Essential Vocabulary for the GRE - Take the Law into Your Hands!

a written statement affirmed by oath that can be used as evidence in court

to officially decide and declare in a law court that someone is not guilty of a crime

a legal process of declaring a marriage or any type of official contract null and void as if it had never existed

legally required to be followed and cannot be avoided

a legal document that transfers a right or property from one person to another

to add a second signature to a document or agreement to verify its authenticity; serving as a form of validation of the primary signature

to restrain someone by securing their wrists together, often using a device, commonly done by law enforcement during an arrest or to maintain control

a financial pact with details about interest rates and when the borrowed money will be paid back, not tied to any specific belongings

an official authoritative decision or judgment, especially one made by a government or the ruler of a country

to create a plan, document, or written agreement, often in a formal or official context

to ensure that a law or rule is followed

the process of a governmental figure bringing charges against a government official and marking the first step toward potential removal from office

a formal accusation of a crime

to violate someone's rights or property

a group of certified people who are chosen to examine legal problems at the court

an official investigation that is held in front of a jury; especially in cases associated with death by unnatural causes

the condition of dying without a valid will, leaving the distribution of one's estate to be determined by the laws of intestate succession rather than specific instructions in a will

the part of a country's government that administers the legal system, including all its judges

a formal rule or collection of rules enacted by a governing authority

officially allowed or accepted according to the rules or laws that apply to a particular situation

a group of elected officials responsible for making and changing laws in a government or state

to initiate legal action against another party or person

a person who acts as a judge in a law court and deals with minor offenses

a document outlining the terms of understanding or agreement between parties, often used in legal or business contexts

to reverse, abolish, or invalidate something, especially a legal decision

to discharge a criminal from the legal consequences of a conviction or violation

(law) the permission for a prisoner to leave prison before the end of their imprisonment sentence, on the condition of good conduct

a person who brings a lawsuit against someone else in a court

to state in a court of law, in front of the judge and the jury, whether someone is guilty or not guilty of a crime

actions taken in a court of law in order to settle an argument

an agreed-upon condition or requirement outlined in an agreement, law, or document

the process of bringing someone to court in an attempt to prove their guilt

an official statement according to which one gives up their legal right or claim

to announce that something is no longer legally valid or binding

a formal statement saying something is true, particularly made by a witness in court

an officially written and established law

to make a statement as a witness in court saying something is true

to follow the rules, commands, or wishes of someone, showing compliance to their authority

to send a case back to a court of lower authority for additional reconsideration or review

(particularly of a law court) to state that a previous decision is correct