Criminal and Tort Law: Key Terms and Concepts

Posted on Mar 19, 2025 in Law & Jurisprudence

Verb-Noun Pairs in Criminal Law

Accuse – Accusation
Prosecute – Prosecution
Acquit – Acquittal
Award – Award
Charge – Charge
Compensate – Compensation
Convict – Conviction
Defend – Defense/Defence
Diagnose – Diagnosis
Die – Death
Dismiss – Dismissal
Embezzle – Embezzlement
Examine – Examination
Expel – Expulsion
Expose – Exposure
Fail – Failure
Prove – Proof
Publish – Publication
Punish – Punishment
Rule – Ruling
Sentence – Sentence
Settle – Settlement
Sue – Lawsuit
Testify – Testimony
Threaten – Threat
Imprison – Imprisonment
Injure – Injury
Murder – Murder
Offend – Offense
Plead – Plea

Verb Collocations in Tort Law

Initial Steps of Proceedings

To start – A procedure/proceedings
To be – Liable (have legal responsibility)
To be – The claimant
To summon – The plaintiff

During Proceedings

To be served – A summons
To admit/To agree to – A claim
To serve – A copy
Witness – Statements
Settle – A dispute
Make – Decisions

After Verdict

The judge – Ruled in favor/against
To fail – To pay damages
To enforce – A judgment/a ruling

Tort Law Vocabulary

Negligence – Breach of duty of care owed to a claimant, who consequently suffers injury or loss.
Trespass – Direct and forcible injury, for example, if person A walks over B’s land without lawful justification.
Defamation – Publishing a statement about someone that lowers the person in the opinion of others. This is known as libel when in a permanent form, and slander if it is in speech.
Nuisance – For example, if A acts in a way that prevents B from the use and enjoyment of his land.
Breach of contract
To incur damages
Libel
Slander
To claim damages
To cause harm
Duty of care
Redress
Liability (to be legally responsible for something)
To suffer injury or loss

Tort Law Collocation Bank

To provide a remedy
To award damages
Loss of earnings
To be entitled to damages
To be liable for something
To incur expenses
To cause harm to someone
To commit assault
To spread slander

Tort Law Grammar

Modal Verbs for Possibility and Speculation

Might/May/Could (not) + Infinitive (to talk about something that is possible in the future or present)
- Example: The soldier might be alive. / He might not be dead. / He could live in NY.
Must/Might/May/Could/Can’t + Infinitive (to speculate about something in the present)
- Example: He must be alive. / He might/may/could be alive.
Must/Might/May/Could/Can’t + Have + Past Participle (to speculate about the past)
- Example: She must have been very unhappy. / He can’t have heard the phone.

Tort Law Conjunctions and Adverbs

Notwithstanding (should be followed by a noun or noun phrase)
- Example: Notwithstanding the evidence, the case was dismissed.
In spite of (should be followed by a noun/noun phrase or -ing clause)
- Example: In spite of his past, the jury acquitted him.
Yet
- Example: The evidence was clear, yet the defendant wasn’t imprisoned.
Hence (followed by a clause)
- Example: The jury was lenient with the defendant because of his fame; hence, he was not charged with any crimes.
Additionally (followed by a subject and verb)
- Example: Settlements usually involve money; additionally, one of the parties must cede.

Crown Court Process and Writing

Pursuant to…
In consideration of
In the subsequent event
In light of
In accordance with
As a result of

Indicating your Opinion: unexpectedly, unfortunately, unhappily, unnecessarily, oddly enough, strangely enough

Indicating Possibility: Actually, certainly, definitely, hopefully, in fact

Contrasting: I agree, but… / As much as I would like to agree…

Sworn in
Challenged by the accused
Majority verdict
Burden of proof
Found guilty
To face charges
To appeal/Appealing
Affidavit
Case Law
Injunction
Indictment
Take an oath
Discredit
Prosecution counsel
Eyewitness
To challenge the counsel

