Law and Order: English Vocabulary List

an officially written and established law

"The statute is a law."

"A statute is a formal written law passed by a legislative body that commands"

relating to the making and passing of laws by government bodies

"The bill is legislative."

"The legislative branch of government is responsible for making laws and approving the national budget."

a lawyer who represents someone in a court of law

"She hired an attorney."

"The defendant's attorney presented a compelling case to the jury during the trial."

belonging or appropriate for a court, a judge, or the administration of justice

"The system is judicial."

"The judicial system in the country is independent and judges make decisions based only on the law and the evidence presented."

to try to charge someone officially with a crime in a court as the lawyer of the accuser

"The state will prosecute the criminal."

"The district attorney decided to prosecute the suspect for fraud after collecting enough evidence to prove his guilt beyond a reasonable doubt."

to officially state the punishment of someone found guilty in a court of law

"The judge will sentence the criminal tomorrow."

"The judge will sentence the convicted criminal to ten years in prison for his role in the bank robbery."

to make a statement as a witness in court saying something is true

"She will testify in court."

"The witness agreed to testify in court about what she had seen on the night of the crime."

a formal statement saying something is true, particularly made by a witness in court

"He gave his testimony today."

"The witness's testimony in court was crucial because it helped the jury understand exactly what had happened."

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."

a person in a law court who is sued by someone else or is accused of committing a crime

"The defendant was found guilty."

"The defendant in a criminal trial is the individual formally charged with a crime who must defend themselves against the state's accusations and evidence."

a complaint or claim that someone brings to a law court for settlement

"The lawsuit began today"

"The lawsuit began today involving a dispute between two major international corporations"

to bring a charge against an individual or organization in a law court

"The customer plans to sue the company."

"The customer plans to sue the company for negligence after suffering serious injuries from a defective product."

actions taken in a court of law in order to settle an argument

"Court proceedings long."

"The court proceedings lasted for many months before the final judgment was announced by the judge."

an elected officer of law in a county

"The sheriff arrived first."

"The sheriff was reelected for a third term after promising to reduce crime and increase patrols in rural areas of the county."

a police officer holding an intermediate rank

"The inspector arrived quickly."

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

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."

the official laws and principles by which a country or state is governed

"The constitution guarantees free speech."

"The constitution guarantees every citizen the right to free speech and a fair trial."

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 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 law that is passed by a parliament or congress

"This is an act."

"The new act passed by Congress will significantly impact environmental regulations."

a formal rule or collection of rules enacted by a governing authority

"Legislation passed by government."

"Delegated legislation is a law made by an executive authority under powers given to them by a primary piece of legislation passed by the parliament."

to make or accept a law by voting or by decree

"They will pass the law."

"The legislature is expected to pass the amendment after considerable debate and public consultation."

(law) an official written document that people sign to agree on something or accept something as true

"The declaration was formal"

"The legal declaration was signed by both parties, officially agreeing to the terms of the contract."

(law) an official gathering in a court of law, especially without the presence of the jury, to find out information about a case and listen to evidence

"The hearing was today."

"The preliminary hearing will focus on establishing the facts before the main trial commences."

officially allowed or accepted according to the rules or laws that apply to a particular situation

"His claim is legitimate."

"The company had a legitimate reason for firing the employee because he was caught stealing money from the cash register on camera."

(law) a formal statement made by someone confirming or denying their accusation

"He made a guilty plea."

"The defendant entered a not guilty plea to all charges in court."

the state of being represented or the act of representing

"Fair representation needed."

"The new law ensures fair representation of all groups in the parliament every year."

a person or group that exercises administrative or controlling power over others

"The authority said no."

"The regulatory authority issued new guidelines for financial institutions."

a decision made by someone with official power, particularly a judge

"The court's ruling was final and could not be appealed."

"The Supreme Court's ruling legalized same sex marriage across the entire country."

a person who testifies under oath in a court of law

"He was a witness."

"The key witness provided crucial testimony that helped the prosecution secure a conviction."

anything that proves the truth or possibility of something, such as facts, objects, or signs

"There is no evidence of a crime."

"Circumstantial evidence alone is insufficient for a conviction in a court of law."

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."

an official decision made by the jury in a court after the legal proceedings

"The verdict made her cry."

"After hours of deliberation, the jury returned a unanimous verdict of not guilty."

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 preliminary version of a written text, subject to revision before being finalized

"This is a draft."

"The author presented a preliminary draft of the novel for peer review and feedback."

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."

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."