To carry on legal proceedings3. to sue (for smth) [ intransitive and transitive ] to use a legal process by which you try to get a court of law to force a person, company, or organisation that has treated you unfairly or hurt you in some way to give you something (esp. money) or to do something: to bring a lawsuit against someone or something предъявлять иск,преследовать в судебном порядке: The company is suing a former employee for slander. | She was suing doctors for negligence over the loss of her child.| The railway may sue for damages [=in order to get money] because of loss of revenue. | He is being sued for divorce [=in order to end a marriage] by his wife. 4. lawsuit [ countable ] a problem or complaint that a person or organization brings to a court of law to be settled [= suit]; a process by which a court of law makes a decision to end a disagreement between people or organizations иск, тяжба, судебное разбирательство: His lawyer filed a lawsuit against the city. | They agreed to pay $100,000 to settle a lawsuit [=to end a lawsuit before the court made a decision about it]. 5. to litigate [ intransitive and transitive ] to take a claim or complaint against someone to a court of law судиться (с кем-либо): They agree to litigate all disputes in this court. | The company's unwillingness to make a deal increased her desire to litigate. litigation [ countable ] He is involved in litigation against the city. | The case is still in litigation. [=being decided in a court of law] 6. to prosecute [ intransitive and transitive ] to charge someone with a crime and try to show that they are guilty of it in a court of law преследовать в судебном / уголовном порядке: The store's owner agreed not to prosecute if the boy returned the stolen goods. Shoplifters will be prosecuted. prosecutor [ countable ] a lawyer who represents the side in a court case that accuses a person of a crime and who tries to prove that the person is guilty обвинитель public prosecutor [ countable ] государственный обвинитель, прокурор Prosecutor General (Russia and CIS) = Attorney General [ countable ] the chief lawyer of a country or state who represents the government in legal matters генеральный прокурор 7. judge [ countable ] the official in control of a court who has the power to make decisions on cases brought before a court of law and decides how criminals should be punished, often used as a title судья: She's one of the strictest judges in the state. | The trial judge specifies the number of years to be spent in prison. | The case is being heard by Judge Smith. 8. (the) jury [ countable ] a group of ordinary people who listen to the details of a case in court and decide whether someone is guilty or not присяжные заседатели: The jury returned a verdict of guilty / innocent. | I demand my right to a trial by jury / a jury trial. grand jury [ countable ] a group of people in the US who decide whether someone charged with a crime should be judged in a court of law присяжные, решающие вопрос о предании суду: A grand jury is expected to indict him for murder. to serve / sit on the jury be part of a jury She was selected to serve / sit on a jury. | (AmE) She was selected for jury duty. = (BrE) She was selected for jury service. to address the jury Counsel for the defence addressed the jury and the judge summed up. to retire [ intransitive ] when a jury in a law court retires, they go away to consider whether someone is guilty or not удалиться (для вынесения вердикта): After a six hour trial, the jury retired for a further two hours before bringing a verdict of guilty. juror [ countable ] a member of a jury присяжный заседатель: A juror's duty is to make an assessment on evidence available at the time. | The job of the juror is to assess the credibility of the witness in the box. 9. defendant [ countable ] a person who is being sued or accused of a crime in a court of law ответчик (в гражданских делах); подсудимый, обвиняемый: The jury found the defendant guilty / innocent. the accused a person or group of people charged with a crime 10. respondent [ countable ] someone who has to defend their own case in a law court ответчик (в гражданских делах) The respondent has behaved in such a way that the petitioner cannot reasonably be expected to live with the respondent. 11. petitioner [ countable ] someone who asks for a legal case to be considered in a court of law истец: The petitioner is trying to have the Supreme Court overrule the decision. 12. claimant [ countable ] someone who claims something, especially money, from the government, a court etc because they think they have a right to it лицо, предъявляющее право / претензию / требование, истец: The claimant brought an action against the bank claiming that she be considered as automatically hired as from March 5, 1986. 13. plaintiff = (BrE) complainant [ countable ] someone who brings a legal action against another person in a court of law истец: The plaintiff was a guest at the defendants' hotel in London. | If for any reason the plaintiff was unable to come at the time fixed for his hearing, he became ‘non-suited’, and the man he hoped to sue could collect the deposit he had left with the clerk on starting the action. 