Synonyms and antonyms of Court cases and legal processes in British Thesaurus

action (noun)

the process of bringing a case to a court of law. This kind of action is also called legal action

advocacy (noun)

legal the act of pleading a case in court

appeal (noun)

a formal request for a court of law or similar authority to change its decision

at first instance (legal)

legal on the first occasion a legal case is heard in a court

brief (noun)

legal a legal case that is given to a lawyer, usually a barrister, to prepare and then argue in court

bring someone to justice ()

to make someone have a trial in order to find out whether they are guilty of a crime

case (noun)

a legal matter that will be decided in a court

cause (noun)

legal a case in a law court

cause célèbre (noun)

mainly journalism a legal case or political issue that a lot of people become interested in and argue about

class action (noun)

a legal case organized by a group of people who all have the same problem

committal (noun)

the process by which a court officially sends someone to prison or for a trial in a higher court

committal (noun)

the process by which a court officially sends someone who is mentally ill to a hospital

committal procedure (noun)

in some countries with common law, a short pre-trial hearing to decide whether there is enough evidence to try a serious crime

compensation culture (noun)

Britishshowing disapproval the tendency for people to try to get compensation for any loss, damage, or suffering caused by another person

court (noun)

done by a court or relating to a court

court (noun)

used for referring to the process of taking a legal action against someone

court-martial (noun)

a trial in a military court

direction (noun)

legal information given by a judge to a jury about the legal matters of a case

disclosure (noun)

legalmainly British the process of making evidence and other documents available to the people involved in a legal case. Disclosure is also sometimes called discovery (of documents).

dissent (noun)

legal an official statement in which a judge states that they disagree with the other judges in a legal case

docket (noun)

legalAmerican a list of the cases that are waiting to be considered in a court of law

due process (noun)

mainly American the correct way of dealing with a legal trial or other legal matters, that makes sure that people’s rights are protected

hearing (noun)

legal a meeting of a court of law or official organization to find out the facts about something

incriminate (verb)

to show or make you think that someone is guilty of a crime

initiate (verb)

legal to start a legal case or process

inquest (noun)

an official attempt by a court to find the cause of someone’s death

interfere with ()

to persuade a witness to give false information in a court of law

interim (adjective)

legalmainly British relating to the period in a civil case between the official start of the case and its end. The adjective interlocutory is used more commonly in the US.

interlocutory (adjective)

old-fashioned relating to the period in a civil case between the official start of the case and its end. The adjective interim is usually used now.

judicial precedent (noun)

the principle that a legal ruling by a senior judge must be followed in future cases, or an example of such a ruling

judicial restraint (noun)

the principle that judges should base their court decisions on written laws and legal precedent, without considering their personal and political opinions

judicial review (noun)

in England and Wales, a procedure in which the High Court examines an action or decision of a public body and decides whether it was legal

judicial review (noun)

in the United States, the power of a court to decide that a law or official government act is not legal according to the US Constitution

lawsuit (noun)

a case that a court of law is asked to decide involving a disagreement between two people or organizations

leapfrog appeal (noun)

in England and Wales, a legal appeal that goes directly from the High Court to the Supreme Court missing out the Court of Appeal

legal action (noun)

the process of going to court to have something decided officially by law

legal aid (noun)

a system in which the government pays for people to get advice about the law or to be represented in court when they do not have enough money for this

litigation (noun)

use of the legal system to settle a disagreement

mistrial (noun)

a trial that was not done correctly and has to be started again

mistrial (noun)

American a trial in which a verdict cannot be reached

mode of trial hearing (noun)

in England and Wales, a preliminary court hearing to decide whether an offence will be heard at the Magistrates' Court or the Crown Court

open-and-shut case (noun)

a court case that is simple and likely to be decided quickly

originating process (noun)

the formal process by which a legal case is started

paternity suit (noun)

a legal case brought by a woman against a man in order to establish that he is the father of her child and therefore responsible for providing financial support

plea bargaining (noun)

a process by which someone may be allowed to avoid punishment for a serious crime if they admit they have committed a less serious crime

practice (noun)

legal the established methods for dealing with cases in court

pre-action protocol (noun)

in England and Wales, actions that a court usually expects parties to take before they start a case at court

precedent (noun)

the practice of basing legal decisions on decisions in previous cases

proceedings (noun)

legal the actions taken, usually in court, to settle a legal matter

the prosecution (noun)

the process or act of accusing someone of a crime and asking a court of law to judge them

Regina (noun)

Britishformallegal used in the titles of some British court cases to show that the government brought a case against someone

rehearing (noun)

a meeting of a court to hear a case again

remand (noun)

the period of time that someone accused of a crime waits for their trial

remand (noun)

relating to someone who is on remand, or to the process of being on remand

retrial (noun)

a second trial in a court of law that takes place because the first trial was considered not to be fair or ended without a verdict

right of appeal (noun)

the right to ask a court or other official body to consider changing a decision that you disagree with

show trial (noun)

a trial that a government arranges for political reasons and decides the result of before the trial begins

statutory interpretation (noun)

the process by which courts work out the meaning of specific laws and how to apply them

stay (verb)

formal to stop something such as a court case from continuing

stay of execution/deportation etc ()

an order given by a judge to stop or delay something

strike out (legal)

legal to stop the continuation of a court case

submission (noun)

a statement that you make to a judge or to someone else who is considering your case

suit (noun)

a claim or complaint that someone makes in a court of law

sum up (legal)

legal if a judge sums up a case, they give a summary of all the evidence that has been given

test case (noun)

a legal case whose result will be used as a model for similar cases in the future

trial (noun)

legal the process of examining a case in a court of law and deciding whether someone is guilty or innocent. When a case comes to trial, it is brought to a court and the person who has been accused of a crime stands trial (=appears in court)

trial by jury ()

a legal trial in which someone is judged by a jury (=a group of ordinary people chosen for the purpose)

voir dire (noun)

a hearing within a trial which is used to decide whether evidence, a witness or a jury member should be allowed or not