after the fact
* after
something (a crime etc.) has occurred
We were
told, after the fact, that the company would not give any money to the fire
victims.
an act of God
* an
event or accident due to natural causes for which no human is responsible and
which could not have been avoided by planning ahead (a storm, an earthquake, a
volcano etc.)
The
insurance company refused to pay the money because they said that the forest
fire was an act of God.
assemble a case (against someone)
* to
gather the evidence needed to make a legal case against someone The lawyers
were unable to assemble a case against the man.
assume liability
* to
accept the responsibility for paying the cost of something The business refused
to assume liability for the dangerous products.
at arms length
* at a
distance, avoiding intimacy or familiarity We purchased the property at arm's
length and we are not involved in any management decisions.
bail (someone) out or bail out (someone)
* to
pay a sum of money that allows someone to get out of jail or stay out of jail
while waiting for a trial The family of the accused criminal paid much money to
bail him out.
beyond a reasonable doubt
* a
legal phrase meaning that something is almost certain and that the proposition
being presented in court must be proven enough that there is no reasonable
doubt in the mind of a reasonable person that the defendant is guilty of a
crime
The
judge sent the man to jail because he believed, beyond a reasonable doubt, that
the man had committed the crime.
bona fide
* in
good faith, without any element of dishonesty or fraud (bona fide is from
Latin)
The
mediator asked the two sides in the dispute to make a bona fide effort to solve
the dispute.
a breach of promise
* the
breaking of a promise which may also be a breach of contract The couple was
accused of a breach of promise when they broke the contract to buy the
condominium.
a breach of the peace
*
causing a disturbance, violent or disorderly behavior The man was charged with
a breach of the peace when he began fighting with the store clerk.
break the law
* to
fail to obey the law The woman was forced to quit her job after it was
discovered that she had broken the law.
build a case (against someone)
* to
gather the evidence needed to make a legal case against someone The legal team
was working hard to build a case against the suspected car thief.
burden of proof
* the
necessity to prove a disputed fact as required by the laws of evidence The
burden of proof during the trial fell on the man who had accused his employee
of theft.
by the book
*
following all the rules when you do something Our lawyer is very good and he
does everything by the book.
case of mistaken identity
* a
case where you incorrectly identify someone The young man was arrested in a
case of mistaken identity.
causing a disturbance
* an
offence committed by fighting/screaming/shouting/swearing or being drunk in
public Several fans were arrested for causing a disturbance after the football
game.
caveat emptor
*
"let the buyer beware" (from Latin), a buyer of something is
responsible to examine the goods that he or she has purchased
Caveat
emptor is a good concept to remember when you are buying a used car.
cease and desist
* a
legal phrase which means to stop doing something and not start again * often
used in the form of a cease and desist order
The
woman's husband was given a cease and desist order to stop bothering her.
circumstantial evidence
*
indirect evidence
The
court case was difficult to win because most of the evidence was circumstantial
evidence.
citizen's arrest
* an
arrest which may be made by an ordinary citizen without a warrant when somebody
commits a crime
The man
tried to make a citizen's arrest of the violent homeless man.
civil action
* legal
action that deals with private or civil matters The couple decided to take
civil action regarding their neighbor's noisy dog.
civil law
* the
area of the law which deals with civil or private matters such as violations of
contracts (different from criminal law)
The
lawyer had much experience in civil law but almost no experience in criminal
law.
class action lawsuit
* a
lawsuit that is made on behalf of a group of persons in a similar situation or
who have suffered a similar wrong
The
workers filed a class action lawsuit against the company for damage to their
health.
come by (something) honestly
* to
get something honestly The man had much money and he came by this money
honestly.
come clean (with someone about something)
* to be
completely honest with someone about something, to confess something to someone
The man
decided to come clean with the police when he confessed everything about the
crime.
commercial law
* the
area of law that governs business and commercial transactions
The
lawyer has specialized in commercial law since he first became a lawyer.
common law
* the
law that is not written in statutes but is based on custom and court decisions
of the past (most often with its origin in the old unwritten laws of England)
We were
able to make a decision about our case by researching previous cases of common
law.
common property
* real
property owned by a group of tenants in a condominium or subdivision which
everyone has the right to use, land that is owned by the government which
everyone can use
The
exercise machine is common property and anyone in the apartment complex can use
it.
community property
*
property belonging jointly to a married couple or acquired during their
marriage
The
couple decided to divide some of their community property and give it to their
children.
