MODULE 3 ACTIVE VOCABULARY

Unit 1
World Major Legal Systems

1. the legal implication of everyday activities

2. to settle disputes
3. to solve disagreements
4. precise written contracts
5. to make and enforce laws
6. codes of law
7. the age of enlightenment
8. presumption of innocence
9. primary source of law
10. Roman law of Justinian
11. European Convention on Human Rights
12. an adversarial or accusatory approach
13. Romano-Germanic or Continental Law
14. the style of legal reasoning
15. to hear cases
16. to decide court cases
17. judicial precedents
18. codified legal systems
19. statutes/legislative acts
20. incursions
21. to conduct a trial
22. to adjudicate guilt or innocence
23. the open contest between the prosecution and defence
24. to oppose legal arguments
25. a judge acting as a neutral referee and as the arbiter of the law
26. to interpret the law
27. interpretation of the law in a deliberately biased way
28. to test the truthfulness, relevancy and sufficiency of the opponent’s evidence
29. the burden of proof
30. an inquisitorial system of adjudication
31. impartial and exhaustive investigation
32. the examining magistrate, acting as inquisitor
33. the fact-gathering process
34. to interrogate the suspect
35. to collect the evidence
36. to exaggerate the difference
37. to pattern the legal system after civil/common law
38. the public and the private law
39. to guarantee the rights and liberties
40. central importance of enacted law
41. flexible principles
42. to regard as the hallmark and the strength
43. to refute the statement
44. integration and disintegration
45. violation of the law
46. minor cases of common assault
47. proceedings

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48. to disturb public peace and security
49. Law of Succession
50. Law of Tort
51. legally enforceable
52. legal consequences
53. rights under a lease
54. to characterize certain kinds of wrongdoings as offences against the State
55. punishable
56. Constitutional/Administrative/Criminal
57. Adoption
58. the courts of justice

Unit 2
Types of Crimes and Lawbreakers
1. to turn to crime
2. to commit a petty crime
3. crime rate, residential crime rate
4. overall crime rate
5. close-knit population
6. transient population
7. crime cluster
8. to witness a high crime rate
9. inaccessible area
10. afflicted by poverty areas
11. indigent
12. determinant
13. to be susceptible to the crime-promoting forces
14. juvenile-related crime
15. drug-related offence
16. exacerbation of the crime problem
17. felony
18. misdemeanour (BrE), misdemeanor (AmE)
19. infraction
20. police officer
21. defendant
22. prosecutor
23. judge
24. to determine the seriousness of a charge
25. state prison (a penitentiary)
26. county jail
27. to subject a person to a monetary fine
28. to be charged with infractions
29. a jury trial
30. a court appointed lawyer
31. the increase in the rate of crime
32. to outpace smb/sth
33. to be put behind bars
34. to be adept at doing sth
35. to fall into crime
36. to be lenient with smb
37. to become gender-blind

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38. to speculate
39. a serial killer
40. to be barely represented
41. to be at the root of sth
42. to fall from legal grace
43. white-collar criminals
44. radical feminists
45. to stand out
46. to pack prisons and jails with inmates
47. a low-level accomplice
48. complicity
49. to get probation
50. to get a short sentence
51. an inmate
52. an effective counteraction to long-term abuse
53. depressing trinity
54. incarceration
55. a host of problems
56. to advocate counselling (counseling AmE) and probation
57. jail terms
58. to be driven by economic need
59. a generation of antisocial outcasts
60. to concede
61. disturbing the peace
62. driving without a licence (AmE license) or insurance
63. drug dealing (a drug-dealer, drug publisher)
64. drug pushing
65. drink driving (BrE), drunk driving (AmE)
66. embezzlement
67. espionage
68. falsification of information
69. forgery (a forger, to forge)
70. fraud (a fraudster = a fraud, to defraud)
71. grievous bodily harm
72. handling stolen goods
73. hijacking (a hijacker, to hijack)
74. hostage-taking
75. indecency
76. infanticide
77. jaywalking
78. joyriding
79. kidnapping (a kidnapper, to kidnap)
80. larceny (petty, grand larceny)
81. littering
82. manslaughter (a manslayer)
83. misuse of drugs
84. money laundering
85. murder (a murderer, a murderess, to murder)
86. obscenity
87. obstruction of the police

