words about law-3

3 the legal process

lawsuit (also civil action) noun [countable] a problem or complaint that a person or organization brings to a court of law to be settled:
· Any person who wishes to file a major lawsuit in state or federal court should have a lawyer.
· Individuals may also bring a civil action against an employer.

class action noun [countable] a lawsuit arranged by a group of people for themselves and other people with the same problem:
· In 1998, 127 women attempted to bring a class action against sixty hospitals for overdosing them with radiation.

litigation noun [uncountable] the process of taking claims to a court of law:
· The costs involved in litigation are very high.

case noun [countable] a question or problem that will be dealt with by a court of law:
· The case will come to court in June.

custody noun [uncountable] the situation of someone who is being kept in prison until they go to court, because the police think they have committed a crime:
· The suspects were taken into custody and questioned by the police.
· The statistics presented here refer to all persons who were in custody in adult prisons on 30 June of each year.

hearing noun [countable] a meeting of a court or special committee to find out the facts about a case:
· Both men attended the court hearing to defend themselves against the claims.

trial noun [uncountable and countable] a legal process in which a judge and often a jury in a court of law examine information to decide whether someone is guilty of a crime:
· It is essential that he should have a fair trial.
· She should never have been put on trial.

bail noun [uncountable] money left with a court of law to make sure that someone who has been accused of a crime will come to the court when their trial starts:
· He was granted bail (=allowed to go free after leaving money with the court) on condition that he kept away from witnesses.
· He was arrested and then released on bail by magistrates.

allege verb [transitive often passive] to say that something is true or that someone has done something wrong, although it has not been proved:
allege that: The prosecution alleged that he had murdered his wife so that he could live with his mistress.

allegation noun [countable]:
· Morris denied both allegations.

charge verb [transitive] to state officially that someone may be guilty of a crime:
charge somebody with something: He was charged with causing death by dangerous driving.

charge noun [countable]:
· He was arrested on a charge of treason.

writ noun [countable] a document from a court that orders someone to do or not to do something:
· He issued a writ against Perkins for defamation.

court order noun [countable] an order or decision made by a law court:
· The site's owners have sought a court order to evict the travellers from the site.

injunction noun [countable] an order given by a court which tells someone not to do something:
· Wilson asked for a High Court injunction to prevent publication of his tax affairs.

summons noun [countable] an official order to appear in a court of law:
· The district judge must also prepare and issue a summons.

summons verb [transitive]:
· He had been summonsed to appear in court in Grenoble on Sept. 26.

arraign verb [transitive] to make someone come to court to answer a charge against them:
· He was arraigned on three different charges.

arraignment noun [uncountable and countable]:
· He had to be in court on Monday for his arraignment on felony charges.

adjourn verb [intransitive and transitive] if a law court adjourns, or if the person in charge adjourns it, it stops for a short time:
· The court adjourned for lunch.

adjournment noun [uncountable and countable]

evidence noun [uncountable] information that is given in a court of law in order to prove that someone is guilty or not guilty:
· Cartwright gave evidence at Lee's trial.

testimony noun [uncountable and countable] a formal statement made by a witness in a court of law:
· He was visibly nervous before giving his testimony.

testify verb [intransitive and transitive] to make a formal statement in a court of law:
testify that: The prosecutor called a woman who testified that Leyland had phoned her on the night of the shooting.

contempt of court noun [uncountable] disobedience or disrespect towards a court of law:
· If the debtor refuses to attend, he is liable to be sent to prison for contempt of court.

perjury noun [uncountable] the crime of telling a lie after promising to tell the truth in a court of law, or a lie told in this way:
· He claimed two key witnesses at his trial had committed perjury (=lied).

cross-examine verb [transitive] to ask someone questions about something that they have just said, to see if they are telling the truth, especially in a court of law:
· Smith's counsel began to cross-examine the prosecution witness.

cross-examination noun [uncountable and countable]:
· Under cross-examination, he admitted being a drug user.

prove beyond reasonable doubt if something is proved beyond reasonable doubt, it is shown to be almost certainly true

the burden of proof noun [singular] the duty to prove that something is true:
· The plaintiff bears the burden of proof; he has to show that the defendant was negligent.

summing-up noun [countable] a statement giving the main facts and arguments relating to a case, which the judge makes at the end of a trial

verdict noun [countable] an official decision made in a court of law, especially about whether someone is guilty of a crime or how a death happened:
· The jury took twenty minutes to return a verdict of guilty.
· The judge formally directed the jury to return a not guilty verdict.

acquit verb [transitive often passive] to give a decision in a court of law that someone is not guilty of a crime:
· He was acquitted on one charge of assault.

acquittal noun [uncountable and countable]:
· The trial ended on May 24 with the acquittal of both defendants.

convict verb [transitive often passive] to give a decision in a court of law that someone is guilty of a crime:
· He was convicted of two murders in 1994.

conviction noun [uncountable and countable]:
· He lost an appeal against his conviction for murder.

sentence verb [transitive] if a judge sentences someone who is guilty of a crime, they give them a punishment:
sentence somebody to something: He was sentenced to 15 years in prison.

sentence noun [countable] a punishment that is given by a judge:
· The offence carries a maximum sentence of 10 years' imprisonment.

appeal verb [intransitive and transitive] to make a formal request to a court or someone in authority asking for a decision to be changed:
· Their lawyers are now preparing to appeal against the sentence.

appeal noun [uncountable and countable]:
· His five-year sentence was reduced on appeal.

compensation noun [uncountable] money paid to someone because they have suffered injury or loss, or because something they own has been damaged:
· a claim for compensation

damages noun [plural] money that a court orders someone to pay to someone else as a punishment for harming them or their property:
· She was awarded $20,000 in damages.