list of 100 important legal terms along with their meanings.

All India Advocates Welfare Associate (AIAWA), list of 100 important legal terms along with their meanings.

📘 Legal Terms and Meanings

1. Abatement – Ending or reduction of a legal proceeding.
2. Acquittal – A legal judgment that officially clears a person of criminal charges.
3. Actus Reus – The physical act of committing a crime.
4. Adjudication – Legal judgment or decision by a court.
5. Affidavit – A written statement sworn to be true under oath.
6. Alibi – A defense claim that the accused was elsewhere when the crime occurred.
7. Amicus Curiae – A ‘friend of the court’ who offers expertise but is not a party.
8. Appeal – A request to a higher court to reverse a lower court’s decision.
9. Arbitration – Dispute resolution outside courts by a neutral third party.
10. Bail – Temporary release of an accused person awaiting trial.
11. Bar – The legal profession or lawyers as a group.
12. Beneficiary – A person entitled to benefits under a legal instrument.
13. Bequest – A gift of personal property by a will.
14. Brief – A written document presented to a court arguing a party’s position.
15. Burden of Proof – The obligation to prove one’s assertion in court.
16. Case Law – Law established by previous court decisions.
17. Caveat – A notice to suspend a proceeding until the notifier is heard.
18. Cognizable Offence – A serious crime where police can arrest without a warrant.
19. Complainant – The person who files a complaint in a legal case.
20. Conciliation – Resolving disputes with the help of a third party (less formal than arbitration).
21. Consent – Voluntary agreement or approval.
22. Contract – A legally enforceable agreement.
23. Conviction – A formal declaration of guilt in a criminal case.
24. Corpus Juris – A body of law or legal code.
25. Cross-examination – Questioning of a witness by the opposing side.
26. Custody – Legal guardianship or confinement.
27. Damages – Compensation ordered by the court for loss/injury.
28. Decree – A formal legal order or judgment.
29. Defamation – Harming someone’s reputation by false statements.
30. Defendant – A person against whom a legal action is taken.
31. Deponent – A person who gives testimony under oath.
32. Detention – Keeping someone in custody.
33. Discovery – Process of obtaining evidence from the opposing party.
34. Domicile – A person’s permanent legal residence.
35. Double Jeopardy – Trying a person twice for the same crime (prohibited).
36. Due Process – Legal requirement for fair treatment.
37. Embezzlement – Theft or misappropriation of funds placed in trust.
38. Encumbrance – A claim on a property, such as a mortgage.
39. Entrapment – Inducing someone to commit a crime for prosecution.
40. Equity – Fairness in legal proceedings, sometimes outside strict law.
41. Estoppel – Legal bar to alleging or denying a fact because of previous conduct.
42. Evidence – Information used to prove or disprove facts in court.
43. Ex parte – Legal proceeding without one party present.
44. Fiduciary – A person entrusted with care of another’s property/money.
45. Foreclosure – Legal process to recover property when mortgage payments default.
46. Forgery – Creating or altering documents with intent to deceive.
47. Habeas Corpus – A writ demanding a person’s release from unlawful detention.
48. Hearsay – Secondhand testimony not based on direct knowledge.
49. Impeachment – Charging a public official with misconduct.
50. Indemnity – Compensation for damage or loss.
51. Indictment – Formal accusation initiating criminal prosecution.
52. Injunction – Court order stopping someone from doing something.
53. Inquest – Legal investigation into the cause of death.
54. Insanity Defense – Claiming lack of mental capacity during a crime.
55. Interlocutory Order – Temporary order while case is pending.
56. Intestate – Dying without a valid will.
57. Judgment – Final court decision.
    58. Jurisdiction – Court’s power to hear and decide a case.
58. Jurisprudence – Philosophy or science of law.
59. Laches – Delay in enforcing rights that bars relief.
60. Lease – Legal agreement to rent property.
61. Libel – Written defamation.
62. Litigation – The process of taking legal action.
63. Mens Rea – The mental intent to commit a crime.
64. Minor – A person under legal age.
65. Moot – An academic argument, not involving actual litigation.
66. Mortgage – A loan secured by property.
67. Notary – A person authorized to certify documents.
68. Novation – Replacing an old contract with a new one.
69. Oath – A sworn promise to tell the truth.
70. Objection – Challenge to something in court.
71. Offence – A breach of law.
72. Parole – Release of a prisoner before completion of sentence.
73. Party – A person or group involved in a legal case.
74. Perjury – Lying under oath.
75. Petition – A formal request to the court.
76. Plaintiff – The person who initiates a lawsuit.
77. Plea Bargain – Agreement to plead guilty in exchange for a lighter sentence.
78. Power of Attorney – Legal authorization to act for another.
79. Precedent – A previous court decision used as a rule in future cases.
80. Prima Facie – At first look, sufficient to establish a fact.
81. Probation – Conditional release instead of jail.
82. Property – Legal rights over land or items.
83. Prosecution – Legal proceedings against someone in criminal law.
84. Quash – To reject or void a legal proceeding.
85. Quid Pro Quo – “Something for something”; exchange.
86. Recusal – Judge’s withdrawal from a case due to conflict of interest.
87. Redress – Remedy or compensation for a wrong.
88. Remand – Sending a case back to a lower court.
89. Replevin – Recovery of wrongly taken goods.
90. Res Judicata – A matter already judged and not open to re-litigation.
91. Respondent – The party who answers a petition or appeal.
92. Sanction – Penalty for disobedience of a law or rule.
93. Sedition – Inciting rebellion against authority.
94. Seizure – Taking possession by legal authority.
95. Statute – A written law passed by legislature.
96. Subjudice – Under judicial consideration.
97. Summons – Legal notice to appear in court.
98. Tort – A civil wrong causing harm or loss.
99. Writ – A formal written order issued by a court.

“This collection of legal words are issued by the All India Advocates Welfare Association (AIAWA), Post Box No. 11, PBV, Iyyapanthangal, Chennai – 600056, Contact: 7550015555 / 9445922210, with the objective of creating awareness among the general public.”