Word of the Week: Charge – Study Legal English

Charge (noun)

Definition: A criminal charge is a formal accusation of a crime.

Example: My client is not guilty, you cannot prove the murder charge.

Note: Be careful, charge can have several meanings. We are looking at a ‘criminal charge’. Do not confuse it with the other types of charge:

Jury charge: A set of instructions given to a jury by the judge in a criminal case;
Charge: Expenses, cost or price asked for something.
Charge: An incumbrance on land or property which secures payment of money.
Fixed charge: A security interest or a charge on specific property by the creditor to secure repayment of money.
Floating charge: A security interest or a charge over changing assets such as stocks by the creditor to secure repayment of money.