comparative negligence
* in a
civil lawsuit where the fault (negligence) of the two parties is taken into
account in assessing damages
The
judge determined that it was a case of comparative negligence and the landlord
and the tenant both had to pay damages.
conclusive evidence
*
evidence that is so strong that it proves the point in question beyond a
reasonable doubt
The
witness offered conclusive evidence that led to the conviction of the criminal.
conditional sale
* a
contract where the title to the goods being sold will not go to the purchaser
until a certain condition is fulfilled
The
sale of the house was a conditional sale and I had to talk to my bank manager
before the deal was complete.
consecutive sentences
*
sentences that are given to someone with one sentence following immediately
after the other sentence
The
criminal was given three consecutive sentences for the murder of the young
girls.
contempt of court
*
disobedience of the orders and authority of the court, disrespect for the court
process
The man
was in contempt of court when he was several hours late for the trial.
crack down on (someone or something)
* to
enforce a rule or law more strictly
The police
have decided to crack down on speeding cars.
criminal law
* the
law that is concerned with crimes by people against the state or society with
the purpose to punish the offender
The
university law department has the best criminal law library in the country.
dangerous offender
* a
person who has been convicted of a violent crime and is a continuimg threat to
others
Several
dangerous offenders escaped from the prison last week.
disorderly conduct
*
violent conduct that disturbs the peace of society or the community
Some
football fans were charged with disorderly conduct after the fight during the
game.
disturbing the peace
*
disorderly or violent or threatening conduct that disturbs the peace and
tranquillity of the community
Two men
were arrested for disturbing the peace when they got into a fight in front of
the shopping mall.
draw up an agreement/contract
* to
put something into writing, to prepare a written statement
My
lawyer is helping me to draw up an agreement to buy the small business.
due process (of law)
* the
rights that each person has to be protected by the law
The man
was accused of theft by his employer but he knew that he was entitled to due
process of law and would be found to be innocent.
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 side's 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.
give notice
* to
inform an employer or employee or landlord or tenant that a contractual
agreement will end
The
woman gave notice that she will leave her job next month.
go into effect
* to
becomes effective or in use (used for a law or rule)
The new
parking law will go into effect at midnight.
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 one's 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.
implicate (someone) in (something)
* to
suggest that someone is involved in something or connected to something
The
president of the company was implicated in the expense account scandal.
in abeyance
* the
temporary suspension of an activity or a ruling
My
grandfather's estate settlement was in abeyance while the lawyers looked at his
will in more detail.
in accordance with (something)
*
conforming to something
The new
contract was written in accordance with the new employment law.
in arrears
* late
or overdue (usually for bills and money)
My
account at the department store is in arrears.
in bad faith
*
insincerely, with bad or dishonest intentions, with the intention to deceive
someone
The
manager was acting in bad faith when she refused to give the documents to the
lawyer.
in consideration of (something)
* after
thinking about something
In
consideration of the amount of time that was spent on my case they charged me a
lot of money.
in custody of (someone or something)
* being
guarded or protected or cared for by someone or some group
The
police put the man in custody for the night.
in debt
* owing
money
The
woman is in debt to the furniture store.
in dispute
* something
that is in disagreement
Most
parts of the contract are not in dispute.
in effect
* a law
that is necessary to obey, something that is exerting force or influence
The new
law has been in effect for three months now.
in favor of (something)
* in agreement
with something
The
members of the panel voted in favor of postponing the meeting.
in good faith
* with
good and honest intentions
I went
to the mediation session in good faith in order to try and resolve the dispute.
in kind
* in
goods rather than in money
We were
paid in kind for our work on the project.
in lieu of (something)
*
instead of something
In lieu
of being paid for our extra work we were given extra time off.
in perpetuity
*
forever, eternally
The man
was promised by the city that he would receive free parking in perpetuity.
in person
*
personally, yourself
The man
was asked to appear in the courtroom in person.
in plain English/language
* in
simple and easy to understand language
The
legal contract was written in plain English so that we could easily understand
it.
in private
*
secretly, not openly or in public, confidentially
The
discussion between the two judges took place in private.
in public
*
openly so others can see what you are doing, not secretly
The new
smoking law does not permit smoking in public.
in receipt of (something)
*
having received something
My
lawyer is in receipt of the documents that I sent him.
in reference to (something)
*
concerning/regarding/about something
The
letter was in reference to my earlier request for legal advice.
in (someone's) name
* in
someone's ownership, as someone's property
We put
the property in my name so that it would be easier to get a loan with it.
in the act of (doing something)
* while
doing something
The man
was arrested in the act of stealing money from the cash register in the store.
