Legal terms
Abandonment of appeal
Abeyance：
Abide by
Abode
Accessory after the fact
同谋的，帮凶的在犯罪前或犯罪后帮助、教唆违法者，但实施犯罪时不在现场
Accessory before the fact
Accretion ：(财产的)自然增加
Accrued benefits
Accused
Access: right to visit children after divorce
Acquit: to give a decision in a court of law that someone is not guilty of a crime: all defendants were acquitted. Opposite convict 宣布无罪
Acquittal: an official statement in a court of law that someone is not guilty. Opposite conviction 宣布无罪
Act of God: A natural event, such as a storm or earthquake, which causes damage.
Act of ownership：
Adjourn：a law court finishes or stops for a while: the trial was adjourned for 2 weeks 休庭Adjournment: 休庭
Adjudicate: officially decide who is right in an argument between two groups or organizations/ be a judge in a competition 判决，宣判，裁定
Administrative Appeals Court：行政申诉庭
Admissible: acceptable or allowed, especially in a court of law. Opposite inadmissible 法庭上可以用来作为证据的admissible evidence
Admission of guilt 承认有罪
Admonishment/admonition
Advance filing
Adverse claim
Affiance
Affidavit: a written statement made under oath, for use as proof in a court of law. Oath, statutory
declaration 宣誓书，书面陈述
Affidavit of insolvency：破产声明
Affidavit of support：支持的陈述
Aforethought
Aid & abet sb
Alibi：proof that sb was not where the crime happed and therefore could not have done it. Alien lawfully admitted
Alien registration card
Alien status
Alimony赡养费
Allegation: a statement that sb has done sth wrong or illegal, which has not been proved.
Allege: to say sth is true or sb has done sth wrong without showing proof
Allotment
Allowance letter
Amend
Annuitant
Anti-injunction law
Appeal against bail: 申诉不许保释
Appeal for reversal
Appeals/appellate court: a court in which people appeal against decisions made in other courts of law.
Appearance
Appear in court：出庭
Appellant: 上诉人
Applicant/application: plaintiff, complainant 原告
Apply for bail：申请保释
Appraisal fees
Arbitrator-at-law
Arraignment
Arrears
Arrest and detention
Arrest warrant
Arson
Articles of association
Articles of incorporation
Articles of War
Assault
Assault-aggravated
Assault and battery
Assign
Assignee
Assignor
Assistance
Attainment of age
Attorney-defense
Attorney general
Award certificate
Back pay
Bad debt
Bail
Bail/bail out
Bail bond
Bail forfeiture
Bailee
Bailee clause
Bailiff
Bailment
Bailor
Bailsman
Balloon loan
Balloon payment
Barrister
Battery
Bench
Bench warrant
Bequest
Betroth
Bias
Bill of complaint
Bill of indictment
Bill of particulars
Bind
Bind over
Blue laws
Boisterous conduct
Bona-fide
Brawl
Breach
Breach of Contract
Breach of Trust
Breaking and entering
Bring legal action
Bully
Capital punishment
Careless driving
Case dismissed
Caveat
Certificate of refusal
Cessation because of medical improvement Cessation following trial work period Change of payee
Change of venue
Charge with
Chattels
Child advocacy
Childhood disability benefits
Children Court/Juvenile Court Chirographic creditor
Circuit court
City council
Civil appeal notice
Civil Court
Civil Law
Civil Law Countries
Civil Law Jurisdiction
Claims release
Client-solicitor privilege
Common Law
Common-law marriage
Commutation
Complainant
Concealment
Concurrent
Conservator
Conservatorship
Constituency
Constituent
Constitutional law
Constitutional right
Consumer law
Contempt
Contempt of court：藐视法庭
Contest the charge
Contested action
Contributory negligence
Convict
Conviction
Co-respondent：共同被告（民事法中），刑事法中为defendant
Coroner: an official whose job is to discover the cause of sb’s death, especially if they died in a sudden or unusual way
Counsel:
Counsel services
Counterclaim
Counterfeit
Countervailing
County clerk
Court appointed attorney
Court clerk
Court of appeals
Court of common pleas
Court of first instance
Court of inquiry
Court of original jurisdiction
Court of records
Court order
Court summons
Crime
Criminal Court
Criminal liability
Criminal offense
Cross-examination交互讯问
Curfew
De jure
Decedents’ estates
Decree
Decree nisi
Deed
De-facto
Defamation
Defame
Default
Defeasible
Defendant
Defendants’ plea
Demurrer
Detention hearing
Devise
Devisee
Devisor
Dismissal with prejudice
Dismissal without prejudice
Dispute
Dissolution of marriage
District Criminal Court
Divided Custody
Division of Property
Division of Wealth
Dolicapax
Dower
Ear witness
Elder law
Embezzlement: embezzlement and theft 贪污盗窃/ commit embezzlement 盗用(公款); 犯贪污罪
Encumbrance
Endowment
Engage a lawyer
