Glossary of

Legal Terms


 

A

Access to Justice

Accused

Acquittal

 

Act

 

Actus reus

Ad idem

 

Adjournment

 

Adjudication

Advocate

Affidavit

Affirmanti non neganti

Affirmation

Affirmed

 

Alternative Dispute Resolution

ADR

 

Amicus Curiae

 

Appeal

 

Appellant

 

Applied

Approved

 

Attorney-General

 

Arbitration

Audi alterem partem

 

Award

 

B

Bail

 

Balance of Probabilities

 

Bankrupt

Bar

 

Barrister

 

Beyond Reasonable Doubt

 

Bona fide

 

Brief

 

Burden of proof

 

C

Case Law

Case Management

Caution

Caveat emptor

Chambers

 

Chancellor of the High Court

 

Chancery Division

Charge

 

Charterparty

 

Chattel

Cheque

 

Chose

 

Chose in action

 

Circuit judge

 

Civil 

Civil Procedure

Civil system

 

Claimant

 

Committal

 

Common law

 

Compensation

 

Conciliation

Considered

Contract Law

 

Contempt of court

 

Contributory negligence

 

Corroboration

 

Counsel

 

Counterclaim

 

County Court

 

Court

 

Court of Appeal

 

Creditor

 

Criminal

Criminal Law Act 1967

 

Crown Court

 

Curia advisari vult

D

 

Damages

 

De facto

 

De jure

 

De minimis non curat lex

 

Debtor

 

Declaration

 

Default judgement

 

Defendant

 

Distinguished

 

District judge

 

Divisional Court

 

Dock

 

Doli incapax

Due Process

E

 

Early Neutral Evaluation

Either way offence

Ejusdem generis

Equality

Equality of Arms

Equity

Equity And Trusts

European Communities Act 1972

European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR)

Ex parte

 

Ex turpi causa non oritur actio

Examination in chief

Executor

Expert Determination

Expressio unius est exclusio alterius

F

 

Fact Law Sandwich

Fairness

Family Division

G

Garnishee

Golden Rule

Guarantor

 

H

 

Habeas Corpus

 

Head of Criminal Justice

Hersay

 

High Court

Human Rights Act 1998

I

 

Ibid

In camera

 

In curia

Ignoratia juris non excusat

In limine

 

In loco parentis

 

In personam

In rem

 

Indictable offence

Injunction

 

Inns of Court

 

Inter vivos

 

Interlocutory

 

Intestate

 

Intra vires

IRAC Method

Issue

 

J

 

Judicial Appointments

Judicial Independence

Judge

 

Judgment

 

Juror

Jury

Justice

 

Justice of the Peace

 

Jurisdiction

Jurispudence

 

L

Law Commission

Law Lords

Law Tutor

Lex Iniusta Non Est Lex

Lien

Literal Rule

Litigation

 

Locus in quo

 

Long Vacation

 

Lord Chancellor

 

Lord Chief Justice

 

Lord Justice of Appeal

 

Lord of Appeal in Ordinary

 

Lords Spiritual

 

Lords Temporal

 

M

 

Magic Circle Law Firms

Magistrates’ Court

Master

Master of the Rolls

 

Margin of Appreciation

Mediation

Mens rea

 

Mischief Rule

Mitigation

 

Mortgagee

 

Mortgagor

 

N

 

Negotiation

Nemo agit in se ipsum

 

Nemo dat quod non habet

 

Nemo debet judex esse in causa sua propria

 

No Case to Answer

Non est factum

 

Noscitur a sociis

Notary Public

 

O

 Oath

 

Obiter dictu

 

Official Solicitor

 

Onus probandi

Open Justice

Order

OSCOLA

Overruled

 

 

P

 

Pari passu

 

Parol

Parliament

Parliamentary Sovereignty

Participation

Per curiam

Personal Application

Plaintiff

Precedent

 

President of the Family Division

 

President of the Queens Bench Division

Primary Sources of Law

Privilege against Self Incrimination

Probate

Procedural Integrity

Proportionality

Prosecution

 

Puisne judge

Purposive Rule

 

Q

 

Quash

 

Quasi

Quantum

 

Queen’s Bench Division

 

Queen’s Counsel

R

Ratio decidendi

Recorder

 

Res ipsa loquitur

 

Res judicat

 

Respondent

Retained EU Law

Reversed

 

Right to a Fair Trial

Right of audience

Rule of Law

S

 

Secondary Sources of Law

Senior Courts

Separation of Powers

Silk

Solicitor

 

Statutory Instrument

Statutory Interpretation

Stevedore

 

Stipendiary Magistrate

 

Sub judice

 Subpoena

 

Sui generis

 

Summary judgement

 

Summary offence

 

Summing-up

 

Supreme Court

 

Supreme Court of Judicature

T

 

Testator

 

U

 

UK Constitution

Ultra vires

V

Verdict

 

Vice-Chancellor

 

Volenti non fit injuria

 

W

 

Will

 

Witness

Y

Youth Courts