legal english vocabulary zhaw VZA e

using a weapon to take money or property by force or direct threat of violence.

intentionally burning a building.

attempting to physically attack a person.

striking a person with intent to harm.

giving money etc. to influence a public official.

entering a building illegally in order to steal things.

an act which breaks the law and which is punished by law.

stealing from an employer.

obtaining money or property through indirect threats or intimidation.

a serious crime such as murder or rape; opposite of misdemeanour.

creating a false document.

deceiving somebody out of money or property.

the killing of one person by another.

the crime of buying or selling shares using confidential information that is not available to other people.

'the guilty mind': criminal intent is an essential element of a crime.

a minor, less serious crime; opposite of felony.

concealing the source of money obtained from crimes.

a crime, either a felony or a misdemeanour.

stealing small items or small amounts of money.

a crime where the victim is society as a whole, such as certain traffic violations, prostitution, or drug crimes.

the crime of forcing someone to have sexual intercourse without their consent.

a crime where intent does not have to be proved, such as certain traffic offences or illegal waste disposal.

taking another person’s personal property without permission.

a wrongful act that results in injury to another’s person, property, or reputation, for which the injured party is entitled to compensation.

intentional and malicious damage to or destruction of property.

non-violent crime usually committed by business people or office workers, such as embezzlement or fraud.

the person charged with a crime, the defendant in a criminal case.

a court case brought because of a tort.

lawyers representing the parties.

the standard of proof in civil cases requiring one side’s evidence to be stronger than the other’s.

the standard of proof in criminal cases requiring a very high degree of certainty regarding guilt.

the duty to convince the judge or jury that a version of the facts is true.

a person who brings a civil action against someone else in court.

a person against whom a civil or criminal action is brought.

facts, statements or objects used in a court of law to prove a claim.

a person in a court of law who hears and decides cases.

members of a jury.

a group of ordinary people who decide whether someone is guilty of a crime.

the standard of proof in civil cases requiring stronger evidence on one side; synonym of balance of probabilities.

the act of charging someone with a crime and bringing them to court.

a lawyer who brings criminal charges on behalf of the state.

the decision reached by a jury on whether someone is guilty or not.

a person who suffers a crime or tort.

the process of jury selection.

to accuse someone formally of a crime.

to find a defendant guilty.

to formally submit criminal accusations.

to officially announce a decision or judgment.

unpaid work in the local community done instead of prison.

physical punishment, such as beating, in schools or prisons.

capital punishment.

a theory of punishment aimed at preventing future crimes.

the act of killing someone sentenced to death by a court.

the punishment of being sent to prison; synonym: incarceration.

the state of being confined in prison; synonym: imprisonment.

a person who commits a crime.

permission for a prisoner to leave prison early under conditions.

a system allowing an offender to avoid prison if they behave well and report regularly.

a theory of punishment focused on reform.

solutions or payments for harm or damage caused.

a theory of punishment based on revenge or deserved punishment.

documents proving ownership of company shares.

a legal punishment given by a court for a crime.

to commit a crime again.

to sentence someone to prison.

to officially state in court what someone’s punishment will be.

to not carry out a punishment if the offender behaves during a fixed period.

to make an official judgment or decision about a problem or disagreement.

based on or determined by individual preference or convenience.

that must be followed because it is accepted in law.

solving new problems based on solutions of similar past cases.

a systematic collection of laws regulating private relations between individuals or organisations.

a legal system developed from Roman law based on written codes, or the body of law regulating private relations.

a systematic collection of laws or written rules regulating behaviour.

the collection and systematic arrangement of laws forming a legal code.

to arrange laws or rules into an organised system.

a legal system based on court decisions rather than statutes.

the study comparing the legal systems of different countries.

unwritten rules that state how things are usually done.

to make people obey a rule, law, or court order.

the process of ensuring court decisions are obeyed.

the process of making systems or rules similar in different countries; synonym: unification.

in a way that is not allowed by law.

the branch of government consisting of all judges and courts.

the authority to make legal decisions or the area where a legal system applies.

people who make laws.

the concept that Parliament is the supreme legal authority.

a legal decision or principle that binds future similar cases.

to tell someone what to do or give something as a rule.

places where the law is actually stated, such as statutes.

to prohibit or forbid.

legal systems based on religious doctrines.

the legal rules used in socialist countries, especially the former Soviet Union.

a place or origin where something, like a rule or law, comes from.

Latin for 'stand by previous decisions': courts must follow earlier decisions in similar cases.

an established written law passed by a legislative body.

the conditions given by law or statute.

to determine the meaning of laws.

to annul or take back laws.

to declare a law illegal or annul it.

law that is the same or similar in different countries.

‘the guilty act’: a criminal act is an essential element of a crime.

to formally denounce an act.

unpleasant and offensive.

a husband or wife.

the process of making systems or rules similar in different countries or organisations; synonym: harmonisation.