in the right
* on
the legal or moral side of an issue, not guilty of something, not responsible
for something
I
believed that I was in the right so I decided to take the case to court.
in the wrong
* on
the illegal or wrong side of an issue, guilty of something, responsible for
something
The man
was in the wrong and was found guilty by the court.
in trouble with the law
*
having legal problems, due to be punished by the law
The
teenager is often in trouble with the law.
in trust of (someone)
* under
the responsibility or care of someone
The
money was given to the child in trust of his grandparents.
invasion of privacy
* the
act of doing something so that someone loses his or her privacy
Some people
think that it is an invasion of privacy when there are video cameras in public
places.
invest (someone) with the power or legal right to (do something)
* to
give someone the power or right to do something
The
judge invested the police with the power to enforce the decision of the court.
jump bail
* to
fail to appear in court and therefore give up the money that you paid for bail
The
criminal jumped bail and went to another city to live.
last will and testament
* one's
will (especially its latest edition) * a will is the legal term to describe the
document that says what a person wants to do with his or her property after
they die
I went
to a lawyer in order to write my last will and testament.
Law-abiding
*
obeying the law
The
couple were law*abiding citizens who never had any problems with the law.
a law unto oneself
*
someone who makes his or her own laws or rules
The
manager was a law unto herself and she thought that she could do whatever she
wanted.
lay down the law
* to
state firmly what the rules or laws are for something
We
decided to lay down the law regarding the vacation schedule for our employees.
a leading question
* a
question to a witness designed to suggest or produce the reply desired by the
questioner
The
lawyer asked the witness a leading question but was told to stop by the judge.
legal age
* the
age when a person can do things such as buy alcohol or cigarettes or when they
are responsible for their actions and can borrow money etc.
The
young men were not of legal age and could not buy cigarettes.
let (someone) go
* to
free someone from prison or from an arrest
The
court decided to let the man go because there was no evidence to keep him in
prison.
letter of the law
* the
literal interpretation or the words of a law but not necessarily the intent of
those who wrote the law
The
lawyer always likes to follow the letter of the law.
lodge a complaint (against someone)
* to
make a complaint against someone
The man
decided to lodge a complaint against the company that had built the apartment
building.
a matter of record
* a
fact or something that is officially kept as a legal record and therefore can
be proved
It is a
matter of record about how much money the mayor spent on the foreign trip.
mineral rights
* the
right to take minerals or money from the minerals on one's property
The
farmer owned all of the mineral rights on his property.
moral turpitude
*
behavior that is contrary to accepted rules of behavior
The
judge accused the lawyer of moral turpitude because of the tactics that he used
to defend his client.
next of kin
*
someone's closest relatives or family members
The
police notified the next of kin of the woman who was killed in the car
accident.
null and void
*
worthless, canceled
The
check which was written by the company was null and void.
of one's own free will/accord
* by
one's own choice
The
woman signed the contract to buy the car of her own free will.
off the record
*
unofficial, informal
The
judge told the lawyers off the record what they could expect the lawsuit to
settle for.
offensive weapon
* any
weapon capable of being used to cause physical injury or harm
The
young man with the knife was charged with carrying an offensive weapon.
on condition that
*
providing that
The man
was not sent to prison on condition that he volunteer and do work in the
community.
on probation
*
serving a period of probation * probation is when a person who is guilty of a
crime is allowed to be free but is supervised by the government and its
probation officers
The man
was on probation for robbing a small store last year.
on record
* an
official recorded statement or fact that everyone may know
The
businessman was on record as having refused to accept any illegal money.
out on bail
*
released from jail after you pay the bail bond money * the bail bond is the
money that you must pay to guarantee that you will appear in court
The man
was out on bail while he was waiting for his trial.
out on parole
* out
of jail but being supervised by the police
While
the criminal was out on parole he was forced to meet with a social worker every
week.
pay one's debt to society
* to
serve a sentence for a crime (usually in prison)
The man
was forced to pay his debt to society by going to prison for three years.
a peeping Tom
*
someone who looks into someone's window (usually a woman's window) and watches
him or her
There
was a report of a peeping Tom near our apartment building.
penalty clause
* a
section in a contract specifing an amount of money to be paid if the contract
is not fulfilled
There
is a penality clause in our apartment rental agreement if we decide to move
early.
post mortem
* a
medical examination of a body made after death to determine the cause of death
The
authorities performed a post mortem on the dead man to try and determine the
cause of his death.
power of attorney
* a
legal document granting authority for one person to act as another's
representative
The
woman was given power of attorney over her mother's daily affairs.
