the system of rules that a country or community recognises as governing the actions of its members
noun
Examples:
• Everyone must obey the law.
• She studied law at university.
a tribunal presided over by a judge for hearing legal cases
noun
Examples:
• The case went to court.
• She appeared in court as a witness.
an area for playing certain sports
noun
Examples:
• The tennis court is over there.
• She practises on the basketball court daily.
a public official appointed to decide cases in a court of law
noun
Examples:
• The judge ruled in favor of the defendant.
• She was appointed as a federal judge.
to form an opinion or conclusion about
verb
Examples:
• Don't judge a book by its cover.
• It's difficult to judge the quality from the photos.
a formal expression of a choice in an election or decision
noun
Examples:
• Every vote counts in a close election.
• The vote was unanimous.
to formally express a choice in an election
verb
Examples:
• Citizens have the right to vote.
• She voted for the first time at age eighteen.
a formal procedure for choosing a person for a position by voting
noun
Examples:
• The presidential election is held every four years.
• She won the election by a large margin.
the fundamental principles or laws governing a country or organization
noun
Examples:
• The constitution guarantees freedom of speech.
• They voted to amend the constitution.
a legally recognized member of a state or country
noun
Examples:
• She became a citizen of the United States last year.
• Every citizen has the right to vote.
a legislative body of a country or state
noun
Examples:
• Parliament voted on the new law.
• She was elected to parliament last year.
a formally concluded and ratified agreement between countries
noun
Examples:
• The two nations signed a peace treaty.
• The treaty established new trade regulations.
a course or principle of action adopted by an organization or government
noun
Examples:
• The company has a strict no-smoking policy.
• Foreign policy is a key election issue.
a system of government in which power is held by the people through elected representatives
noun
Examples:
• Democracy depends on free and fair elections.
• The country has been a democracy for over fifty years.
laws enacted by a legislative body
noun
Examples:
• New legislation was passed to protect the environment.
• The legislation aims to reduce carbon emissions.
a body of people sworn to give a verdict in a legal case
noun
Examples:
• The jury found the defendant not guilty.
• It took the jury three days to reach a verdict.
a decision on a disputed issue in a civil or criminal case; an opinion reached after consideration
noun
Examples:
• The jury delivered a verdict of not guilty after three days of deliberation.
• The critics' verdict on the new film was overwhelmingly positive.
a person who sees an event happen; a person giving testimony in court
noun
Examples:
• The witness described what she saw.
• There were no witnesses to the accident.
to see an event happen
verb
Examples:
• She witnessed the accident from her window.
• We are witnessing a historic moment.
a person appointed to act for another in business or legal matters; a lawyer
noun
Examples:
• She hired an attorney to handle the case.
• The district attorney filed charges against him.
a change or addition to a legal document, law, or constitution
noun
Examples:
• The First Amendment protects freedom of speech.
• They proposed an amendment to the bill.
a rule or directive made and maintained by an authority
noun
Examples:
• The new regulations require companies to reduce emissions.
• Government regulation of the industry has increased.
the upper house of a legislative body, especially in the US
noun
Examples:
• The Senate approved the bill.
• She was elected to the Senate in the last election.
the elected executive head of a state in the US
noun
Examples:
• The governor signed the bill into law.
• She was elected governor of the state.