Law: English Vocabulary List

a court that decides on family matters such as divorce

"The family court heard the case."

"The family court handled custody and support issues carefully."

a group of twelve citizens, who listen to the details of a case in the court of law in order to decide the guiltiness or innocence of a defendant

"The jury decided he was guilty."

"The jury carefully reviewed all the evidence before making their final decision in court."

a behavior or treatment that is unjust and unfair

"The protest was against social injustice."

"The protesters marched through the streets to demand an end to the injustice that had allowed wealthy criminals to escape punishment for their crimes."

a police officer holding an intermediate rank

"The inspector arrived quickly."

"The inspector checked the building and reported the problem."

an amount of money that must be paid in order for someone who is accused of a crime to be released until their trial

"The judge set a high bail."

"His family paid the bail so he could return home while waiting for his court hearing next month."

to formally forbid something from being done, particularly by law

"The law prohibits underage drinking."

"School rules prohibit students from using their mobile phones during class unless it is an emergency situation."

an official rule or law that forbids something

"The prohibition of alcohol lasted thirteen years."

"The prohibition of alcohol in the United States during the nineteen twenties led to a rise in organized crime."

to lead a committee or meeting

"She chairs the weekly meeting."

"The experienced professor will chair the meeting and make sure that everyone has a chance to speak."

a legal document that shows a person's history of breaking the law and being punished for it

"He has a criminal record."

"A criminal record can make it hard to find work."

to regard someone or something in a particular way

"I account him friend."

"We must account for the unexpected delays in our project timeline."

to say that a person or group has done something wrong

"They accuse him of stealing money."

"The woman decided to accuse her neighbor of stealing her mail because she saw him near her mailbox."

to object to the legality or acceptability of something

"They challenge the decision."

"The young lawyer decided to challenge the judge's decision because she believed it was unfair and biased."

to think that someone may have committed a crime, without having proof

"Police suspect him of the crime."

"The police began to suspect the man because his story about where he had been did not make sense."

a matter that is to be dealt with in a court of law

"It is a court case."

"The high-profile case involving the alleged embezzlement of public funds is set to go to trial next month."

a legal process where a judge and jury examine evidence in court to decide if the accused is guilty

"The trial will start next Monday."

"The trial lasted for three weeks before the jury finally reached a unanimous verdict of guilty."

a behavior or treatment that is fair and just

"We want justice."

"The community demanded justice for the victims of the brutal crime, seeking fair and equitable treatment."

(of rules and regulations) absolute and must be obeyed under any circumstances

"These rules are strict."

"The strict teacher did not allow any talking during the exam and everyone was silent."

related to the law or the legal system

"It is legal."

"The new legislation aims to make the process of obtaining a business license more legal and straightforward."

in a way that is allowed by the law or in accordance with legal rules

"You are legally required to pay taxes."

"You are legally required to pay taxes on all income that you earn from your job or business."

acceptable by the law or any authority

"Your passport is valid."

"Your passport is valid for ten years so you do not need to renew it until then."

the process of controlling something by means of rules

"They made a regulation."

"The government imposed a strict regulation on air travel to ensure the safety of all passengers."

to decide whether or not a person is innocent in a court of law

"The judge will decide."

"The experienced judge carefully considered all the evidence before making a final decision."

the right or power to give orders to people

"Authority is important."

"The police officer has the authority to stop a vehicle if the driver is speeding or breaking any other traffic laws."

a separate part of a legal document that requires or talks about something specific

"There is a penalty clause in the contract for late payment."

"A non-compete clause is a contractual term restricting an employee from working for a direct competitor for a specified period."

a request for an amount of money that one believes is rightful

"He made a claim."

"The insurance company denied his claim because they determined that his policy did not cover flood damage to his basement."

a new law that is proposed to a parliament to be discussed about

"The bill is new."

"Parliament will debate the proposed bill concerning environmental protection next week."

a formal or legal process in which it is decided if someone has done something wrong or illegal

"Take legal action."

"The lawyer advised her client to take legal action against the company for breach of contract."

to officially ask a higher court to review and reverse the decision made by a lower court

"They will appeal the decision."

"The decision will appeal to young voters who are concerned about environmental issues and social justice."

a short document stating the facts provided by one side of a case to be presented to a court or judge

"Read the brief."

"The lawyer submitted a detailed brief to the court outlining their client's position."

an accusation against a person who is on trial

"The charge was high."

"The prosecutor dropped the charge against the defendant because new evidence proved that he was not even in the city when the crime occurred."

to officially accuse someone of an offense

"The police will charge him with theft."

"The police decided to charge the suspect with first degree murder after reviewing the evidence collected at the crime scene."

to represent a person who is on trial

"I will defend you."

"The barrister was hired to vigorously defend the accused individual against the charges."

to officially submit or store a document or record in accordance with legal or regulatory requirements

"File the papers."

"You must file your tax returns by the end of the fiscal year."

to officially start a legal process against someone, often with a document

"They issue a lawsuit."

"The government decided to issue a formal complaint against the corporation for violating environmental regulations."

to put a person on trial or investigate a case in a trial

"They will try the case."

"The court decided to try the complex case involving corporate fraud."

to fail to obey the law

"Do not break the law."

"Driving over the speed limit is a common way for people to break the law."

to escape from someone or somewhere

"Let's get away for the weekend."

"They decided to get away from the city for the weekend and rented a small cabin in the mountains."

to make something mandatory or necessary

"This requires effort."

"The new regulations require all businesses to adopt stricter data privacy measures."

to officially take away someone's right to do something for violating a rule

"They will disqualify him."

"The athlete was disqualified from the competition for failing to adhere to the rules."

the decision of a judge or law court

"The judgment was final."

"The judge's judgment in the civil case awarded the plaintiff one million dollars in damages for medical expenses and pain and suffering."