Basic Legal Vocabulary
The typography uses a difference in the size of the letters to indicate which syllable of the word is stressed. Illustrative sentences are put in italics.
hearing
n. A relatively formal proceeding similar to a trial, with one or more legal issues to be agreed upon or determined — see trial
A federal appellate court Monday ordered deportation hearings for an Ann Arbor, Michigan Muslim activist open to the public.
hold
v. ir. (held, held) to decide, rule (when the subject is « the court » or « the judge ») — see rule
In Brown v. Board of Education, the Supreme Court held that the kind of separate but equal public schooling allowed under Plessy v. Ferguson violated the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.
For more than 40 years, the Supreme Court has held that government-sponsored religious activity is not allowed in public school classrooms.
holding
n. a determination of a matter of law that is essential to a judicial decision. Courts make findings of fact and holdings of law. [opp. dictum, plural dicta] see ruling
It used to be the case that an endless investigation of the difference between holding and dictum was a central preoccupation of the first year of law school.
homicide
n. all occasions where one human being, by act or omission, takes away the life of another. Murder and manslaughter are different kinds of homicides. Executing a death-row inmate is another form of homicide, but one which is excusable in the eyes of the law. Another excusable homicide is where a law enforcement officer shoots and kills a suspect who draws a weapon or shoots at that officer.
A Colorado man was indicted Thursday on two counts of vehicular homicide while driving intoxicated in connection with a crash that killed two grandmothers.
The place - known as the chamber - in London where elected Members of Parliament go to debate important matters, make decisions and check up on the government.
The Queen, the House of Lords and the House of Commons must all agree to any new law that is passed.
n. The second chamber in the UK's Parliamentary system - also known as the upper house. Formerly, the Lords made laws, checked up on government, provided independent expert advice and carried out some judicial work. The judicial work of the House of Lords was removed in 2009 to something which is called the Supreme Court.
The House of Commons, the House of Lords and the Queen all make up Parliament.
n. (US) The lower house of Congress. The number of representatives from each state is determined by
the state's population.
The House of Representatives consists of 435 members known as congressmen or congresswomen.
human rights
n. Rights thought to belong to all people simply because they are human beings.
This action was clearly in contravention of Article 5 of the Human Rights Act which prohibits arbitrary arrest and imprisonment.