Law: English Vocabulary List

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."

a formal declaration by which someone is found guilty of a crime in a court of law

"He appealed against his criminal conviction and asked for a new trial."

"A wrongful conviction occurs when an innocent person is found guilty of a crime they did not commit"

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."

the legal right or responsibility to care for and make decisions regarding a child, especially after a divorce or separation

"The mother got child custody."

"The divorced parents share joint custody of their two children who spend weekends with each parent."

to clear someone from blame or suspicion and prove their innocence

"The evidence vindicated the innocent man."

"The new evidence that was discovered later helped to vindicate the man who had been wrongly accused of the crime and imprisoned."

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."

to become a party in a lawsuit because of a vested interest in the outcome

"He will intervene in the case."

"The environmental group sought to intervene in the lawsuit to protect the endangered species."

to make changes or additions to a document, law, contract, or similar text in order to correct or update it

"They will amend the constitution soon."

"The government agreed to amend the controversial law after receiving many complaints from concerned citizens and human rights groups."

to confirm or verify the legality or legitimacy of something, typically a document, contract, or action

"Validate the document now."

"The notary public will validate the authenticity of the signatures on the legal document."

a process where parties resolve disputes through a neutral third party

"They solved it through arbitration."

"The parties agreed to enter arbitration to settle their complex business disagreement outside of court."

a reference to a specific legal source, like a law or court case, used to support arguments or statements in legal documents and writings

"Here is a citation."

"The legal brief included a detailed citation to the landmark Supreme Court case that set the precedent."