For ELS (English for Legal Studies) students. VOCAB LIST: Crimes arson – using fire to destroy something assassination – killing a leader or important person (usually for political reasons) assault – attacking or intentionally hurting another person bribery – paying money to influence a government official burglary – breaking into a house or building, usually to steal something (one kind of “theft”) embezzlement – stealing from an employer (one kind of “theft”) forgery – writing another person’s signature (on a contract or check, for example) fraud – lying or making a false statement that causes harm to another person hijacking – taking control of an airplane or other vehicle by force kidnapping – taking a person (often a child) and demanding money manslaughter – killing another person without premeditation (without planning) murder – killing another person with premeditation (with planning) perjury – lying when testifying in court pick-pocketing – stealing money by taking it from other people’s pockets (one kind of “theft”) robbery – using force or threats to directly steal money from another person (one kind of “theft”) shoplifting – stealing items from a store smuggling – sneaking illegal items from one country to another country terrorism – using threats or violence against innocent people for political/religious reasons theft – stealing from others (includes burglary, embezzlement, pick-pocketing, robbery, etc.) trespassing – going onto another person’s property without permission vandalism – destroying another person’s property VOCAB LIST: The Verdict verdict (n.) – the decision in a trial (usually “guilty” or “not guilty” Everyone is curious to hear what the jury’s verdict will be in this case. convicted – “found guilty”; when a judge or jury decides someone is guilty acquitted – “found not guilty”; when a judge or jury decides someone is not guilty After he was convicted of murder, the criminal went to jail. When the jury acquitted him, John began crying tears of joy. felony (n.) – a very serious crime misdemeanor (n.) – a crime that is not as serious as a felony If you steal more than $1,000, it is considered a felony and you can be sent to jail. However, if the amount stolen is less than $1,000, it is a misdemeanor and you will probably just have to pay a fine. plea (n.) – the defendant’s statement of whether he/she is guilty or innocent plead (v.) – to officially state whether you are guilty or innocent “What’s your plea?” asked the judge. The defendant replied, “Not guilty, your honor.” If you plead guilty, sometimes the prosecutor will agree to a reduced sentence. This is called a “plea bargain”. sentence (n., v.) – the punishment; to punish a person who has been convicted After he was convicted, the man was sentenced to 20 years in prison. He was very upset because he didn’t expect such a long sentence. fine (n.) – money paid to a victim as punishment The judge ordered the thief to pay a $200 fine. compensate (v.) – to pay money to someone because you have done something wrong Because I accidentally hit Rita’s car, the judge ordered me to compensate her for the full amount of repairs. probation (n.) – instead of going to jail, a person may go on “probation” and meet with a “probation officer regularly for a certain period of time The thief was lucky to avoid jail; the judge sentenced him to five years’ probation instead. parole (n., v.) – an agreement that lets a criminal leave prison early – the criminal must meet with a “parole officer” regularly and stay out of trouble It can often be hard for people on parole to get a job, because many employers are unwilling to trust them. Prosecutors are arguing that the convicted murderer is still dangerous and should not be granted parole. death penalty (n.) – a sentence of “death” for a serious crime (such as murder) Many people are opposed to the death penalty because they argue that it is too cruel. verdict (n.) – the decision in a trial (usually “guilty” or “not guilty” Everyone is curious to hear what the jury’s verdict will be in this case. convicted – “found guilty”; when a judge or jury decides someone is guilty acquitted – “found not guilty”; when a judge or jury decides someone is not guilty After he was convicted of murder, the criminal went to jail. When the jury acquitted him, John began crying tears of joy. felony (n.) – a very serious crime misdemeanor (n.) – a crime that is not as serious as a felony If you steal more than $1,000, it is considered a felony and you can be sent to jail. However, if the amount stolen is less than $1,000, it is a misdemeanor and you will probably just have to pay a fine. plea (n.) – the defendant’s statement of whether he/she is guilty or innocent plead (v.) – to officially state whether you are guilty or innocent “What’s your plea?” asked the judge. The defendant replied, “Not guilty, your honor.” If you plead guilty, sometimes the prosecutor will agree to a reduced sentence. This is called a “plea bargain”. sentence (n., v.) – the punishment; to punish a person who has been convicted After he was convicted, the man was sentenced to 20 years in prison. He was very upset because he didn’t expect such a long sentence. fine (n.) – money paid to a victim as punishment The judge ordered the thief to pay a $200 fine. compensate (v.) – to pay money to someone because you have done something wrong Because I accidentally hit Rita’s car, the judge ordered me to compensate her for the full amount of repairs. probation (n.) – instead of going to jail, a person may go on “probation” and meet with a “probation officer regularly for a certain period of time The thief was lucky to avoid jail; the judge sentenced him to five years’ probation instead. parole (n., v.) – an