John M. Swales & Christine B. Feak, Academic Writing for Graduate Students: A Course for Non-Native English Speakers (U. of Mich. 1994). Note: This is not a legal resource, but a good ESL resource. Accuse: Pretending that someone did something, often something illegal. (verb) Defendant: A person accused of doing something. (name) Acquittal: Saying that a person is not guilty and has not committed a crime.
(verb) Lawyer: A lawyer who pleads in court for a particular side of a case. (name) Allegation: Saying that someone may have done something, but it hasn`t been proven. (verb) Appeal: Attempting to overturn a court judgment. (verb) Court of Appeal: A special court where appeals are heard. (name) Arrest: When a police officer takes away someone who has committed a crime. (name) Arson: Setting something on fire illegally. (name) Aggression: Physically attacking another person. (verb) Bailiff: A clerk who enforces the judge`s orders. (name) Prohibition: To prevent someone from doing something for a period of time.
(name) Lawyer: An experienced lawyer who works in higher or larger courts. (name) Formation (1): When the judge sits in a court. (name) Bench (2): A collective term for all judges in a court. (name) Breaking the law: Doing something that is not allowed by the law of that country. (verb) Bribery: Giving something (usually money) to get an advantage. (name) Burglary: Stealing something from a building or vehicle. (name) Capital punishment: The use of the death penalty for certain crimes. (name) Case: A single point that occurs within a court. (name) Indictment: Officially claiming that a person has broken the law. (verb) Civil law: Rules that relate to the leadership of a country or state.
(name) Committing a crime: doing something illegal. (verb) Compensate: Give something (often money) to compensate for criminal damage. (verb) Convicted: Saying someone is guilty of a crime. (name) Clerk: The person who ensures the proper functioning of a court, the person who keeps court records. (name) Courtroom: The place where cases are heard by a judge. (name) Criminal Law: The rules relating to crime and the punishment of crimes. (name) Criminal: A person who has been convicted by a court of law. (name) Death penalty: Killing someone as a form of punishment for committing a crime. (name) Defence lawyer: A lawyer who explains why a person did not commit the crime or why they are innocent. (name) Defense: The argument why someone is innocent.
(name) Defendant: The person accused of committing a crime. (name) Dock: The place where the accused sits during the trial. (name) Drunk driving: The crime of driving a vehicle after drinking alcohol. (name) Drug Trafficking: The crime of selling illegal drugs. (name) Embezzlement: The crime of stealing money that belongs to someone else, but for which you were responsible. (name) Evidence: Material and information used in a legal proceeding to prove innocence or guilt. (name) Expert witness: Someone who knows a lot about a subject and is called to testify. (name) Felony: A Serious Crime (American English).
(name) Fine: Being forced to give money as punishment for committing a crime. (name) Foreman: The head of a jury and the person speaking on his or her behalf. (name) False: The crime of doing something and pretending it`s something else. (name) Fraud: The crime of using false information to obtain something. (name) Guilty: Being convicted of committing a crime. (adjective) Supreme Court: The most important court in a country (British English). (name) Hijacking: The crime of taking a vehicle with people on board and forcing it to go somewhere. (name) Homicide: The crime of intentionally killing someone (such as murder) (American English). (name) Illegal: Something that is not permitted by the laws of a country.
(adjective) Imprisonment: Putting someone in jail as punishment for committing a crime. (verb) Indictment: Formally accusing someone of committing a crime. (verb) Innocent: To be proven that he is not guilty, that he did not commit the crime. (adjective) Judge: A person who decides on the sentence to be imposed on a person convicted of committing a crime. (name) Jury: A group of 12 people who listen to the evidence in a case and then decide whether the accused is guilty. (name) Jury Room: The room where the jury goes to review the evidence and reach a verdict. (name) Justice: A situation in which a guilty person has been punished. (name) Minor: A person who is not an adult and who is often dealt with by special courts. (name) Abduction: The crime of kidnapping a person and demanding money to return them. (name) Law: The rule or rules that govern how people should behave. (name) Trial: A court case brought by a single person and not by public servants. (name) Lawyer: A person who studies and practices law.
(name) Legal: Bound to and regulated by the law. (adjective) Judge: A less qualified judge who deals with minor violations. (name) Manslaughter: The crime of accidentally killing someone. (name) Misdemeanor: A Less Serious Crime (American English). (name) Murder: The crime of intentionally killing someone (such as murder) (British English). (name) Negligence: Acting without due diligence for consequences. (name) Not guilty: Not guilty of committing a crime. (adjective) Crime: The specific law that a person has violated. (name) Probation: Being released early from prison, but with restrictions on the person`s actions.
(name) Perjury: The crime of lying, while promising not to lie. (name) Pickpocketing: The crime of stealing something from someone`s pocket or pocket. (name) Plaintiff: The person who brings a lawsuit. (name) Advocacy: The answer to the question of whether or not a person has committed a crime: guilty or innocent. (name) Police Officer: A person who catches criminals and prevents crimes from being committed. (name) Previous: When previous judgments are used as a basis for new laws. (name) Prison sentence: The amount of time a criminal must spend in prison. (name) Prison: A place where criminals are sent and imprisoned as punishment for their crimes. (name) Probation: The period during which a criminal`s behaviour is closely monitored and if they do something wrong, they can return to prison. (name) Charge: Lawyers trying to find a guilty person. (name) Public Gallery: An area of a courtroom where people can sit and watch.
(name) Robbery: The crime of taking something that does not belong to you. (name) Shoplifting: The crime of taking something out of a store without paying. (name) Smuggling: The crime of bringing something into a country that is illegal or not paying taxes related to the items. (name) Lawyer: A lawyer who can be consulted for advice and to prepare documents. (name) In court: Being charged by a jury. (name) Statement: An official description of what happened or was observed. (name) Stenographer: A person who records every word spoken in a court of law. (name) Sue: To make a legal claim against a natural or legal person. (verb) Suspect: A person suspected of having committed a crime.
(name) Take the helm: Go to the front of the courtroom (the booth) and testify. (verb) Terrorism: The crime of using violence against people to achieve a specific goal. (name) Testimony: Court testimony. (verb) The accused: The person tried for committing a crime. (name) The booth: The area at the front of the courtroom where witnesses can testify. (name) Theft: The crime of taking something that does not belong to you.