The following is a glossary （ guide） of legal terminology. Please notehowever that this glossary is for guidanceonly and is not intended as an exhaustiveor comprehensivesourceof definitions. The meanings provided are those commonly associated with the words and phrases in a legal context and it should be borne in mind that those same words and phrases may have a different meaning in a different context.
Acknowledgement of Service Court formused by a party to legal proceedings to confirm receipt of a Statement of Case （ such as a claimform） .
Acquittal A finding by a court of not guilty to a criminal charge.
Action Legal proceedings / Claim.
Advocacy Representing a party by means of spoken submission to a court or tribunal.
Advocate A court lawyer.
Affidavit A written statement sworn on oath.
Agenda An itinerary or list of matters for discussion at a meeting.
Aggravated Damages Additional compensation awarded by a court to compensate for particularly objectionable conduct on the part of the Defendant.
Agreement Contract or arrangement agreed orally or in writing between different parties.
Alibi A defense to a criminal chargebased on the contention that the accused was elsewhere when the crime is alleged to have been committed.
Appeal Challenge to the validity or correctness of a decision of a court or tribunal（ usually based on the contention that the law was incorrectly interpreted） .
Appellant Term used to describe a party appealing against a court or tribunal decision.
Applicant Person or organization commencing Employment Tribunal proceedings or making an application to court for a specific remedy prior to trial.
Arrest The physical seizure of an individual （ normally by a policeman） on suspicion of a crime having been committed by that individual or to prevent a crime being committed.
Attorney American term for lawyer.
Bail The release of an individual from police custody pending further appearance by that person in court or at a policestation.
Barrister A lawyer who is a specialistcourt advocateand referred to as“counsel”（ often being instructed by a solicitor to appear in court on behalf of a client） .
Brief to Counsel Set of instructions prepared by a solicitor and provided to a barrister， setting out details of a case （ including relevant facts and law etc.） to enable the barrister to provide representation in court on behalf of a client.
Burden of Proof Term used to indicate which party the onus is placed on to establish or prove a case and to what degree. E.g. in a civil case the burden of proof is on the Claimant to establish the case on the“balance of probabilities”（ whereas in a criminal case the prosecution must normally establish the case beyond all reasonable doubt） .
Case A legal dispute between specific parties.
Case-law Law created by court decisions， i.e. law created by cases which provide precedents of relevance for future legal disputes （ see“Precedent”below） .
Cause of Action The legal grounds or basis of a claim or“action”commenced in court（ e.g. breach of contract） .
Certificate of Incorporation Certificate issued by the Registrar of Companies confirming that a company has been incorporated （ i.e. legally recognized as having been created） .
Chambers Has two main meanings：①to refer to a hearing in private as opposed to in open court （ ref. to as being“in chambers”） and②to refer to a barrister s place of work（“counsel s chambers”） .
Charge Allegation （ usually in writing） of specific criminal conductagainst an individual.（ That individual is then said to have been“charged”—such as with theft for instance.）
Civil Action/Proceedings Legal action based on a civil right （ as opposed to a criminal action） such as breach of contract， for instance.
Claim Form Court form used to commence legal proceedings in court.
Class Action A legal action commenced in the name of one or a few named Claimants on behalf of a class of Claimants.
Client Term used by lawyers to refer to their“customers”.
Common Law Legal rules and principles founded on court decisions as opposed to statutes or similar written laws or regulations.
Conference with Counsel Meeting between a barrister and a client （ usually in the presence of a solicitor） .
Contempt of Court Refusal or failureto comply with a court order or requirement.
Contingency Fees Fees charged by a lawyer for legal work which are based on a percentage of the damages recovered on behalf of that client.
Contract A legally enforceable agreement.
Contributory Negligence Degree to which a Claimant is deemed to have contributed to or caused the accident or degree of injury for which damages are being claimed. （ Damages can be reduced to reflect this degree of contributory negligence. ）
Conviction A finding by a court or tribunal that an individual is guilty of the offence charged. （ That personis then said to havebeen“convicted”of theoffencecharged—e.g. theft.） Corroboration Evidence from an independent source which substantiates a party s version of events.
Costs Term used to refer to legal costs or expenses of legal work conducted by lawyers on behalf of clients.
Counsel Termused to refer to a barrister.（ Barristers awardedthedistinction of being known as“Queen s Counsel”are known as“senior counsel”； also a termin the U.S. for an attorney.） Counsel s Opinion Legal advice proposed by a barrister.
Counterclaim A claim by a Defendant in legal proceedings who in turn alleges that he has a legal claimagainst the Claimant.
County Court Civil court which usually deals with lower value civil cases.
Court List List or schedule prepared by a court which provides details of the date and time that each trial or hearing is scheduled for.
Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority （ CICA） A government schemeto provide monetary compensation to victims of crimes of violence.
Cross-Examination Questioning of a witness in court by a party other than the party calling that particular witness to provide evidence.