People in criminal law proceedings: key Legal English vocabulary
Criminal proceedings involve different people at different stages. The correct noun often depends on what has happened procedurally. A person may be a suspect during an investigation, a defendant at trial and an offender only after guilt has been established.
Lesson handout
The investigation stage
| Term | Meaning | Example and language note |
|---|---|---|
| the police | the organisation responsible for investigating crime and enforcing the law | In British English, we normally say The police are investigating, not the police is investigating. |
| police officer | one person who works for the police | The police officer arrested the suspect. The plural is police officers. |
| suspect | a person whom the police believe may have committed a crime | The police are interviewing several suspects. |
| the accused | a person who has been formally accused of an offence | The accused appeared before the court. |
Common police ranks in England and Wales
From senior to junior, common ranks include commissioner, commander, superintendent, inspector, sergeant and constable.
The prosecution side
| Term | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| the prosecution | the person, team or authority presenting the criminal case against the defendant | The prosecution states that the fingerprints were found on the weapon. |
| Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) | the public authority that prosecutes criminal cases in England and Wales | The CPS decides whether charges should be brought in many serious or complex cases. |
| prosecutor | a lawyer who presents the case against the defendant | The prosecutor presented evidence to the court. |
Prosecution may take a singular or plural verb in British English, depending on whether you mean the team as one unit or its individual members: The prosecution states … / The prosecution state …. Do not create a plural prosecutions when referring to one side at trial.
The defence side
| Term | Meaning | Example and language note |
|---|---|---|
| the defence / defense | the person or team acting for the defendant | British spelling: defence. American spelling: defense. |
| defendant | the person accused or charged with the offence in court | The defendant is on trial for murder. |
| defence lawyer | a solicitor, barrister or attorney representing the defendant | The defence lawyer challenged the prosecution evidence. |
After the verdict
| Outcome | Useful language | Important point |
|---|---|---|
| Guilty | The defendant was found guilty / was convicted / pleaded guilty / entered a guilty plea. | Offender refers to a person who committed an offence and is especially common in phrases such as repeat offender. |
| Not guilty | The court acquitted my client. My client was acquitted. The defendant was found not guilty. | There is no commonly used single noun that is a direct opposite of offender. Use a phrase instead. |
| Before a verdict | My client is innocent. The alleged offender denies the charge. | Alleged makes clear that guilt has not been established. |
Process: how the label changes
- The police investigate a suspect.
- If the person is formally charged, they may be called the accused.
- In court, that person is the defendant.
- If found guilty, the person may be called an offender.
- If found not guilty, say that the person was acquitted or was found not guilty.
These terms vary between legal systems, so always check the terminology used in the relevant jurisdiction.
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Legal information changes and develops, so please note that information may have become out of date. For content which is updated regularly, check out my courses.
