Legal English 1

with no foundation or basis in fact

a judgment entered in civil cases after one party has proved that the other's case has no merits

to return something to its original position

to be legally responsible to somebody for something

a sum of money handed in to the court by the defendant in an attempt to settle litigation(Gerichtsverfahren) wihout going to trial

the customer of a lawyer

written on correspondence to prevent the letters being shown in court i.e. they will not be seen by the judge

the amount of compensation

an officer of law whose job is to take the possesions and property of people who have a judgment entered against them in a civil court but cannot pay their debts

to force compliance with something e.g. a judgment

a person who owes another money

the process of using a court of law to settle a dispute

formal examination (Vernehmung) of evidence in a court of law by a judge (and sometimes a jury)

a person who is owed money

a term which covers several quasi-judicial means of finding solutions to people's legal arguments

to have the disagreement solved by an outside person who has been chosen by both sides

to oversee a meeting as the person in charge

talking to two separate people or groups involved in a dispute to try to help them to agree or find a solution to their problems

to end a disagreement or someone's anger by acting in a friendly way or slightly changing your opinions, or to satisfy someone who disagrees with you by acting in this way

unable to be separated

someone who carries a message between people who are unwilling or unable to meet

full of anger, arguments and bad feeling

a special court or group of people who are officially chosen, especially by the government, to examine (legal) problems of a particular type

to sack someone from their job in an unlawful or unjustifiable manner

money paid to female employees while they are at home looking after their new-born babies

a fixed sum of money paid by the employer to the employee when the employee is forced to leave his job because the company's financial situation is not good

someone who works for a government or large organisation and deals with the complaints made against it

a person or organisation responsible for making certain that companies maintain particular standards and do not act illegally

an organisation that supplies the public with water, gas or electricity

lack of care, judgment or honesty in the management of something

the system of laws and basic principles by which a state is governed

to be under the authority of something

without being punished for something

a system of goverment common in Western countries where the people of a country can elect representatives

that concept in the UK that parliament has the supreme power

a democracy which follows the principles of law and justice

the division between the organs of state i.e. the Judiciary, the Executive and the Legislature

capable of being put into force

the part of government responsible for putting laws into effect

an accepted way of doing something, usually one which has excisted for many years