Thursday

Legal Terms that you should know

Part of growing up, I have been handling too much legal letters for people around me, myself or from the Financial advisor. Below are some of the Legal Terms ~ Common Law which is a category for legal phrases or terms originating in Common Law. Though to some it is not a must to be aware of these terms, to me it is just a learning point for me to understand more in depth when handling with such situation with regards to the commonly used terms in the proceeding of the Subordinate Courts.


Source:


Singapore Law Online
NUS School Of Law
Legal Aid
Glossary Of Law Terms ~ English and Malay



Legal words:
accused – person charged with the crime


adjourn – to put off a court case to a later date


affidavit – a written document containing evidence for the court. An affidavit is signed in front of an authorised person (such as a lawyer or Justice of the Peace) and sworn or affirmed to be true


allegation – when someone accuses another person of having done something


assets – things you own, such as property, land, shares, bank deposits, jewellery, clothes, and so on


attorney – a person appointed to make financial, legal or medical treatment decisions for another person


barrister – a lawyer who specialises in appearing at court


case – your legal issues in the court system


charge – an explanation of the law that police say you have broken


conviction – a criminal record of when the court has found you guilty of breaking the law


court order – a court document that says you must do something. It is also a document that sets out your penalty if you are found guilty of breaking the law


defendant – a person or organisation that has been charged with breaking the law


duty lawyer – a lawyer who helps people who do not have their own lawyer on the day of their court hearing. They can give free legal advice and may be able to represent people in court


enforcement order – a written document made by a court that says you must follow an order


final hearing – the last hearing in a case where the court listens to witnesses and any other evidence


general power of attorney – a document that allows a person to make financial or legal decisions for you while you have legal capacity


hearing – the presentation of a case at court


infringement notice – money you have to pay for minor offences, such as littering, parking or traffic offences (also known as an ‘on the spot’ fine)


interim order – an order made by a court until another order or a final order is made


jurisdiction – the legal power of a court or the area that a court's legal power covers


jury – a group of people who decide if you are guilty or not guilty based on evidence given in court


notice to appear – a document you will get when you are suspected of breaking the law. It tells you to go to court on a particular date. The police will usually give this to you


perpetrator – a person who breaks the law


solicitor – a lawyer who can advise you about the law and represent you in court


subpoena – a document that says you must appear in court or give certain documents to the court at the request of the party


summons – a court document that tells you when you must go to court


trial – a court case in front of a jury


warrant – a court document that says what the police or sheriff can do, such as arrest you or search your house


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