Equity law: 衡平法
Escheat
Escrow
Estate
Evidence
Extradition order
Facts in issue
Family Law Court
Felony
Forensic
Foreclosure
Forfeit
Forger/forgery
Forum convenience
Frisk
Gag
Gag order
Garnish
Garnishment
Grand larceny Guarantor
guilty
Hearing of the case Hearing of the suit Hearing of the witness Hearing officer
Hearsay
Heirship
High Court
Holographic will Homicide
Hung jury
Illicit
Illegal
Impeachment of a witness Implied-in-law contract Incumbency
Incumbent
Indictment
Industrial Court Injunction
Inter alia
Inter vivos trust
Interim
Intestate
Irrebuttable presumption
Irretrievable breakdown of marriage
Joint and several liability
Judge advocate
Judge advocate general
Judge having jurisdiction
Judge of inquiry
Jump bail
Jury
juror
Justice of the peace
Kangaroo court: 不公正的法庭；法律上无资格的法庭Kill a bill
Knowingly and willfully
Labour court
Lack of severity
Land law
Larceny
Latents
Law and its enabling regulations
Law and order
Law and practice
Law enforcement
Law goods
Law merchant
Law of diminishing marginal utility
Law of diminishing returns
Law of negotiable instruments
Law of retaliation
Law of the land
Law relation to negotiable instruments
Law-abiding
Lawful day
Lawyer
Lay-off
Leading question
Legal action
Legal advice
Legal aid
Legal-aid Commission
Legal basis
Legal capacity
Legal definition of a defense
Legal entity
Legal grounds
Legal impediment
Legal limits of time
Legal machinery
Legal officer
Legal or moral incompatibility Legal proceedings
Legal qualifications
Legal rate or duty
Legal redemption
Legal redress
Legal remedies
Legal reserve
Legal tender
Legal tenets
Legatee
Legateship
Legation
Legator
Legislative authority Legislative history
Levy taxes
Liability insurance
Libel
Lien
Lieutenant governor
Local Court
Lower court
Lump-sum payment Magistrate
Magistrates Court
Mens rea
Mercantile Law
Minor offence Misdemeanor
Mistrial
Mitigating Circumstances Moorage
Nail and mail service
Next of kin
Nonsuit
Notch babies
Notice of appeal
Null and void
Nullify
Nunc pro tunc
Offeree
Offeror
Official demand for payment Offence
Offender-first offender
Offset
On a charge of: 被指控有罪名Onset of disability
Open court
Opening statement
Order-interlocutory
Order of commitment (pending trial) Order of execution
Order of referral
Order to show cause
Overrule
Own recognizance
Parole
Parole board
Passenger liability
Peace officer
Pending litigations
Peremptory challenge Peremptory exception
Perjury
Petition for protective order-stalking Petty theft/larceny
Plaintiff
Plea
Plea bargaining
Plea of res judicata
Plead
Pleadings
Poll the jury
Pooled income
Post mortem
Power of attorney
Present a case: 陈述案情
Pretrial release
Previous conviction
Probate a will
Probation
Procedural Law
Proceedings
Proceedings for collection of a debt
Proceedings in a civil suit
Proceedings in a criminal suit
Proceedings of a court
Proceedings to determine the enforceability of a foreign judgment Promissory note
Pronounce judgment
Prosecution
Prosecutor
Provision of law
Pursuant to
Quash
Quitclaim
Raise an issue
Raise an objection
Ramble
Reach a decision
Reach an understanding
Realtor
Rebuttal
Receiver
Receivership
Recidivist 惯犯
Recitals
Record a conviction
Red-handed in fraganti
Redirect examination
Redress
Refugee Review Court
Rehearing
Release on bail
Remand
Remand the case
Reprieve
Respondent
Resumption of payment
Retaliate
Right of rescission
Royalty
Ruling
Scam
Search and seizure Seize
Separation
Serve a subpoena Settle out of court Settlement
Settler
Sharecropping
Shut-out
Slander
Slurred speech
Small Claims Court Smuggle
Speaker of the House Spouse
Stand bail: pay the bail Status hearing
Stay of execution
Strip a car
Subpoena
Subpoena duces tecum Sue
Suit
Suitor
Summon
Summons
Supreme Court
Surety
Sustain
Swindler
Tamper
Tort
Transcript of record Trespass
Trial by court
Trial by jury
Trial court
Trial documents
Trial judge
Trust
Trustee
Turn Key Job
Uncontested divorce
Uncontradicted
Under my hand and seal
Unenacted law
Unified mortgage
Unlawful arrest
Unlawful coercion
Unlawful entry
Unsecured creditor
Venality
Venue
Verbatim
Victim impact statement
Waiver of preliminary hearing & certification
Waiver of right to appear
Welfare reform
Willful
Willful misrepresentation
Windfall benefits
Witness
Witness stand
Writ
Writ of attachment
Writ of error
Writ of execution
Writ of mandamus
Easement: the right to use part of a block of land which belongs to another person.