14. counsel [ uncountable ] a lawyer who represents a person or group in a court of law представитель защиты или обвинения: On the advice of counsel [=because of the lawyer's advice], she refused to answer the question. | All counsel are expected to obey the rules of the court. counsel for the defendant / for the defence защитник / защита обвиняемого She is serving as counsel for the defendant. | The judge asked counsel for the defence to explain. counsel for the prosecution обвинитель или обвинение в уголовном процессе (обыкн. прокурор) It would be helpful if counsel for the prosecution were to make a check list of essential directions and draw attention to any omissions before the retirement of the jury. 15. bailiff [ countable ] (1) (AmE) an official of the legal system who watches prisoners and keeps order in a court of law помощник шерифа: Court is now in recess. The bailiff will conduct the jury to the jury room. | The bailiff informs me that the jury has reached a verdict. (2) (BrE) an official of the legal system who can take people's goods or property when they owe money судебный пристав / исполнитель: This involves a bailiff going to your debtor's home or workplace and seizing and selling sufficient of his goods to pay your debt and costs. 16. to indict (for sth) [ in’dait ] [ transitive ] (esp. AmE) to formally decide that someone should be put on trial for a crime, to officially charge someone with a criminal offence предавать суду на основании обвинительного акта: He has been indicted by the grand jury on murder charges. | He was indicted for vehicular homicide in 1987. indictable [ adjective ] подлежащий преследованию по обвинительному акту: an indictable offence / crime indictment [ countable ] an official written statement charging someone with a criminal offence обвинительный акт: The grand jury has handed down indictments against several mobsters. 17. to incriminate [ transitive ] to make someone seem guilty of a crime инкриминировать, вменять в вину: Material found at the crime scene incriminates the defendant. | He refused to answer questions for fear he might incriminate himself. incriminating (evidence) ‘Would a guilty man leave such bloodstained, incriminating evidence about the house for three days?’ he enquired of the jury. incrimination [ uncountable ] The right against self-incrimination forbids the government from compelling any person to give testimonial evidence that would likely incriminate him during a subsequent criminal case. 18. to try (for sth) [ transitive usually passive ] to examine and judge a legal case, or someone who is thought to be guilty of a crime in a court разбирать дело в суде, судить: He was tried for attempting to murder his wife. | The defence argued that a regional court was not competent to try their case. 19. trial [ countable and uncountable ] a formal meeting in a court in which evidence about crimes, disagreements, etc., is presented to a judge and often a jury so that decisions can be made according to the law судебное разбирательство, суд, слушание дела: civil / criminal trials | She is awaiting trial on charges of assault. | He did not get / have / receive a fair trial. on trial (for sth) Brady was on trial for assault. pending trial while waiting for trial: She is out on bail pending trial. to be entitled to a fair trial The defendant has a right / is entitled to a fair trial. to stand / face trial to be judged in a court of law: She will stand / face trial [=be tried] for murder. to go / come to trial for to begin being judged in a court of law: By the time the case comes to trial, he will have spent a year in prison. to bring smb to trial He was arrested but not brought to trial. 20. to cross examine [ transitive ] to ask more questions of (a witness who has been questioned by another lawyer) подвергать перекрёстному допросу: The defendant's attorney cross-examined the witness and tried to show that his earlier testimony was false. cross examination While he was under cross-examination, the defendant admitted that he had lied earlier in court. 21. circumstance [ countable ] a condition or fact that affects a situation обстоятельство: circumstances of the case / offence aggravating circumstances отягчающие обстоятельства: The figures, provided more recently by the Ministry of Justice, show a dramatic increase to 447 death sentences, mostly for murder under aggravating circumstances. mitigating / extenuating / attenuating circumstances смягчающие обстоятельства: The judge told Gambrill he would have faced a prison sentence, but for mitigating circumstances. 22. testimony [ uncountable and countable ] a formal statement saying that something is true, especially one a witness makes in a court of law while formally promising to tell the truth свидетельские показания: Barker's testimony is crucial to the prosecution's case. | There were contradictions in her testimony. 