Legal Basics
This is a rule recognized and enforced by a state.
What is a law?
This official sits at the very front of the courtroom, often wearing a robe, and acts like a referee to ensure both sides follow the rules of the law.
What is a judge?
This fundamental freedom ensures that the government cannot tell people which church, temple, or mosque to attend, allowing every citizen to practice whatever faith they choose, or none at all.
What is freedom of religion/freedom of worship?
This is the general word for any action that is completely against the law and can get you arrested by the police.
What is a crime/offence?
A constitution is often called the "Supreme Law of the Land," which means if Parliament accidentally passes a regular law that clashes with it, that new law becomes this.
What is void/invalid/illegal?
Before a witness can say a single word in a trial, they must raise their right hand and make a serious, official promise to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, which is called taking this
What is an oath?
This is a group of twelve regular citizens who sit together in a special box, listen to all the evidence during a trial, and make the final decision on whether the defendant is guilty or not guilty.
What is a jury?
If a person is arrested by the police but cannot afford to pay for their own professional legal help, this critical constitutional right ensures that the state must provide one for them completely free of cost.
What is the right to a lawyer/right to counsel/legal aid?
Taking property belonging to another person without permission is commonly known as this offence.
What is theft?
To make sure no single person or leader gets total control of the country, constitutions split the government's power into three separate groups. This idea is called the "separation" of what?
What is powers?
In every police movie, when a detective arrests a suspect, the very first words out of their mouth are always, "You have this specific legal right to keep your mouth shut and say absolutely nothing to the police."
What is the right to remain silent?
This is the specific name given to items like a muddy shoe, a security camera video, or a signed document that is brought into the courtroom to show the jury what actually happened.
What is evidence?
This freedom allows journalists, bloggers, and news reporters to publish the truth in newspapers or online without the government censoring their articles or shutting down their websites.
What is freedom of the press?
To convict someone of most crimes, the prosecution must prove two things: the physical act of doing the bad deed (actus reus), and this specific mental state, known as ...?
What is a guilty mind (mens rea)?
A constitution is not set in stone forever; a formal change, update, or addition made to the text of a constitution is known by this term.
What is an amendment?
Before a jury can send someone to prison, they cannot just think the person did it. The evidence must be so incredibly strong that there is absolutely no room left for this in their minds.
What is doubt?
When a judge enters the courtroom, this special officer stands up and loudly commands everyone in the room to stand up out of respect by shouting "All rise."
What is a bailiff?
This fundamental democratic right allows citizens, once they reach adulthood, to cast a secret ballot to choose the political leaders who will run the government.
What is the right to vote?
If a person is attacked by an intruder and uses a reasonable amount of force to protect themselves from harm, the law will not punish them because they were acting in this.
What is self-defense?
A constitution decides who holds the ultimate power. If it sets up a Monarchy, a King or Queen is the head of the country; but if it sets up a Republic, this type of chosen leader is the head.
What is a President?
If a suspect tells the police, "I couldn't have stolen that watch at 3:00 PM because I was sitting in my classroom at school during that exact time," they are using this famous legal term that proves they were somewhere else.
What is an alibi?
This is the small, heavy wooden hammer that a judge hits against a wooden block to instantly restore quiet and order when a courtroom gets too loud or dramatic.
What is a gavel?
This protective freedom ensures that no one can be denied a job, a place to live, or entry into a public space simply because of their race, religion, gender, or background.
What is freedom from discrimination?
In a criminal trial, the defendant does not have to prove they are innocent. Instead, the entire burden is on the prosecution to prove the defendant is guilty beyond this specific standard.
What is a reasonable doubt?
Many people think constitutions are written to control citizens. In reality, they are mainly written to control this.
What is the government?