For example, electricity, gas and water authorities have easements to allow
pipes and wires to pass over or under private property.
Empanel: to empanel a jury is to choose and swear in the individual members of the jury.
Eviction notice: a court order requiring tenants to leave rented premises.
Executor/executrix: the person who is responsible for ensuring that the property of a
deceased person is distributed according to the provisions of the will. The
term only applies where the deceased left a will. The person who
distributed the estate of an intestate is an administrator.
Ex-nuptial: born out of marriage, used to refer to a child whose parents were not
married when the child was born. See illegitimacy.
Fiduciary: A fiduciary is a person who owes an absolute duty to act honestly (bona fide) for the benefit of or in the interests of another person. This duty is
called a fiduciary duty. An example of a fiduciary relationship is the
relationship between an accountant and a client.
Fixture: Anything that is attached to land or a house which cannot be removed without damage to the property.
Foreman: Spokesperson of a jury
Fratricide: The unlawful killing of one’s brother
Matricide: The unlawful killing of one’s mother
Patricide: The unlawful killing of one’s father
Parricide: The unlawful killing of one’s parents
Garnish: To extract money or property from a person as a result of a court order. Garnishee: The person whose money or property is extracted as a result of a court order.
Habeas corpus: An order of the court or writ, which commands that a person should be released from unlawful detention. For example, if a person is wrongfully
detained by the police, a writ of habeas corpus may be applied fro requiring
her or his release.
Homicide: the unlawful killing, either murder or manslaughter, of a human being. Initiating process: the document which is used to begin a court action.
Incitement: to encourage a person to commit a crime.
Indictable offence: a serious criminal offence, such as murder, assault causing grievous
bodily harm or kidnapping.
Injunction: a court order which requires a party to do or refrain from doing something.
An
injunction may be permanent or temporary. A temporary injunction is called an
interlocutory injunction.
Insolvency: the inability to pay debts as they fall due.
Intellectual property: the ownership of creative works, inventions and trademarks.
Interim order: a court order which is temporary, usually between the initiation of
proceedings and the actual date of hearing.
Inter vivos: during the lifetime. A person who makes a transfer of their property whilst they are still alive does so inter vivos.
Intestate: to die without leaving a will.
Judge’s associate: a person who performs secretarial and research duties for a judge. Jurisdiction: the right or power of a court or tribunal to hear and decide a particular
matter.
Legacy: a legal of personal property in a will.
Lessee: the person who takes a lease on property
Lessor: the person who grants a lease on property
Lien: the right to hold property as security for the performance of an obligation Liquidator: a person whose task is to liquidate or sell the assets of a company and to ensure that
creditors are paid.
Maintenance: a regular payment for or towards the necessities of life for another person, either adult
or child.
Mandatory: something which is mandatory is compulsory
Minor: a person under the age of 18. Insignificant or unimportant
Miscarriage of justice: a failure of justice or a failure by the courts to ensure that justice is done. Monogamy: having one spouse.
Natural person: a human being as distinct from an artificial person, which is an entity
created by law, such as a corporation.
Abuttal: land or parts of a block of land which adjoins or abuts another property.
Ab initio: from the beginning
Act of God: a natural event, such as a storm or earthquake, which causes damage. Adduce evidence to present evidence to the court
Affiliation proceedings: a court case in which a man is proved or disproved to be the father of a child
Affray: unlawful fighting
Alimony: regular payments made by a husband for the support of a wife after they have
separated.
Annul: to take away the legal effect of something. For example, when a marriage is annulled it is as if the marriage never took place. This is to be distinguished from a
divorce, which recognized the legality of the marriage, but which terminates
the legal effect.
