The A to Z guide to legal phrases
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,Introduction
The language used in law is changing. Many lawyers are now adopting a plain
English style. But there are still legal phrases that baffle non-lawyers.
This guide is intended to help in two ways:
• it should help non-lawyers understand legal phrases; and
• it should give lawyers ideas for explaining the legal phrases that they use.
The explanations in this guide are not intended to be straight alternatives.
Although we hope the explanations will prompt lawyers to make sure they only
use legal jargon where strictly necessary, our wording is there to explain ideas
and concepts rather than to give strict legal definitions.
The terms and explanations are for the law in England and Wales.
This is very much a 'work in progress', and we welcome any corrections,
clarifications or suggested additions. Please email us with your comments.
The copyright on this guide belongs to Plain English Campaign. Please contact
us if you want to reproduce any part of it.
A
Abandonment giving up a legal right.
Abatement is: cancelling a writ or action;
stopping a nuisance;
reducing the payments to creditors in proportion, if
there is not enough money to pay them in full; or
reducing the bequests in a will, in proportion, when
there is not enough money to pay them in full.
Abduction taking someone away by force.
Ab initio from the start of something. (This phrase is Latin.)
Abovementioned describing something which has been referred to
before in the document.
Abscond when a person fails to present themselves before the
court when required, such as when they have been
released on bail and not returned to court.
,Absolute complete and unconditional.
Absolute discharge someone who has been convicted of an offence
being released without any penalty. (They may still
have to pay compensation though.)
Absolute owner the only owner of property such as equipment,
buildings, land or vehicles.
Absolute privilege a defence which can be used in a case of
defamation if the statement from which the
defamation arose was:
• made in Parliament;
• in fair and accurate news reporting of court
proceedings; or
• made during court proceedings.
Abstract of title a document, drawn up by the seller, summarising the
title deeds to a property (such as a house).
Abuse of process when criminal proceedings are brought against a
person without there being any good reason and with
malice.
Abuttals the parts of the boundaries of a piece of land which
touch pieces of land alongside.
Acceptance when an offer is accepted unconditionally and a
legally binding agreement is created.
Acceptance of service when a solicitor accepts a writ on behalf of a client.
Acceptor the organisation (such as a bank) which will pay the
cheque or bill of exchange it has accepted.
Accessory someone who encourages or helps another person
to commit a crime.
Accomplice someone who helps another person to commit a
crime.
Accordingly a word used in legal documents which means
therefore or so.
Accounts the record of an organisation's income, spending and
financial situation.
, Accumulation reinvesting income generated by a fund back into the
fund.
Accused the person charged with a criminal offence.
Acknowledgement admitting that someone has a claim or admitting that
a debt exists.
Acknowledgement of
Service when a defendant agrees that a writ or originating
summons ('claim form' since April 1999) has been
received. The defendant fills in, signs and sends
back the acknowledgement of service to confirm in
writing that the documents were received.
Acquit when a court lets a person go without any penalty. If
a court decides that a person is not guilty of a crime,
or the case has not been proved, it will acquit the
person.
Acquittal the court's decision that a person is innocent of the
crime they were charged with.
Action using the law to make a claim.
Active trust a trust where the trustees have other responsibilities
rather than to just let the beneficiaries have the
trust's assets when they ask for them.
Act of bankruptcy an act which, if carried out by a person with debts,
could have led to bankruptcy proceedings against
that person.
Act of God an extreme naturally occurring event (such as an
earthquake, avalanche or flood) that could not have
been anticipated.
Actual bodily harm hurting another person but less severely than would
amount to grievous bodily harm.
Actual loss an insurance term which means that the insured item
no longer exists.
!" # $
%&'
( )
*+,, -.
/011$ 2---/3
4 # /011$ 2-2/$5
6 )
7 &&& )
&
) )
&
,Introduction
The language used in law is changing. Many lawyers are now adopting a plain
English style. But there are still legal phrases that baffle non-lawyers.
This guide is intended to help in two ways:
• it should help non-lawyers understand legal phrases; and
• it should give lawyers ideas for explaining the legal phrases that they use.
The explanations in this guide are not intended to be straight alternatives.
Although we hope the explanations will prompt lawyers to make sure they only
use legal jargon where strictly necessary, our wording is there to explain ideas
and concepts rather than to give strict legal definitions.
The terms and explanations are for the law in England and Wales.
This is very much a 'work in progress', and we welcome any corrections,
clarifications or suggested additions. Please email us with your comments.
The copyright on this guide belongs to Plain English Campaign. Please contact
us if you want to reproduce any part of it.
A
Abandonment giving up a legal right.
Abatement is: cancelling a writ or action;
stopping a nuisance;
reducing the payments to creditors in proportion, if
there is not enough money to pay them in full; or
reducing the bequests in a will, in proportion, when
there is not enough money to pay them in full.
Abduction taking someone away by force.
Ab initio from the start of something. (This phrase is Latin.)
Abovementioned describing something which has been referred to
before in the document.
Abscond when a person fails to present themselves before the
court when required, such as when they have been
released on bail and not returned to court.
,Absolute complete and unconditional.
Absolute discharge someone who has been convicted of an offence
being released without any penalty. (They may still
have to pay compensation though.)
Absolute owner the only owner of property such as equipment,
buildings, land or vehicles.
Absolute privilege a defence which can be used in a case of
defamation if the statement from which the
defamation arose was:
• made in Parliament;
• in fair and accurate news reporting of court
proceedings; or
• made during court proceedings.
Abstract of title a document, drawn up by the seller, summarising the
title deeds to a property (such as a house).
Abuse of process when criminal proceedings are brought against a
person without there being any good reason and with
malice.
Abuttals the parts of the boundaries of a piece of land which
touch pieces of land alongside.
Acceptance when an offer is accepted unconditionally and a
legally binding agreement is created.
Acceptance of service when a solicitor accepts a writ on behalf of a client.
Acceptor the organisation (such as a bank) which will pay the
cheque or bill of exchange it has accepted.
Accessory someone who encourages or helps another person
to commit a crime.
Accomplice someone who helps another person to commit a
crime.
Accordingly a word used in legal documents which means
therefore or so.
Accounts the record of an organisation's income, spending and
financial situation.
, Accumulation reinvesting income generated by a fund back into the
fund.
Accused the person charged with a criminal offence.
Acknowledgement admitting that someone has a claim or admitting that
a debt exists.
Acknowledgement of
Service when a defendant agrees that a writ or originating
summons ('claim form' since April 1999) has been
received. The defendant fills in, signs and sends
back the acknowledgement of service to confirm in
writing that the documents were received.
Acquit when a court lets a person go without any penalty. If
a court decides that a person is not guilty of a crime,
or the case has not been proved, it will acquit the
person.
Acquittal the court's decision that a person is innocent of the
crime they were charged with.
Action using the law to make a claim.
Active trust a trust where the trustees have other responsibilities
rather than to just let the beneficiaries have the
trust's assets when they ask for them.
Act of bankruptcy an act which, if carried out by a person with debts,
could have led to bankruptcy proceedings against
that person.
Act of God an extreme naturally occurring event (such as an
earthquake, avalanche or flood) that could not have
been anticipated.
Actual bodily harm hurting another person but less severely than would
amount to grievous bodily harm.
Actual loss an insurance term which means that the insured item
no longer exists.