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 Crimes
1. abuse (physical abuse)
2. abduction (an abductor, to abduct)
3. actual bodily harm
4. aiding and abetting an offender
5. arson (an arsonist, to commit arson)
6. assault (simple/aggravated assault, an assaulter, to assault)
7. battery
8. bigamy (a bigamist)
9. blackmail (a blackmailer, to blackmail)
10. breach of the Official Secrets Act (municipal regulation)
11. breaking and entering
12. bribery
13. burglary (a burglar, to burgle)
14. assassination (an assassin, to assassinate)
15. careless/reckless driving
16. committing a breach of the peace
17. conspiracy
18. contempt of court
19. criminal damage
20. deception
21. disorderly conduct
22. perjury
23. perverting the course of justice
24. piracy
25. possessing weapons
26. possession of unregistered firearm
27. public intoxication
28. rape (a rapist, to rape)
29. robbery (a robber, to rob)
30. shoplifting (a shoplifter, to shoplift)
31. terrorism (a terrorist, to commit an act of terrorism)
32. smuggling (a smuggle, to smuggle)
33. theft (a thief, to thieve (old-fashioned), to steal)
34. treason
35. unlawful assembly
36. vandalism (a vandal, to vandalise (AmE vandalize)
37. violation of traffic laws (traffic offences)
38. wounding

Unit 3
Punishment
Task 1
1. to reform, rehabilitate an offender
2. deterrent
3. retribution
4. wrongdoer
5. misdeed
6. corporal punishment
7. death penalty
8. barbaric
9. humane

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 10. law-abiding
11. to be deprived of
12. to commit a crime

Task 2
1. re-educating criminals
2. would-be criminals
3. to be in jail
4. to be released
5. justifiable
6. depression
7. humiliation
8. fear of violence
9. blood feud
10. experienced and hardened criminals
11. drug abuse
12. ostracism
13. vendetta
14. stigma
15. risk of slipping back into
16. code of honour (AmE honor)
17. to take revenge on someone for something

Task 3
Crimes
1. drunk driving
2. shoplifting
3. assault
4. rape
5. murder
6. armed robbery
7. fraud
8. arson
9. drug-dealing
10. (hit-and-run) manslaughter
11. committing a foul in sport
12. mugging
13. premeditated murder
14. kidnapping
15. vandalism
16. tax evasion
17. burglary

Punishments
1. probation
2. fines (small/stiff/heavy)
3. imprisonment (light prison sentence / long prison sentence)
4. life imprisonment
5. suspension
6. community service
7. death penalty
8. corporal punishment

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 9. to deter
10. to ease the burden on
11. to be found guilty of an assault
12. a prison sentence
13. to be beyond redemption

Task 5
1. to do justice
2. a lighter sentence
3. a severe sentence
4. victim
5. defendant
6. judge

Task 6
1. to be fined
2. to be convicted of
3. to be given publicity
4. trial
5. defence
6. to commit suicide
7. to be found guilty / not guilty
8. to avenge
9. to rob
10. civil case
11. criminal case
12. solicitor
13. to be sentenced to
14. to abolish

Task 7
1. to be arrested for
2. to be charged with
3. to drop a charge
4. to be tried for
5. to accuse smb of sth
6. to be sentenced to death
7. to turn down an appeal
8. suspect
9. nationwide hunt
10. to be apprehended
11. alleged statements
12. to be in custody
13. to cast doubt
14. to go to court
15. to confess to the crime
16. plea of insanity
17. to reject a plea
18. to be convicted of doing sth
19. to set up an enquiry
20. execution
21. innocent

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 22. to be given a pardon

Task 8
1. illegal
2. to prosecute
3. culprit
4. accomplice
5. to be guilty of sth
6. intruder
7. to assault with a weapon
8. divorce
9. legal separation
10. to be required to do sth
11. to pay alimony
12. to take smb to court
13. slander
14. libel
15. an offence
16. barrister
17. to handle one’s defence
18. to sue smb
19. to be allowed bail

Task 9
1. to have a car accident
2. to sell marijuana
3. to hack into
4. deliberately
5. to introduce a virus
6. mugger
7. assailant
8. to shoot dead
9. pirated
10. ineffective

Task 11
1. homicide
2. unlawful killing
3. violence
4. racially divisive
5. racial disparity
6. traumatic experience
7. legal cruelty
8. miscarriage of justice
9. irrevocable sentence
10. retribution
11. revenge
12. a state-sanctioned murder
13. the major deterrent
14. cruel / uncivilized / barbaric
15. discrimination based on race, class or social status
16. imperfection of the justice system