Arraignment: the formal reading of a charge to an accused person and the entering of the
accused’s plea o f either guilty or not guilty.
Attest: to witness an act or event by putting a signature to a document
Bailiff: a person employed by a court to serve writs and to carry out court orders.
Battery: the touching of a person without their content. Battery is sometimes called assault. Beneficiary: 1. the person for whose good benefit a trustee holds property.
2. a person who benefits under a will.
Bigamy: the offence committed by a person who marries another when they have not been divorced from a former spouse and they are aware that this spouse is still
alive.
Blasphemy: words which offend against the beliefs of a particular religion. Do not confuse with sacrilege.
Burglary: entering into another’s property by force with the intention of stealing. See also
breaking and entering.
Call-over: a brief court appearance usually before a registrar to determine whether the parties in an action are ready to trial. If they are, a hearing date is set. If the parties
are not ready, they are directed as to what needs to be done, and the
matter is given a date fro another call-over.
Chattel: a personal possession
Collusion: the arrangement or agreement between two persons either to do harm to a third person or to carry out a fraud.
Committal hearing: a hearing before a magistrate to determine whether there is sufficient
evidence for a jury to convict an accused person.
Contest: to question or challenge through litigation. For example, when a person contests a will, they challenge through the court either the gifts left in the will or its
overall validity.
Conversion: a wrong or tort in which a person deals with the property of another as if it were her or his own. For example, the selling of a car by the person with whom it
was left for repair would be conversion. Conversion is a civil wrong. Cournterfeiting: manufacturing false coins or paper money.
Creditor: a person to whom money is owed.
Debtor: a person who owes money to a creditor.
Default: the failure to perform a duty or obligation
Deponent: a person who swears or makes an affidavit
Detinue: a cause of action by which a person claims the return of goods wrongfully detained by another person.
Disbar: to remove the name of a barrister or solicitor from the roll of the Supreme Court, so that they can no longer practice.
Donee: the person who receives a gift.
Donor: the person who gives a gift.
Double jeopardy: the principle which holds that a person cannot be tried or convicted for the same crime twice.
Nonsuit: the abandonment of a trial before the jury has had the opportunity to give its verdict.
Nugatory: of no effect
Offensive weapons: objects capable of causing injury to a person
Paternity suit: a court action brought by the mother of a child claiming that a particular man is the father
Perjury: the giving of false evidence in court by a person after having taken an oath or affirmation. Related are: perjure, perjure oneself, perjured, perjurer,
perjurious
Petty theft: the theft of items of little value
Polyandry: having more than one husband
Polygamy: literally, having more than one wife, but now used as a general term for having more than one spouse. In Australia polygamy is illegal. The crime
of having more than one spouse is called bigamy.
Posthumous: after death
Power of attorney: the written authority given by one person to another to act on their behalf or to represent them
Presumption: an act or state of affairs which is accepted by the court as being true,
unless evidence is presented to disprove it. For example, the presumption
of innocence holds that a person is innocent until proven guilty. Primogeniture: the rule which states that the eldest son or eldest male relative inherits the estate of a deceased. Related are: primogenitary, primogeniturist,
Pro rate: in proportion
Proscribe: to make something illegal
Proxy: a person who is authorized to stand in the place of someone else. For example, a proxy vote is where a person, the proxy, is authorized to vote
for another person. A marriage by proxy is where a person stands in for the
bride or groom in the marriage ceremony.
Public company: a company registered on the stock exchange and in which the public may buy shares.
Public defender: a legal representative employed by the State to represent persons
accused of criminal offences.
Ratio decidendi: the reason for a judge’s decision.
Rebut: to disprove an allegation, presumption or fact.
Rebuttal: the statement or evidence which disproves an allegation, presumption or fact. A denial.
Rescission: the nullification of a contract.
Revenue: income
Ruling: a decision on a legal matter by a judge.
Sacrilege: the international destruction of or damage to property which has religious significance.
Satisfaction: the payment of a debt.
Submission: a proposition put to or suggested to the court.
Transcript: the official, written record of all that was said in court proceedings.
Transcripts are made by court reporters who take shorthand notes of all
that is said and then transcribe them, that is, write them out. Transcripts
are made available on request to all parties in proceedings.
Vicarious liability: the responsibility or liability of one person for the wrongful actions of
another. For example, an employer is vicariously liable for the wrongful
acts and subsequent damage caused by employers whist carrying out their
duties. Thus, if an employee is negligent in carrying out her or his tasks and
thereby injures a person, the employer will be liable for the damage.