Vocabulary for IELTS (Academic) - The Law

Here you will learn some English words about the law, such as "judge", "charge", "judicial", etc. that are needed for the IELTS exam.

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barrister [noun]

a legal professional qualified and licensed to advocate on behalf of clients in both lower and higher courts

Ex: After completing law school and passing the bar exam , she began her career as a barrister , specializing in criminal law .

to break [verb]

to fail to obey the law

Ex: Breaking the no-smoking rule can result in fines in public places .

defendant [noun]

a person in a law court who is sued by someone else or is accused of committing a crime

Ex: The defense attorney cross-examined the witness to cast doubt on the defendant 's involvement .

to judge [verb]

to decide whether or not a person is innocent in a court of law

Ex: The court system is designed to judge the defendant 's actions according to the law .

jury [noun]

a group of twelve citizens, who listen to the details of a case in the court of law in order to decide the guiltiness or innocence of a defendant

Ex: The judge instructed the jury to focus solely on the evidence presented during the trial .

law-abiding [adjective]

being obedient to the law

offender [noun]

a person who commits a crime

Ex: The neighborhood watch group aims to identify and report any suspicious behavior by potential offenders .

solicitor [noun]

(in the UK) a lawyer who is entitled to give legal advice, prepare legal documents for contracts and defend people in lower courts of law

Ex: In the UK , solicitors handle most client interactions .

to prosecute [verb]

to try to charge someone officially with a crime in a court as the lawyer of the accuser

Ex: The prosecutor ’s office chose not to prosecute , citing insufficient evidence .

to charge [verb]

to officially accuse someone of an offense

Ex: The district attorney is considering whether to charge the defendant with assault .

trial [noun]

a legal process where a judge and jury examine evidence in court to decide if the accused is guilty

Ex: After a lengthy trial , the defendant was found guilty and sentenced to ten years in prison .

court [noun]

the group of people in a court including the judge and the jury

Ex: The lawyer addressed the court with a passionate closing argument .

to plead [verb]

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

Ex: In the court , the accused stood up and firmly stated , " I plead innocent , Your Honor . "

to acquit [verb]

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

Ex: Last month , the court acquitted the accused after a thorough trial .

parole [noun]

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

Ex: While on parole , individuals must comply with strict rules and regulations , including regular check-ins with a parole officer .

to sentence [verb]

to officially state the punishment of someone found guilty in a court of law

Ex: The judge carefully considered the evidence before deciding how to sentence the defendant .

verdict [noun]

an official decision made by the jury in a court after the legal proceedings

Ex: The defense team was surprised by the unexpected verdict of not guilty .

to rehabilitate [verb]

to help someone to restore to a healthy and independent state after a period of imprisonment, addiction, illness, etc.

Ex: Physical therapists worked tirelessly to rehabilitate the patient 's injured leg , focusing on restoring mobility and strength .

misdeed [noun]

a wrongful or immoral act

Ex: The company fired him for his repeated misdeeds .

retribution [noun]

correction imposed as repayment for wrongdoing

Ex: True retribution aims to correct rather than to destroy .

custodial [adjective]

having custody of someone or connected with the legal right to look after them

to fine [verb]

to make someone pay a sum of money as punishment for violation of the law

Ex: The company was fined heavily for violating environmental regulations .

community service [noun]

unpaid work done either as a form of punishment by a criminal or as a voluntary service by a citizen

Ex: As part of their high school curriculum , students are required to complete a certain number of hours of community service .

corporal punishment [noun]

the physical punishment of people, especially of children or convicts

Ex: Some parents believe that corporal punishment is necessary to instill discipline and respect in their children .

capital punishment [noun]

the killing of a criminal as punishment

Ex: The court sentenced the convicted murderer to capital punishment by lethal injection .

deterrent [noun]

a thing that reduces the chances of someone doing something because it makes them aware of its difficulties or consequences

Ex: The lack of sufficient funding was a deterrent to starting the new project .

lenient [adjective]

(of a person) tolerant, flexible, or relaxed in enforcing rules or standards, often forgiving and understanding toward others

Ex: Despite the seriousness of the offense , the judge opted for a lenient sentence , considering the defendant 's remorse and efforts towards rehabilitation .

conviction [noun]

a formal declaration by which someone is found guilty of a crime in a court of law

Ex: The lawyer appealed the conviction , claiming there was a miscarriage of justice .

judicial [adjective]

belonging or appropriate for a court, a judge, or the administration of justice

Ex:

legislation [noun]

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

Ex: The legislation on data privacy has changed how companies handle user information .

Vocabulary for IELTS (Academic)
Architecture	Medicine	Crime and Punishment	The Law
Politics	Religion	Society	Emigration
War	Computer	Geography	Biology
Engineering	Conducting Research	Physics	Mathematics and Statistics
History	Graphs and Figures	Information Technology	Chemistry
Energy and Fuel	Economics	Psychology	Global Issues
Problematic Words	Collective Nouns	Talking about Trends	Equality
Feminism	Marketing