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 17. cold-blooded / heinous murder
18. vengeance
19. the “eye for an eye” revenge mentality
20. sufficient justification
21. to invoke
22. brutalizing effect upon society
23. to carry out executions
24. to discourage from unlawful actions
25. to isolate from the community
26. to community’s condemnation of lawbreakers
27. to abolish / to suspend death penalty
28. to cheapen / to strengthen the value of human life
29. to overrule
30. mental anguish of waiting on the death row
31. ultimate punishment
32. capital punishment
33. death penalty
34. a major crime
35. controversial penal practice
36. beheading
37. electrocution
38. hanging
39. lethal injection
40. shooting
41. stoning
42. stabbing
43. amnesty
44. exceptional crimes
45. abolitionist
46. to retain the death penalty
47. aggravated murder
48. to impose a punishment
49. euthanasia
50. gas chamber
51. shooting
52. to condemn
53. to salve society’s conscience

Task 12
1. Human Rights Association
2. alternative punishment
3. elimination of social injustice
4. state-sanctioned murder
5. to be proscribed
6. enlightened
7. hypothetical
8. disparity
9. a lessened regard for
10. inexhaustible commodity
11. long term imprisonment
12. murderer
13. rapist

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14. cold-blooded murder cases
15. inadequate
16. unjust
17. potential murderers
18. a capital offence
19. to abandon the death penalty system
20. to suspend death penalty
21. police misconduct
22. supported evidence
23. inept legal representation
24. false testimony
25. juror prejudice
26. wrongful conviction
27. arbitrary factor
28. an endless cycle of violence
29. to succumb to a rule of violence
30. retribution
Unit 4

1. the magistrates’ court

2. an inferior court
3. limited criminal and civil jurisdiction
4. to be disposed of
5. to conduct preliminary inquiries
6. to impose a sentence
7. a stipendiary magistrate
8. an unpaid lay magistrate
9. Justices of the Peace (=JP)
10. procedure
11. a legally qualified clerk
12. solicitor
13. barrister
14. an appointment of magistrates
15. Lord Chancellor
16. membership of committees
17. the Crown Court
18. the superior court
19. to exercise exclusively criminal jurisdiction
20. the High Court
21. a circuit judge
22. a Recorder (=part-time judge)
23. to hold a trial
24. to select a jury randomly
25. local electoral rolls
26. to make a summary of evidence
27. to reach a unanimous verdict
28. to bring in a majority verdict
29. to be independent from the judiciary
30. to prove guilt beyond all reasonable doubt
31. the High Court of Justice
32. the Chancery Division
33. the Queen’s Bench Division

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34. the Family Division
35. to exercise the supervisory jurisdiction
36. the Court of Appeal
37. Lord Chief Justice
38. the House of Lords
39. to exercise the judicial function of Parliament
40. the Appellate Committee of the House of Lords
41. a bench of five Law Lords
42. Lords of Appeal in Ordinary
43. the sheriff court
44. the High Court of Justiciary
45. domestic issues
46. maintenance payments
47. adoption proceedings
48. statutory debt collection (income tax, national insurance, property tax payment)
49. the County Court
50. statutory jurisdiction
51. a circuit judge
52. a district judge
53. small/high value claims
54. uncontested matters
55. arbitration facilities
56. adoption
57. guardianship
58. probate
59. divorce
60. corporate bankruptcy
61. intellectual property matters
62. interpretation of contested wills
63. to deliver a judgement (judgment – AmE)
64. the reversal of a judgement
65. the Outer House of the Court of Session
66. the Inner House of the Court of Session
67. the Juvenile Court

Task 6, p. 42
68. to initiate and conduct prosecution
69. the Director of Public Prosecution
70. preliminary investigation
71. to grant bail
72. to charge and bring before a court
73. to employ a legal adviser
74. to conduct the defence
75. to stand trial
76. a solicitor
77. a barrister
78. Crown Prosecutor
79. Counsel for the defence
80. Counsel for the prosecution
81. to plead “guilty” or “not guilty”
82. to cross-examine witnesses
83. the foreman of the jury

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84. to be acquitted
85. to be convicted
86. an appellant
87. to serve a custodial sentence
88. to be given a suspended sentence
89. the Court of Justice of the European Communities (= the European Court of Justice, or
ECJ)

Task 8, p.43
90. to institute civil proceedings
91. an aggrieved person
92. preliminary inquiry into the authenticity of the grievance
93. a writ (summons)
94. a plaintiff
95. to obtain a remedy
96. an injunction
97. to clarify one’s pleadings
98. to abandon civil proceedings
99. the parties to a dispute
100. to settle the differences through solicitors
101. claims for defamation
102. false imprisonment
103. unlawful arrest
104. to enforce a judgement
105. default
106. seizure of the debtor’s goods
107. contempt of court
108. barrister’s fees
109. solicitor’s charges
110. disbursement

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