquittal of O.J. Simpson suprised many people who thought he was guilty of murdering his ex-wife

Question 9

Act (n.)

Answer 9

(e.g., Civil Rights Act): A perfect example of a word with more than one meaning. An act may be a law on a particular subject such as the Clean Air Act. The word act is also often used in the name of proposed legislation or bills such as in the Working Families Flexibility Act of 1996, proposed legislation introduced in the 104th Congress.

Question 10

Act (n.) (e.g.)

Answer 10

The bill was not enacted and was reintroduced in the 105th Congress. (see bill)

Question 11

billl (n.)

Answer 11

a formal statement of a planned new law that is discussed before being voted on

Question 12

action (n.)

Answer 12

in court, when one person sues someone else to:
- defend or enforce a right,
- stop something bad from happening or fix something, or
- punish them for a crime.

Question 13

action (n.) (e.g.)

Answer 13

Unlike criminal proceedings - where the State almost always has the role of prosecuting individuals who are alleged to have broken the criminal law, in a civil action one party takes proceedings against another party.
A civil action can be brought, for instance, if a person defames you or trespasses on your land.
e.g. She brought an action (for negligence) against the hospital.

Question 14

advocate (n.)

Answer 14

someone who speaks or argues in favour of a cause (compare lawyer, attorney, barrister, solicitor, counsel)

Question 15

compare advocate (n.)

Answer 15

2) In Scotland, advocates perform the same role as barristers in England and Wales and Northern Ireland. The Faculty of Advocates, whose elected members administer the Scottish Bar, has about 425 practising members. In essence, in Scotland an advocate is a self-employed independent lawyer.
3) in England and Wales, solicitors who have qualified to exercise rights of audience in higher courts are known as solicitor advocates.

Question 16

advocate (n.) (e.g.)

Answer 16

She has been the advocate for plaintiffs in many successful libel cases.

Question 17

affirm (v.)

Answer 17

to say that the lower court’s decision was right (action of an appellate court) [opp. – reverse]

Question 18

affirm (v.) (e.g.)

Answer 18

The Supreme Court affirmed the decision of the lower court.

Question 19

allege (v.)

Answer 19

To say, declare, or charge that something is true even though it isn’t proved yet.

Question 20

allege (adj.) (e.g.)

Answer 20

The accused is alleged to have plotted to kill the queen.

Question 21

allegedly (adv.) (e.g.)

Answer 21

His car allegedly struck and killed the pedestrian.

Question 22

allegation (n.)

Answer 22

A statement or claim that is made and hasn’t been proved to be true or false.

Question 23

allegation (n.) (e.g.)

Answer 23

Allegations of brutality and theft have been levelled at the Army.

Question 24

appeal (n.)

Answer 24

a formal request for a decision to be changed

Question 25

appeal (n.) (e.g.)

Answer 25

There is no right to take an appeal to the House of Lords. Permission to do so must be granted either by the Court of Appeal or by the House of Lords itself.
In the common law system, appeals only concern questions of law, never questions of fact.
e.g. He won his appeal and the sentence was halved.

Question 26

appeal (v.)

Answer 26

take a court case to a higher court for review

Question 27

appeal (v.) (e.g.)

Answer 27

He said they would appeal the decision. (US)
He said they would appeal against the decision (UK)
His appeal against the verdict was successful.
The World Trade Organization ruled Friday that U.S. subsidies to cotton farmers are unfair to producers in Brazil, but the United States said it will appeal the decision.

Question 28

appellant (n.)

Answer 28

someone who is appealing against a court’s decision – [opp. appellee]

Question 29

appellant (n.) (e.g.)

Answer 29

Most appeals were simply dismissed because the appellant had not followed the proper procedure.

Question 30

appellate (adj.)

Answer 30

an appellate court (US - court of appeals ; UK - court of appeal)

Question 31

appellate (adj.) (e.g.)

Answer 31

The appellate court overturned (vernietigde) the conviction for murder, and so he was released from prison.

Question 32

arrest (v.)

Answer 32

If the police arrest someone, they take them away to ask them about a crime which they might have committed

Question 33

arrest (v.) (e.g.)

Answer 33

e.g. Police arrested five young men in connection with the attacks.
e.g. Police arrested her for public nudity.

Question 34

arrest (n.)

Answer 34

The act of arresting someone

Question 35

arrest (n.) (e.g.)

Answer 35

She was placed under arrest for shoplifting

Question 36

Attorney (n.)

Answer 36

(US) Someone that is qualified to represent clients in court and to give them legal advice. In the US, the terms attorney (or attorney-at-law) and lawyer describe the same type of legal professional. In England, the term lawyer can be used, but not attorney, when describing legal professionals. See barrister and solicitor

Question 37

attorney (n.) (e.g.)

Answer 37

On Sept. 15, he was approached by the FBI. He said he waived his right to have an attorney present because he felt he had nothing to hide.

Question 38

Attorney General (n.)

Answer 38

A country’s Attorney General is its chief law officer who advises its king, queen, or government.

Question 39

Attorney General (n.) (e.g.)

Answer 39

The attorney general gave advice to the government over the legality of the war.

Question 40

District attorney (n.)

Answer 40

a lawyer whose job is to represent the government in a particular area of the U.S. (abbreviation D.A.)

Question 41

Attorney Power of (n.)

Answer 41

the legal right to act for someone else in their financial or business matters, or the document which gives someone this right

Question 42

Attorney Power of (n.) (e.g.)

Answer 42

His father gave him a power of attorney to sign the contract for him.

Question 43

award (damages)

Answer 43

1. v. to give money following an official decision by a court or by arbitration
2. n. a sum of money that a court decides to give someone to compensate for an injury ; a grant made by a law court

Question 44

award (e.g.)

Answer 44

The jury’s award of £100,000 in damages for libel was considered excessive.
In the context of arbitration, award is often used to talk about the final decision of the arbitrators.
In Brook v. Peak Int’l Ltd., the former employee, Brook, asked the court to vacate an arbitrator’s award because the American Arbitration Association (AAA) did not follow the provisions of the parties’ arbitration agreement for selecting an arbitrator.