23. verdict [ countable ] the decision made by a jury in a trial about whether someone is guilty of a crime вердикт: The jury reached a guilty / not guilty verdict. to bring (in) / return / deliver / record a verdict to tell the court your decision вынести вердикт: I never doubted that they would deliver the correct verdict. to reach / arrive at a verdict The jury failed to reach a verdict. majority verdict most of the jury agrees: a majority verdict of 10 to 2 unanimous verdict the whole jury agrees: The unanimous verdict was 'guilty'. to announce the verdict As the forewoman of the six-man, six woman jury announced the verdict, Mr Roache swallowed hard and gripped the bench in front of him. 24. to adjudicate [ intransitive and transitive ] to officially decide who is right in a disagreement and decide what should be done судить; выносить приговор, судебное / арбитражное решение: The case was adjudicated in the state courts. | The owner can appeal to the court to adjudicate on the matter. | The judge adjudicated that he should be released. | The case is under adjudication. 25. to acquit (of sth) [ transitive usually passive ] to give a decision in a court of law that someone is not guilty of a crime оправдать: The jury acquitted the defendant because there wasn't enough evidence to convict him of the crime. | She was acquitted of the murder of her husband. = She was acquitted of murdering her husband. acquittal [ countable and uncountable ] an official statement in a court of law that someone is not guilty оправдание по суду: The case ended in an acquittal of the defendant. | Several jurors voted for acquittal. 26. to convict (of sth) [ transitive ] to prove or officially announce that someone is guilty of a crime after a trial in a law court осудить, признать подсудимого виновным: Have you ever been convicted of a crime? | She was convicted of shoplifting. convict [ countable ] someone who has been proved to be guilty of a crime and sent to prison осуждённый: an escaped convict 27. to sentence (to sth) [ transitive ] if a judge sentences someone who is guilty of a crime, they give them a punishment приговорить: Sanchez was sentenced to three years in prison. to be sentenced to a X-year (X years’) imprisonment: They were sentenced to 6 years' imprisonment. sentence [ countable and uncountable ] a punishment that a judge gives to someone who is guilty of a crime приговор to pass / pronounce sentence (on smb) to officially say what a punishment will be: The judge will pass sentence tomorrow after looking at all the reports. | The judge pronounced sentence on him. stiff / heavy / long sentence a long time in prison: Drug traffickers will face stiffer sentences. light / short sentence a short time in prison: He got off with a relatively light sentence. harsh / lenient sentence Crown prosecutors are to appeal against a lenient sentence imposed on a rapist whose victim died after the attack. to serve a sentence spend time in prison отбывать наказание: He is serving a 10-year sentence for armed robbery. 28. guilty (of sth) [ adjective ] responsible for committing a crime or doing something bad or wrong виновный: The jury found her guilty of manslaughter. | The state will prove that the defendants are guilty as charged. [=that they committed the crime they are accused of] to declare smb guilty Tuesday afternoon, any hope ended for his charges being dropped as a six-person jury in East Lansing’s 54-B District Court declared him guilty of the crime. to plead (not) guilty to state in a court of law whether or not you are guilty of a crime: He pleaded guilty to two charges of theft. | Will the defendant plead guilty or not guilty? | He pled not guilty by reason of insanity. [=he said in court that he was not responsible for the crime because he was insane] to admit one’s guilt Francis Tidbury admitted his guilt from his death cell, but stated that he had been attacked by the police and had killed in self-defence. to deny one’s guilt He did not deny his guilt. 29. plea [ countable usually singular ] (1) a statement by someone in a court of law saying whether they are guilty or not официальное заявление, ответ подсудимого суду: a guilty plea | Adams entered / made a plea of 'not guilty'. | She and her lawyers accepted a lesser plea [=they said that she was guilty of a less serious crime] of manslaughter. (2) a reason or excuse for committing a crime ссылка, оправдание, предлог: He murdered his wife and got off on an insanity plea. [=the court said that he was not guilty because he was insane] (3) a serious and emotional request for something ходатайство: the prisoner's passionate / desperate / fervent plea for mercy. 30. pardon [ countable ] an official order allowing someone who has been found guilty of a crime to go free without being punished помилование, амнистия: She received a presidential / royal pardon. to grant / give smb a pardon: The governor granted him a pardon. to appeal for pardon They were executed despite international appeal for pardon.
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