Word of the Week: Gavel

Statute (noun) Definition: A written law passed by a legislative body. In the U.K. this is Parliament. An Act of Parliament is a synonym and they can be used interchangeably. Example: The provisions dealing with this matter are contained in a statute on data protection. This word features in Episode 25 of the Study Legal English […]

Word of the Week: Constitution (noun) Study Legal English Word of the Week: Constitution Definition: A set of fundamental principles that organise a state or country. These are normally written principles or laws. However, the UK has an ‘unwritten constitution’. The constitution is made of Acts of Parliament, conventions, principles and practices which have developed through […]

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 […]

Word of the Week: Practising (adjective)

Word of the Week: Bench (noun) Definition: 1) The seat of a judge or a panel of judges in court which is usually elevated so that the judge can see the whole court. Bench literally means a long type of seat and historically this is what judges would sit on. 2) A group of judges or […]