90 legal terms in English | Legal Language, Writing and General English

by Yogi P - August 3, 2024

Legal Language, Writing and General English

Accomplice: One concerned with another or others in the commission of offence.

Act: A law made by a competent legislature. Accused: A person against whom an allegation has been made that he has committed an offence or who is charged with an offence.

Adjournment: The act of adjourning.

Affidavit: A written statement in the name of a person called the deponent by whom it is voluntarily signed and sworn to or affirmed.

Appeal: A proceeding taken before a superior court or authority for reversing or modifying a decision of a lower court or authority on grounds of error.

Averment: The action of averting.

Champerty: The offence of assisting a party in a suit in which one is not naturally interested with a view to receiving a share in the disputed property.

Cognizable: Capable of being taken cognizance.

Consent: A concurrence of will.

Eviction: Ejection.

Hypothecation: Pledging or pawning. A lien on property.

Inheritance: Succession by descent.

Intestate: Without leaving a will.

Innuendo: An allusive or depreciatory remark, insinuation.

Judgement: A judicial decision or order in court, a judicial decision or order given or pronounced by the court.

Legitimacy: The quality of being a legitimate child.

Lien: A right by which a person in possession of the property holds and retains it against the other in satisfaction of a demand due to the party retaining it.

Malafide: In bad faith.

Maintenance: Maintaining, a subsistence, offence of aiding a party in litigation without lawful cause.

Minor: A person who has not attained majority.

Preamble: The introductory part of a statute, ordinance or regulation that states the reasons and intent of law or regulation.

Remand: The act of sending back a prisoner into custody. The act of sending back a case or suit or an appeal to the lower court or authority for re-hearing.

Repeal: Abrogation of any law.

Res judicata: A case or suit already decided.

Respondent: A party called upon to respond or answer a petition, a claim or an appeal.

Restitution: The act of restoring or a condition of being restored. Restoration of a person, thing or institution to its former position, status or form.

Statute: A written law as distinguished from a customary law or law of use and want. A legislative enactment.

Ultra-vires: Beyond one’s power or authority.

Vis-major: Superior force.

Voidable: That may be avoided or declared void, though not ab initio void.

Abstract: Gist, summary.

By-election: An election to fill a casual vacancy.

Confession: The action of confessing or acknowledging one’s guilt.

Fiduciary relations: Relation in trust or confidence.

Review: A general survey or reexamination.

Revision: The act of examination again in order to remove any mistake.

Revocable: Capable of being revoked.

Abandon: To give up.

Abate: To put an end to.

Abduction: The action of abducting.

Abrogate: To abolish by official, authoritative or formal action.

Absolute: Unqualified; free from external restraint or limitation.

Acknowledgement: The action acknowledge the done or given in recognition of something received.

Acquittal: Deliverance from a charge; a judicial discharge.

Actionable: Affording ground for an action at law.

Adverse: Opposing, acting in a contrary direction.

Admonition: An expression of authoritative warning. A gentle reproof to a convict in lieu of punishment.

Adulteration: The action of adulterating.

Affray: Breach of the peace by fighting or riot. Public brawl, noisy fight.

Ambiguous: Open to more than one meaning.

Amendment: The action or result of amending. An alteration made or proposed by adding, deleting or substituting something.

Annul: To make void or of no effect.

Apprehension: Being apprehended or seized in the name of justice on authority, anticipation.

Arrest: To restrain or detain a person by lawful authority.

Attestation: The act of attesting.

Bail: Temporary release from imprisonment on furnishing surety or security to appear for trial.

Bailment: Delivery of goods in trust.

Bar: Barrister & advocates collectively. That which obstructs entry or egress, excluding from consideration.

Bigamy: Entering into a marriage with one person while still legally married to another. Having two wives or husbands at once.

Burden of proof: Obligation to prove one’s assertion.

Cause of action: The fact or combination of facts which gives rise to a right to sue.

Caveat: A legal notice given by an interested party to some officers not to do a certain act until the party is heard in opposition.

Certiorari: A writ issuing from a superior court calling up the record of a proceeding in an inferior court for review.

Coercion: An application to another of such force either physical or moral as to constrain him to do against his will something he would not otherwise have done.

Condone: To forgive or overlook.

Confession: The action of confession or acknowledging one’s guilt.

Damages: The sum claimed or awarded in compensation for loss or injury sustained.

Deponent: One who deposes or gives evidence, a witness.

Easement: Right of the owner or occupier of a property in respect of another’s property for beneficial enjoyment.

Endorsement: A writing on the back of a document.

Fair and just: Proper and justified.

False personation: Falsely pretending to be some other person.

Garnishee: A person in whose hands a debt is attached.

Habeas Corpus: A writ to a jailor to produce a prisoner in person before the court and to state the reason for detention.

Illegal: Contrary to law.

Injustice: Unjust action.

Jurisdiction: Legal authority or power.

Juvenile: Young, youthful.

Lawful: According to or not contrary to law.

Malfeasance: An official misconduct; evil doing.

Negligence: Want of proper care, want of attention to what ought to be done or looked after, lack of proper care in doing something.

Offence: A crime, an act or omission punishable by law.

Pauper: A person destitute of means except as are derived from charity.

Ratification: Approval by word or conduct of that which was improperly or unauthorizedly performed in the first instance, confirmation, formal sanction.

Settlement: A decision of a question, dispute etc., the act of deciding disputes between parties.

Tort: A civil wrong independent of contracts.

Unlawful: That which is contrary to law.