Legal English – part I
Unit 1: Introduction
1.1) Basic concepts
Authority Authoriteit, het gezag
Judges Rechters
Legal action Wettelijke actie, gerechtelijke stappen
- Synonym: legal proceedings
- Coll.: to take legal action
- Not cheap = expensive
- Taking a lot of time to do = time-consuming
Rule Regel
Court Rechtbank
- To go to court
Law enforcement agency Wetshandhavingsinstantie
To observe the law (= accept De wet naleven
and obey)
To enforce Afdwingen
Legal system(s) Het rechtssysteem (= het recht dat van toepassing is)
The judiciary De rechterlijke macht
Govern Regeren
- Synonym: to rule
- Noun: government
- Central government vs. local government
- Bv.: under (= during) the Conservative government, things
were very different.
Onder (= tijdens) de conservatieve regering, waren de
dingen heel anders
Lawyers Advocaten, juristen (all legal professionals)
Legislation Wetgeving
- Constitution = grondwet
The US Constitution guarantees freedom of the press.
Tribunal Tribunaal
Constitutional monarchy = a country ruled by a king or a queen whose powers are limited by a
constitution.
Constitutionalism Constitutionalisme, grondwettelijkheid
Enforceable Afdwingbaar
A war crime tribunal Een tribunal voor oorlogsmisdaden
1
, An industrial tribunal Een arbeidsrechtbank
A court which judges disagreements Een rechtbank die oordeelt over
between workers and their geschillen tussen werknemers en
employers hun werkgevers
Expensive Duur
Time-consuming Tijdrovend
Constitution:
The three branches of government are De 3 machten
Executive Branch Uitvoerende macht
Legislative Branch Wetgevende macht
= the legislature
Judicial Branch Rechterlijke macht
= the judiciary
Separation of powers Scheiding der machten
Separation of Church and State Scheiding van kerk en staat
A legislature = naast de ‘wetgevende macht’, verwijst ‘a legislature’ ook naar een groep mensen die
zijn verkozen om wetten te maken op een bepaald gebied en voor een bepaalde tijd.
1.2) Essential words
Appeal Beroep
Arrest Arrestatie
Binding Bindend
Breach Schending
Case Zaak
Charge Aanklacht
Civil Civiel
Claimant Eiser
Commit Plegen
Contract Contract
Convict Veroordeelde
Court Rechtbank
Crime Misdaad
Criminal Crimineel
Damages Schadevergoeding
Defence Defensie
Defendant Beklaagde
Dispute Geschil
Evidence Bewijs
2
,Fine Boete
Guilty Schuldig
Hearing Hoorzitting
Injunction Een gerechtelijk bevel
Innocent Onschuldig
Judge Rechter
Judicial Juridisch, rechter
Jury Jury
Lawyer Advocaat
Legal Juridisch
Offence Overtreding
Plead Pleiten
Prosecute Te vervolgen
Sentence Vonnis
Settlement Schikking
Trial Proces
Tribunal Tribunaal
Damages Money claimed by someone as compensation
for harm done.
Commit To send someone to prison or to a court.
Judicial An adjective referring to a judge or to the law.
Innocent of Not guilty of a crime.
Offence Any act which is not legal.
Lawyer A person who studied law and can act for
people on legal business.
Dispute A disagreement or argument between parties.
Tribunal A specialist court outside the judicial system
which examines special problems.
Case A set of arguments or facts put forward by one
side in a legal proceeding.
Judge An official who presides over (‘voorzitten’) a
court.
Plead To state in a court of law whether or not you
are guilty of a crime.
Defendant Someone who is accused of a crime in a
criminal case.
Claimant A person who makes a claim against someone
3
, in a civil court.
Settlement An agreement reached after an argument.
Arrest To hold someone legally so as to charge them
with a crime.
Hearing A case which is being heard by a committee,
tribunal or court of law.
Convict To find that someone is guilty of crime.
Breach Failure to carry out the terms of an agreement.
Prosecute To bring someone to court to answer a criminal
charge.
Appeal To say that someone has committed a crime.
Charge, accuse To say that someone has committed a crime.
Binding Having the legal ability to force someone to do
something.
Civil An adjective referring to the rights and duties of
private persons or organisations.
Defence The arguments used when fighting a case.
Contract A legal agreement between two or more
parties.
Criminal An adjective referring to crime.
Jury A group of 12 citizens who decide whether or
not someone is guilty in a trial.
Evidence A written or spoken statement of facts which
helps to prove or disprove something at a trial.
Fine To order someone to pay money as a
punishment.
Injunction A court order telling someone to stop doing
something, or not to do something.
