English Vocabulary in Use Advanced » Unit 43: The letter of the law
to bend the law/rules: to break the law/rules in a way that is considered not to be very harmful
to contravene a law: to break a law (noun = contravention)
to infringe a law/rule: to break a law/rule (noun = infringement)
to impeach a president/governor: to make a formal statement saying that a person in public office has committed a serious offence (noun = impeachment)
to lodge an appeal: to make an official request that a previous judgement should be changed
to uphold/overturn a verdict: to say that a previous decision in court was correct/incorrect
to pervert the course of justice: to make it difficult for justice to be done (noun = perversion)
to quash a conviction: to change a previous official decision that someone was guilty
to set a precedent: to establish a decision which must usually, in English law, be taken into account in future decisions
to award/grant custody to: to give one parent or adult the main responsibility for a child, especially after separation or divorce
to annul a(n) agreement/marriage/law: to declare that it no longer exists and never existed (noun = annulment)
to sue someone: to take legal action against someone
to allege: /əˈledʒ/ to say that someone has done something illegal without giving proof (noun = allegation)
to amend a law: to make changes to a law (noun = amendment)
| crime | meaning | verb | criminal |
| discrimination | unfair treatment on grounds of sex, race or nationality | discriminate (against) | |
| embezzlement | stealing money that belongs to an organisation that you work for | embezzle | embezzler |
| harassment | putting undue pressure on someone, e.g. for sexual reasons or to get a debt repaid | harass | |
| insider trading/ dealing | illegal buying and selling of shares by someone who has specialist knowledge of a company | do/practise insider trading/ dealing | insider trader/ dealer |
| money laundering | moving money obtained illegally so that its origin cannot be traced | launder money | money launderer |
| perjury | lying when under oath | commit perjury | perjurer |
| stalking | following someone or giving them unwanted or obsessive attention | stalk | stalker |
| trespass/ trespassing | go onto someone else’s land without permission | trespass | trespasser |
A law-abiding person is someone who always obeys the law.
A law-breaker is someone who – often and deliberately – does not obey the law.
If you take the law into your own hands, you do something illegal to punish someone because you feel the legal system will not punish that person.
If you lay down the law, you say with great force what you think should happen.
If someone is a law unto himself/herself, he or she behaves in a way which is independent and not the way in which most other people behave.
The words you need to communicate with confidence. Vocabulary explanations and practice for elementary level (A2) learners of English. Perfect for both self-study and classroom activities. Quickly expand your vocabulary with 60 units of easy to understand explanations and practice exercises.
The words you need to communicate with confidence. Vocabulary explanations and practice for pre-intermediate and intermediate level (B1) learners of English. Perfect for both self-study and classroom activities. Quickly expand your vocabulary with 100 units of easy to understand explanations and practice exercises.
The words you need to communicate with confidence. Vocabulary explanations and practice for Upper-intermediate level (B2) learners of English. Perfect for both self-study and classroom activities. Quickly expand your vocabulary with over 100 units of easy to understand explanations and practice exercises.