a preliminary hearing
* a
hearing before a judge to determine if there is enough evidence to charge
someone with a crime
The man
appeared at a preliminary hearing to determine the nature of the crime.
prima facie
* at
first view (prima facie is from Latin), something is assumed to be true in the
absence of evidence to the contrary
Prima
facie, it seems that the man has enough evidence to take legal action against
his employer.
privy to (something)
* to
have unique or special knowledge about something
I was
not privy to the conversation regarding the new business plan so I cannot
comment on it.
punitive damages
* extra
damages awarded to someone in order to punish them and in order to deter others
The
patient was awarded much money as punitive damages in his lawsuit against the
hospital.
put (something) down in black and white
* to
write something down, to make or draw up a contract
I put
my plans for the meeting down in black and white.
quid pro quo
*
something for something (quid pro quo is from Latin), mutual concessions made
by the parties in a transaction
The
government and the teachers changed their contract demands in a quid pro quo
effort to solve their dispute.
the responsible party
* the
person or party that is legally or morally obliged to do something or accept
the blame for something
The
responsible party was forced to compensate the victim of the crime.
run afoul of the law
* to
get into trouble with the law
The
young man ran afoul of the law and was taken into police custody.
serve notice on (someone)
* to
deliver a legal announcement or document to someone
The
company served notice on the workers that they would close the factory next
year.
set (someone) free
* to
release someone from prison or captivity
The
police set the man free when they decided that there was not enough evidence to
charge him with a crime.
show cause
* to
give a reason or explanation for something
The
lawyer was asked to show cause about why the man was guilty of the crime.
show good faith
* to
demonstrate good intentions or good will
We try
to show good faith when we meet the opposing side in our contract negotiations.
sign on the dotted line
* to
put your signature on a contract or other important document
We
signed on the dotted line of the contract to start the new business.
signed, sealed and delivered
* having
formally and officially signed something
The
contract was signed, sealed and delivered before we went home for the evening.
skip bail
* to
fail to appear in court and therefore give up the money that you paid for bail
The
amount of bail was very high so that the accused criminal would not skip bail.
small print
* the
part of a document or contract that may contain important information but is
not easily noticed because the print is small
I read
the small print before I bought the television.
spirit of the law
*
something as it is meant to be and not as it is stated exactly, what the people
who made the law wanted to achieve
The
judge tried to follow the spirit of the law and not only as it was written.
stand one's ground
* to
stand up for one's rights
I stood
my ground and refused to do anything that was not totally honest.
stay of execution
* a
court order to temporarily stop another court order or judgement * this can be
used for any kind of court order
There
was a stay of execution on the order to demolish the old house.
the straight and narrow
* a
straight and law*abiding route through life
The
young man was back on the straight and narrow after talking with the police
officer and the social worker.
stretch the truth
* to
misrepresent the truth (usually in a small way)
The
witness was stretching the truth when she told the judge her excuse for the
crime.
subject to (something)
*
depending on something
The
sale of the house is subject to our getting a report from the housing
inspector.
take effect
* to
become effective or in use (used for a law or rule)
There
is a new law related to Internet advertising that will soon take effect.
take the law into one's own hands
* to
try to administer the law on your own
The
transit supervisor was taking the law into his own hands when he tried to
arrest the man.
take precedence over (someone or something)
* to be
more important than someone or something, to have the right to come before
someone or something else
The
laws about the safety of children take precedence over many other laws.
to the letter
*
precisely, exactly
The
lawyer always suggests that his clients follow the judge's decisions to the
letter.
Trumped-up
* false
and exaggerated, invented by fraud or criminal deception
The
business owner was arrested on trumped-up charges.
turn a blind eye to (someone or something)
* to
pretend not to see someone who is doing something wrong, to pretend not to see
something that may be troublesome
The
police often turn a blind eye to people who cross the street on a red light.
under a cloud (of suspicion)
* to be
suspected of doing something wrong or illegal
The
manager of the coffee shop was fired from her job under a cloud of suspicion.
under age
* below
the legal age to do something
The boy
was under age and was not able to buy cigarettes.
under arrest
* arrested
by the police
The man
was placed under arrest for stealing a car.
vicarious liability
* the
liability of one person through the act of another
It was
a case of vicarious liability when the man was charged because of his friend's
behavior.
with impunity
*
without risk of punishment
The man
continued to abuse his position and clients with impunity.
with no strings attached
* with
no obligations attached
The man
was forced to agree to the terms of the agreement with no strings attached.
