Unit 43: The letter of the law

Question 1

bend the law/rules|contravene a law|infringe a law

contravention, infringement (n)

Answer 1

break the law/rule

Question 2

impeach a president/governor

impeachment (N)

Answer 2

make a formal statement saying that a person in public office has committed a serious offence

Question 3

lodge an appeal

Answer 3

make an official request that a previous judgement should be changed

Question 4

uphold/overturn a verdict

Answer 4

say that a previous decision in court was correct/incorrect

Question 5

pervert the course of justice

perversion (n)

Answer 5

make it difficult for justice to be done

Question 6

quash a conviction

Answer 6

change a previous official decision

Question 7

set a precedent

Answer 7

establish a decision which must usually, in English law, be taken into account in future decisions

Question 8

award/grant a custody to

Answer 8

give one parent or adult the main responsibility for a child

Question 9

annul an agreement/marriage/law

annulment (n)

Answer 9

declare that it no longer exists and never existed

Question 10

perjury

Answer 10

lying when under oath

Question 11

law-breaker

>< law-abiding

Answer 11

someone who does not obey the law

Question 12

take the law into your hands

Answer 12

you do sth illegal to punish someone because you feel the legal system will not punish that person

Question 13

lay down the law

Answer 13

say with great force what you think should happen

Question 14

a law unto himself/herself

Answer 14

he or she behaves in a way which is independent and not the way in which most people behave