IELTS Speaking: Law Vocabulary

Law would be a tricky topic to face in IELTS, but you might face it, so you should make sure you are familiar with some of the key vocabulary involved in discussing law.

Levels of crime

Misdemeanor – A minor crime, which would be punished with a fine or a short jail term.

Felony – An American English word for a crime punishable by death or more than one year in prison.

Infraction – A minor crime, which you do not go to prison for (such as jaywalking or speeding)

Punishments

Capital punishment (the death penalty) – When the state kills someone for the crime they committed

Incarcerated – The formal expression for putting someone in prison

Suspended sentence – When someone are found guilt, but the time in prison is delayed. If they do not break the law again during the time it is delayed, then they do not go to prison.

Maximum security – a prison where prisoners are watched very closely and chances of escape are very low  

Damages – When the person or company is found guilty and required to pay money to the person / people they have wronged.

Types of crime

White collar crime – A rnon-violent crimes done for money, generally by a business

Homicide – The legal term for murder

Larceny – The legal term for theft

Arson – setting fire to buildings or other property

Embezzlement – When people steal money from the company they work for

Forgery – making illegal copies of official documents

Fraud – Tricking someone to illegally deceive them

Hate crime – A crime against a person because of a social group they belong to 

People involved 

Judge – The person who decides the guilty persons punishment'

Defendant – The person in a trial accused of a crime

Prosecution – The people trying to prove that the defendant is guilty

Jury – 12 people who attend a trial and then decide if the accused person is innocent or guilty

Witness – People that are brought into a trial to give evidence  

Attorney / Barrister – The law professionals that will often be present in court, either defending or prosecuting a case

Legal Process

To arrest someone – to take someone into custody, because they are believed to be guilty

A trial – When a judge and jury consider the evidence against an accused person 

Verdict – The decision as to if the defendant is innocent or guilty

Appeal – When the final decision made by the judge is challenged

Confession – When the accused person admits they are guilty

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