Legal and Criminal Terminology Vocabulary

A complete list of vocabulary flashcards covering types of crime, law enforcement phrases, and judicial terminology as defined in the provided notes.

Arson

intentionally starting a fire in a building in order to damage or destroy

Assassination

the murder of someone famous or important

Assault

a violent attack

Bribery

the crime of giving someone money illegally, to persuade that person to do something you want

Burglary

the crime of illegally entering a building and stealing things

Corruption

dishonest or illegal behavior involving a person in position of power, for example, accepting money for doing something illegal

Domestic violence

a crime when someone you live with attacks and hurts you

Drug-dealing

the activity of selling illegal drugs

Forgery

an illegal copy of a document, painting, etc.

Fraud

the crime of getting money by cheating people

Genocide

the murder of a whole group of people

Homicide

the crime of killing a person

Looting

the activity of stealing from shops during a violent event

Manslaughter

the crime of killing someone unintentionally or without planning

Mugging

an act of attacking someone and stealing their money

Murder

the crime of intentionally killing a person

Pickpocketing

the crime of stealing things out of people's pockets or bags

Rape

the crime of forcefully having intercourse with someone against their wishes

Robbery

the crime of stealing from somewhere or someone

Shoplifting

the illegal act of taking goods from a shop without paying from them

Smuggling

the crime of taking goods or people into or out of a country illegally

Theft

the act of taking something that belongs to someone else and keeping it; stealing

Vandalism

the crime of intentionally damaging property belonging to other people

Suspect

a person who is believed to be guilty of something

Criminal

someone who commits a crime

Victim

a person who has suffered the effects of violence or illness or bad luck

Culprit

someone who has committed a crime or done something wrong

Witness

a person who sees a crime or an accident

Jury

a group of people who have been chosen to listen to all the facts in a trial in a law court and to decide if a person is guilty or not

Verdict

decision of a jury in a court

Evidence

reasons for believing that something is true or not; proof

Trial

a legal process to decide if someone has committed a crime

Court

a place where legal trials are held

Arrest

the action of arresting someone

CCTV camera

security cameras, often used in shops and public places to prevent crime

Life imprisonment

the punishment of being put in prison forever

Anti-social behavior order (ASBO)

psychologically ill state

Capital punishment

punishment by death for committing a crime

Corporal punishment

the physical punishment of people by hitting them for example

Community service

work done without payment to help other people or the government as a form of punishment for crime

A prison sentence

a punishment of prison

A fine

money payment for doing something wrong as a form of punishment

Attempted murder

a trial of murder that hasn't been successful

Alleged crime/assault…

a crime that has been stated or reported but not necessarily confirmed

Patrol the area

police or guards move around the area in order to make sure there is no trouble

Serial killer

a person who killed a lot of people

Launch an investigation

trying to find out what happened or what is the truth

Study the CCTV footage

seeing and analyzing the records of security video cameras, usually to check something suspicious

Soaring crime rates

growing numbers of crimes

Crime wave

a sudden increase in the number of crimes committed in a country or area

Serious crime

heavy crime

Violent crime

serious crime such as rape and sexual assault, robbery, murder

Vicious crime

cruel and violent crime

Petty crime

minor (not serious) crime

Racially motivated crime

a hate crime associated with social or racial group such as skin color, ethnicity and background

Custodial sentence

punishment consisting of mandatory custody of the convict in prison.

Miscarriage of justice

mistake of a court, usually resulting in the conviction of an innocent person

Trumped-up charges

someone has been falsely accused

Extenuating circumstances

a situation or condition that provides an excuse for an action

Remand in custody

being held in custody until the court trial

Unanimous verdict

a final decision of the whole jury together

Dismiss the case

there is no guilty and the case is concluded

Contest the verdict

to say formally that the judicial decision is wrong and try to change it

Convict a criminal

to prove or officially announce that a person is guilty and has committed a crime

Breach of the law

breaking the law

Adhere to the law/principles

to act according to the law or principles

Comply with the law

agree to the complex rules in the law

Infringe the regulations

(formal) break the law

Faceless bureaucrats

unfavorable officials who lack character

Flout the rules

(formal) intentionally break the rules

Barrister/attorney

a person or a lawyer who defends a person or a business of one position in a court

Defendant

an individual, company or institution sued or accused in a court of law

Accused

a person or group of people who are charged with or on trial for a crime

Prosecutor

a person who institutes legal proceedings against someone

To be convicted of

to be found guilty of (a crime)

To be charged with

to be accused of a crime