agreement that lets a criminal leave prison early – the criminal must meet with a “parole officer” regularly and stay out of trouble It can often be hard for people on parole to get a job, because many employers are unwilling to trust them. Prosecutors are arguing that the convicted murderer is still dangerous and should not be granted parole. death penalty (n.) – a sentence of “death” for a serious crime (such as murder) Many people are opposed to the death penalty because they argue that it is too cruel. The Rule of Law “a principle of governance in which all persons, institutions and entities, public and private, including the State itself, are accountable to laws that are publicly promulgated, equally enforced and independently adjudicated, and which are consistent with international human rights norms and standards. It requires, as well, measures to ensure adherence to the principles of supremacy of law, equality before the law, accountability to the law, fairness in the application of the law, separation of powers, participation in decision-making, legal certainty, avoidance of arbitrariness and procedural and legal transparency. (Report of the Secretary-General: The rule of law and transitional justice in conflict and post-conflict societies” (2004)) VOCAB LIST: Legal Proceedings stand trial – to go into court and have a judge or jury decide if you are guilty or innocent The police caught the suspect, and he will stand trial tomorrow. case – a single trial; a situation that is decided in court Prosecutors often work on several cases at the same time. accuse (v.) – to suggest that a particular person is guilty The prosecutor accused the defendant of stealing the victim’s car. charge (n.) – the official crime that a suspect is accused of charge (v.) – to officially accuse a person of committing a crime The prosecutor officially charged the suspect with murder yesterday. The suspect is disputing the charges and arguing that he is innocent. indict ( v.) – similar to “charge”, but sounds slightly more formal The suspect was officially indicted after he was arrested last week. dispute (n. or v.) – to fight a charge; to argue something (a price, decision, etc.) The suspect has promised to dispute the charges in court. allege (v.) – to claim that someone did something wrong (although there may be no proof) The prosecutors allege that the suspect shot the criminal with a stolen gun. The alleged murderer will stand trial tomorrow. civil law – laws that deal with private matters or disagreements criminal law – laws about official crimes and their punishments With civil law, the defendant might have to pay a fine, but with criminal law, the defendant may face much more serious punishment, such as jail time. sue (v.) – in civil law: to bring someone to court because you have a disagreement with them My neighbor is suing me because my dog bit her son. justice (n.) – the determination of right/wrong and suitable punishment in society; fairness The legal system is often called the justice system. The victim’s parents are seeking justice for their daughter’s murder. juvenile (n. or adj.) – for legal purposes, a person who is under 18 years old; a minor Because he is a juvenile, the suspect will stand trial in juvenile court. Legal Quotations Common sense often makes good law. — William O. Douglas Nothing is to be preferred before justice.— Socrates “The achievement of justice is an endless process.” — John F. Kennedy Let the good of the people be the supreme law. — Cicero The will of the people is the best law. — Sandra Day O Connor Justice in the life and conduct of the State is possible only as first it resides in the hearts and souls of the citizens. — Plato “True law is right reason in agreement with nature.— Cicero The law is a product of social changed. — Savigny Legal and Law Idioms E-H Legal and Law Idioms E-H examination for discovery - an oral examination that is taken under oath in which each side to a lawsuit has the right to examine the other sides witnesses before a trial or hearing The man spent several hours in an examination for discovery in connection with his case. expert witness - an expert or specialist whose opinions are used as evidence in a trial or hearing The lawyer called in an expert witness to look at the handwriting of the accused criminal. extenuating circumstances - special circumstances that explain an irregular or improper way of doing something The man was able to avoid going to jail for stealing the money because of extenuating circumstances. false arrest - unlawful physical detention It was a case of false arrest when the man was arrested as a suspect in the robbery. false pretenses - intentionally misrepresenting the facts in order to cheat or defraud someone The woman was acting under false pretenses when she went to the bank and asked for a loan. false witness - a person who deliberately offers false or inaccurate evidence The man was accused of being a false witness after he testified at the trial. fee simple - absolute title or ownership of real estate The property was sold fee simple by the woman. fine print - the part of a document or contract that may contain important information but is not easily noticed because the print is small It is a good idea to read the fine print before you buy something. for cause - reasons which the law accepts as justified The man was fired from his job for cause after several violations of his contract. free and clear - owning something fully with no money owed or other restrictions on the item or property My parents own their home free and clear. go legit - to begin operating as a legitimate or honest business after operating as an illegal business The man decided to go legit and get the proper