Compensation Vergoeding
Presides over Voorzitter is van
Court Rechtbank
4
Unit 1: Introduction
1.1) Basic concepts
Authority Authoriteit, het gezag
Judges Rechters
Legal action Wettelijke actie, gerechtelijke stappen
- Synonym: legal proceedings
- Coll.: to take legal action
- Not cheap = expensive
- Taking a lot of time to do = time-consuming
Rule Regel
Court Rechtbank
- To go to court
Law enforcement agency Wetshandhavingsinstantie
To observe the law (= accept De wet naleven
and obey)
To enforce Afdwingen
Legal system(s) Het rechtssysteem (= het recht dat van toepassing is)
The judiciary De rechterlijke macht
Govern Regeren
- Synonym: to rule
- Noun: government
- Central government vs. local government
- Bv.: under (= during) the Conservative government, things
were very different.
Onder (= tijdens) de conservatieve regering, waren de
dingen heel anders
Lawyers Advocaten, juristen (all legal professionals)
Legislation Wetgeving
- Constitution = grondwet
The US Constitution guarantees freedom of the press.
Tribunal Tribunaal
Constitutional monarchy = a country ruled by a king or a queen whose powers are limited by a
constitution.
Constitutionalism Constitutionalisme, grondwettelijkheid
Enforceable Afdwingbaar
A war crime tribunal Een tribunal voor oorlogsmisdaden
1
, An industrial tribunal Een arbeidsrechtbank
A court which judges disagreements Een rechtbank die oordeelt over
between workers and their geschillen tussen werknemers en
employers hun werkgevers
Expensive Duur
Time-consuming Tijdrovend
Constitution:
The three branches of government are De 3 machten
Executive Branch Uitvoerende macht
Legislative Branch Wetgevende macht
= the legislature
Judicial Branch Rechterlijke macht
= the judiciary
Separation of powers Scheiding der machten
Separation of Church and State Scheiding van kerk en staat
A legislature = naast de ‘wetgevende macht’, verwijst ‘a legislature’ ook naar een groep mensen die
zijn verkozen om wetten te maken op een bepaald gebied en voor een bepaalde tijd.
1.2) Essential words
Appeal Beroep
Arrest Arrestatie
Binding Bindend
Breach Schending
Case Zaak
Charge Aanklacht
Civil Civiel
Claimant Eiser
Commit Plegen
Contract Contract
Convict Veroordeelde
Court Rechtbank
Crime Misdaad
Criminal Crimineel
Damages Schadevergoeding
Defence Defensie
Defendant Beklaagde
Dispute Geschil
Evidence Bewijs
2
,Fine Boete
Guilty Schuldig
Hearing Hoorzitting
Injunction Een gerechtelijk bevel
Innocent Onschuldig
Judge Rechter
Judicial Juridisch, rechter
Jury Jury
Lawyer Advocaat
Legal Juridisch
Offence Overtreding
Plead Pleiten
Prosecute Te vervolgen
Sentence Vonnis
Settlement Schikking
Trial Proces
Tribunal Tribunaal
Damages Money claimed by someone as compensation
for harm done.
Commit To send someone to prison or to a court.
Judicial An adjective referring to a judge or to the law.
Innocent of Not guilty of a crime.
Offence Any act which is not legal.
Lawyer A person who studied law and can act for
people on legal business.
Dispute A disagreement or argument between parties.
Tribunal A specialist court outside the judicial system
which examines special problems.
Case A set of arguments or facts put forward by one
side in a legal proceeding.
Judge An official who presides over (‘voorzitten’) a
court.
Plead To state in a court of law whether or not you
are guilty of a crime.
Defendant Someone who is accused of a crime in a
criminal case.
Claimant A person who makes a claim against someone
3
, in a civil court.
Settlement An agreement reached after an argument.
Arrest To hold someone legally so as to charge them
with a crime.
Hearing A case which is being heard by a committee,
tribunal or court of law.
Convict To find that someone is guilty of crime.
Breach Failure to carry out the terms of an agreement.
Prosecute To bring someone to court to answer a criminal
charge.
Appeal To say that someone has committed a crime.
Charge, accuse To say that someone has committed a crime.
Binding Having the legal ability to force someone to do
something.
Civil An adjective referring to the rights and duties of
private persons or organisations.
Defence The arguments used when fighting a case.
Contract A legal agreement between two or more
parties.
Criminal An adjective referring to crime.
Jury A group of 12 citizens who decide whether or
not someone is guilty in a trial.
Evidence A written or spoken statement of facts which
helps to prove or disprove something at a trial.
Fine To order someone to pay money as a
punishment.
Injunction A court order telling someone to stop doing
something, or not to do something.
Compensation Vergoeding
Presides over Voorzitter is van
Court Rechtbank
4