Types of Crime

Assault: An act that threatens physical harm to a person.
Treason: The betrayal of one’s country to a foreign power.
Sedition: Conduct or speech inciting others to rebel against the authority of a state.
Kidnapping: The act of abducting someone and holding them captive.
Burglary: Illegal entry into a building with the intention to commit a crime/steal.
Blackmail: Demand of payment or another benefit in return for not revealing damaging information.
Hate Crime: An offense, typically violent, motivated by prejudice based on ethnicity.
Extortion: Practice of obtaining something with force/threats.
Fraud: Wrongful deception intended to result in personal or financial gain.
Homicide: The killing of one person by another.
Manslaughter: The killing of another person without malice aforethought.
Forgery: The act of producing a copy of a document, signature, banknote, or work of art for the purpose of deception.
Bribery: Persuasion of someone to act in one’s favor, usually by gift of money or another inducement.
Domestic Violence: Aggressive or violent behavior in the home, typically directed toward a partner.
Libel: The act of making a false statement to damage a person’s reputation.
Vandalism: Deliberate destruction or damage to public or private property.
Arson: The act of deliberately setting fire to property.
Robbery: The act of taking property by force or threat.
Theft: Stealing or taking property that belongs to someone else.
Smuggling: Illegal movement of goods in and out of a country.
Armed Robbery: Aggravated form of stealing that involves the use of a lethal weapon.
Obstruction of Justice: An act that corruptly or by threats or force seeks to influence or impede the administration of justice.
Perjury: Offense of willfully telling an untruth in court while under oath.
Espionage: Practice of spying or using spies by the government.
Shoplifting: The act of stealing goods from a store while pretending to be a customer.
Slander: The act of publishing a false statement about a person.
Embezzlement: Theft of funds placed in one’s trust or from one’s employer.
Stalking: The harassment of a person with unwanted obsessive behavior.
Money Laundering: The process of concealing the origins of illegally obtained money.
Driving Under the Influence (DUI): Offense of operating a vehicle while impaired by alcohol or other substances.
Battery: Unconsented physical contact with a person, including merely menacing or offensive acts.
Rape: The crime of forcing sexual intercourse on another person.
Pickpocketing: To steal from someone’s pocket without them realizing.

Tort Law and Mock Exam: Comparisons

Negligence vs. Intentional Tort: Negligence occurs when someone fails to exercise reasonable care, often resulting in unintentional harm. It is commonly associated with accidents. Intentional torts, like assault or battery, involve deliberate actions to harm another person.
Strict Liability vs. Negligence: Negligence requires proving that the defendant failed to exercise reasonable care. Strict liability does not require any proof of fault.
Defamation vs. Nuisance: Defamation involves harm to a person’s reputation through false statements, such as slander or libel. Nuisance addresses the disruption of an individual’s use or enjoyment of their property, such as loud noise from a neighbor’s house.
Litigation vs. Attorney: Litigation refers to the legal process of resolving disputes in court. An attorney is a person who represents parties during litigation. An attorney facilitates and navigates this process on behalf of clients.
Redress vs. Settlement: Redress implies the act of correcting a wrong or obtaining justice, often through legal action, whereas a settlement typically refers to an agreement reached between parties to avoid or conclude legal proceedings.
Prosecute vs. Charge: To prosecute means to bring legal action against someone, typically by a government attorney. To charge involves formally accusing an individual of a crime. Charging is an initial step, whereas prosecuting involves pursuing the case in court.
Wages vs. Salary: Wages are typically calculated based on hours worked or tasks completed, whereas a salary is a fixed amount paid regularly, regardless of hours. Unlike wages, which vary with time or effort, salaries provide consistent income.

Types of Court

Admiralty Court
Employment Tribunal
Commercial Court
European Court of Human Rights
Coroner’s Court
County Court
High Court
European Court of Justice
Courthouse
House of Lords
Court Martial

Employment Vocabulary

Employees: People who work for a company or organization.
Payroll: The system or list used to calculate and distribute employee wages.
Part-Time: Working fewer hours than a full-time schedule.
Full-Time: Working the standard number of hours for a particular job or industry.
Contract: A formal agreement between an employer and an employee.
Duties: The tasks or responsibilities assigned to an employee.
Minimum Wage: The lowest hourly pay rate that an employer can legally pay.
Employer: Person or organization that hires people.
Dismiss: To terminate someone’s employment.
Entitle: Give someone the right to something.
Redundancy: Job loss due to the position no longer being needed.
Health and Safety: Regulations to protect workers from risks in the workplace.
Workplace Accidents: Unplanned incidents at work that cause injury or harm.
Liable: Legally responsible for something.
Injury: Physical harm or damage to the body.
Disability: Physical or mental condition that limits a person’s activities or abilities.
Compensation: Payment for loss, injury, or services.
Negligence: Failure to take proper care, leading to damage.
Leave: Authorized time off from work. Types: Maternity leave, paternity leave, annual leave, sick leave, compassionate leave (personal reasons), PTO.
Notice Period: Time an employee must work after resigning or being dismissed.
Grievance: Complaint or issue raised by an employee.
Suspend: Temporarily stop someone from working as a disciplinary measure.