B2 — Upper IntermediateSociety

Law and Justice

Upper-intermediate vocabulary for discussing the legal system, crime, courts, and justice in English.

18 words

Word List

Word	Phonetic	Part of Speech	Definition	Example
evidence	/ˈɛvɪdəns/	noun	Facts or objects that help to prove whether something is true or not, especially in a court of law	The police found new evidence that linked the suspect to the crime.
trial	/ˈtraɪəl/	noun	A formal legal process in which a judge and often a jury examine evidence to decide if someone is guilty	The trial lasted three weeks before the jury reached a verdict.
verdict	/ˈvɜːrdɪkt/	noun	The decision made by a jury or judge at the end of a trial	The jury delivered a verdict of not guilty after long deliberation.
witness	/ˈwɪtnəs/	noun	A person who sees an event happen and can describe it, especially in court	The witness described exactly what she saw on the night of the incident.
defendant	/dɪˈfɛndənt/	noun	The person in a court case who is accused of a crime or is being sued	The defendant pleaded not guilty at the start of the trial.
sentence	/ˈsɛntəns/	noun	The punishment given to a person found guilty of a crime by a court	The judge gave him a sentence of five years in prison.
jury	/ˈdʒʊri/	noun	A group of ordinary people in a court who listen to the facts and decide whether the accused is guilty or not	The jury spent two days discussing the case before making their decision.
prosecutor	/ˈprɒsɪkjuːtər/	noun	A lawyer who presents the case against the accused person in court	The prosecutor argued that there was enough evidence to prove guilt.
appeal	/əˈpiːl/	noun	A formal request to a higher court to change the decision of a lower court	His lawyers filed an appeal after the guilty verdict.
convict	/kənˈvɪkt/	verb	To officially declare someone guilty of a crime in a court of law	He was convicted of fraud and sentenced to three years in prison.
legislation	/ˌlɛdʒɪsˈleɪʃən/	noun	A law or a set of laws passed by a parliament or government	New legislation was introduced to protect workers' rights.
sue	/suː/	verb	To take legal action against a person or organisation, usually to claim money	She decided to sue the company for unfair dismissal.
bail	/beɪl/	noun	Money paid to a court to allow an accused person to be free until their trial	The judge set bail at fifty thousand pounds.
custody	/ˈkʌstədi/	noun	The legal right to care for a child, or the state of being held by police	The suspect is currently being held in police custody.
offence	/əˈfɛns/	noun	An illegal act; a crime	Driving without insurance is a serious offence.
acquit	/əˈkwɪt/	verb	To officially decide in a court of law that someone is not guilty of a crime	The jury acquitted her of all charges due to lack of evidence.
testimony	/ˈtɛstɪmoʊni/	noun	A formal statement about what someone saw or knows, given in a court of law	Her testimony was the key piece of evidence in the case.
plaintiff	/ˈpleɪntɪf/	noun	The person who brings a case against someone in a civil court	The plaintiff claimed that the company had broken their contract.

Flashcards

noun

evidence

/ˈɛvɪdəns/

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Definition

Facts or objects that help to prove whether something is true or not, especially in a court of law

“The police found new evidence that linked the suspect to the crime.”

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Card 1 of 18

Practice Exercises

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What is a 'verdict'?