license for his small business. go on record - to make an official statement rather than an informal one The mayor of the city will go on record to oppose the new convention center. goods and chattels - personal property (as opposed to land and buildings) The goods and chattels of the man were seized by the bank to pay for his bad loan. grace period - a period of time (often about 30 days) after a bill or something is due There was a 30-day grace period in which to pay the speeding ticket. gray area - an area of a subject that is not clearly defined Smoking near public buildings is a gray area that the smoking law does not deal with. grounded in fact - based on facts The decisions that were made during the legal discussions were grounded in fact. grounds for (something) - a cause or reason for legal action such as a lawsuit The fact that the woman lied to her employer was grounds for firing her from her company. have a brush with the law - to have a brief experience or encounter with the law The man had a brush with the law when he was a teenager. have a case (against someone) - to have strong evidence that can be used against someone The police do not have a case against the young woman. (not) have a leg to stand on - to not have the facts to support or win an argument or a legal charge that is made against you (usually used in the negative) The apartment manager tried to evict the young family but he did not have a leg to stand on and he lost the case in court. have a run-in with (the law or someone) - to have a bad or unpleasant encounter with the law or someone The man had a run-in with the law when he was on his holiday. have custody of (someone or something) - to have the right to guard or protect or care for someone or something The woman has custody of her two children. have (someone) dead to rights - to prove someone absolutely guilty The police had the man dead to rights when they saw him stealing the car. have (someone) in ones pocket - to have control over someone The businessman has the mayor of the city in his pocket. have the right to (do something) - to have the freedom or legal right to do something The lawyer did not have the right to ask personal questions during the trial. a hung jury - a jury that is divided and unable to agree on a verdict There was a hung jury after the trial of the famous singer. examination for discovery - an oral examination that is taken under oath in which each side to a lawsuit has the right to examine the other sides witnesses before a trial or hearing The man spent several hours in an examination for discovery in connection with his case.expert witness. Vocabulary words for Intellectual Property (copyright) Copyright Infringement : is the unauthorized use of copyrighted material in a manner that violates one of the copyright owners exclusive rights, such as the right to reproduce or perform the copyrighted work, or to make derivative works that build upon it. There are many different ways Copyright owners may find their copyright has been infringed. For example, in the film and music industry, infringing activities include the following: Piracy The illegal copying of music products that have been released without permission from the copyright owner. Common ways this is done are by copying music onto or from a cassette, CD, a hard drive or the Internet. Pirate products are not necessarily packaged in the same way as the original, as opposed to counterfeit products. Counterfeiting Involves duplication of both the music product and of its packaging. For this reason unwitting buyers are less able to recognise counterfeit copies than is the case with some pirate copies. A counterfeit is an imitation, usually one that is made with the intent of fraudulently passing it off as genuine. Counterfeit products are often produced with the intent to take advantage of the established worth of the imitated product. Forgery Forgery is the process of making, adapting, or imitating objects, statistics, or documents with the intent to deceive. The similar crime of fraud is the crime of deceiving another, including through the use of objects obtained through forgery. When we speak of forgery we usually refer to money, paintings or documentation such as ID, diplomas or passports. Bootlegging Where recordings are made of live performances without the performers consent; Bootleg recordings are musical recordings that have not been officially released by the artist or their associated management or production companies. They may consist of demos, out takes or other studio material, or of illicit recordings of live performances. Music enthusiasts may use the term bootleg to differentiate these otherwise unavailable recordings from pirated copies of commercially released material, but these recordings are still protected by copyright despite their lack of formal release, and their distribution is still against the law. The slang term bootleg (derived from the use of the shank of a boot for the purposes of smuggling) is often used to describe illicitly copied material. Plagiarism Is theft of another persons writings or ideas. Generally, it occurs when someone steals expressions from another authors composition and makes them appear to be his own work. Plagiarism is not a legal term; however, it is often used in lawsuits. Courts recognize acts of plagiarism as violations of copyright law, specifically as the theft of another creators intellectual property. Because copyright law allows a variety of creative works to be registered as the property of their owners, lawsuits alleging plagiarism can be based on the appropriation of any form of writing, music, and visual images. Vocabulary words for Intellectual Property (copyright) Copyright Infringement : is the unauthorized use of copyrighted material in a manner that violates one of the copyright owners exclusive rights, such as the right to reproduce or perform the copyrighted work, or to make derivative works that build upon it. There are many different ways Copyright owners may find their copyright has been infr... The wind and the sun argued one day over which one was the stronger. Spotting a man man traveling on the road, they sported a challenge to see which one could remove the coat from the mans back the quickest. The wind began. He blew strong gusts of air, so strong that the man could barely walk against them. But the man clutched his coat tight against him. The wind blew harder and longer, and the harder the wind blew, the tighter the man held his coat against him.The wind blew until he was exhausted, but he could not remove the coat from the mans back. It was now the suns turn. He gently sent his beams upon the traveler. The sun did very little, but quietly shone upon his head and back until the man became so warm that he took off his coat and headed for the nearest shade tree. guilty / prosecution / suspects / victims / charge / arrest / witnesses / innocent/ judge/ sentence/verdict/ trial Complete this text with words above. (Check out all the correct answers in comment section below) 1. None of the _______________ wants to testify in the murder trial because they are afraid the suspect will kill them when he gets out of prison. 2. I sure hope they _______________ the guy that has been breaking into cars all over the neighbourhood soon. 3. Voltaire once stated that it is better to risk saving a guilty person than to condemn an _______________ one. 4. Police have brought a _______________ of assault against the young man accused of beating up a classmate. 5. Before sentencing, the _______________ said that it was the most horrible crime he had ever heard of. 6. During the trial, the old woman _______________ that on the night of the murder, she heard the accused threatening to kill the victim. 7. The murderer received a _______________ of twenty years in prison. 8. Many old people are afraid of becoming _______________ of crime, but studies show the elderly are actually the least likely members of society to be attacked or robbed. 9. The suspect bowed his head and cried with relief when the _______________ was read out. 10. The police have no _______________ as of yet in the murder case. 11. He is a _______________ drug dealer who is also serving time for theft and assault. 12. The _______________ had to drop its case when its only witness died. 13. The witness gave evidence at the _______________ which suggested the police had arrested the wrong person. 14. The jury found him innocent, but I think he is _______________. Choosing the Right Word 1. Her father died (ipso facto, intestate), so she and her siblings had difficulty dividing his estate. 2. Before we could close the deal, the borrower had to provide evidence to the lender that there were no (liens, larcenies) against the borrowers property. 3. In our town, our water became contaminated because a local factory was not disposing of dangerous chemicals properly, so we brought a (sanction, tort) claim against them and won. 4. I am very interested in studying (jurisprudence, malfeasance), because I am fascinated by the different systems of law and the philosophical tenets on which they are based. 5. In our country, child labor was (extradited, abrogated) a long time ago; however, in some countries, people are still fighting to end it. 6. When my grandfather died, he left me his piano as a (contraband, bequest), which touched me deeply because he was the one who taught me how to play. 7. After they found the tomb, the explorers wanted to (extradite, exhume) the remains to see if they could determine the date it was buried. 8. The contract stated that the parties must give written notification of intent to extend the contract, or the contract (ipso facto, adjudicate) terminated on the expiration. 9. Before the bank would give us our loan, the attorney prepared a(n) (deposition, affidavit) that stated that our property was debt-free and environmentally sound and asked me to sign it under oath. 10. The woman who snatched the other womans purse was eventually charged with (plagiarism, larceny). . accepted 2. agreement 3. breach 4. consideration 5. contractual liability 6. damages 7. express 8. implied 9. intention 10. obligations 11. offer 12. reward 13. signed 14. stated 15. sue 16. terms 17. under seal 18. verbally 19. voided 20. writing Complete this text with words or expressions above. A contract can be defined as an __________ between two or more parties to create legal __________between them. Some contracts are made __________: in other words, they are __________ and sealed(stamped) by the parties involved. Most contracts are made __________ or in __________. The essential elements of a contract are: (a) that an __________ made by one party should be __________ by the other;(b) __________ (the price in money, goods or some other __________, paid by one party in exchange for another party agreeing to do something); (c) the __________ to create legal relations. The __________ of a contract may be __________ (clearly stated) or __________ (not clearly __________ in the contract, but generally understood). A __________ of contract by one party of their __________ entitles the other party to __________ for __________ or, in some cases, to seek specific performance. In such circumstances, the contract may be __________ (in other words, it becomes invalid) Reference # Dictionary of Law 4th edition
Posted on: Tue, 18 Mar 2014 13:04:09 +0000
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