The Australian judicial system is rife with extremely specialised terminology that most people could have trouble understanding. While you, or someone in your area has become confronted with a criminal charge, it’s vital that you view the legal terminology that is certainly prone to show up in legal documents and in a trial. Here we’ve provided a list of a number of the more confusing terms and definitions often found in the Australian criminal justice system.

Acquittal:
This term is employed when the magistrate, jury or appeal court realize that one is not guilty in the charges against him/her.
Affidavit:
A written declaration made under oath before a notary public or other authorised officer. The one who has written the declaration claims that the contents are, on the best of their knowledge, true.
Appeal:
To create an appeal is usually to please take a case into a higher court to be able to challenge a conclusion made by less court or tribunal. As an example, an appeal from your decision in the Federal Circuit Court of Australia may be built to the Federal Court. The individual that appeals is known as the ‘appellant’. However, it’s important to note that does not all decisions could be appealed.
Committal Hearing:
It is a hearing of all of the evidence that props up charge from the lower court by the magistrate who decides if you find sufficient evidence to the case to visit trial. In certain committal hearings, there might be witnesses who will be required to provide evidence.
Complainant:
This is the expression used in court to refer to the victim in the crime committed.
Defendant:
This is the expression used in court to refer to the person who will be arrested for an offence. This term is interchangeable with ‘the accused’.
Deposition:
It is a typed copy in the evidence recorded in court.
Exhibits:
All evidence (aside from evidence given by the witnesses) required to present the truth on the court, including photographs, clothing, documents or any other goods that may be tightly related to the truth.

Indictable Offence:
A serious Brisbane lawyers that is certainly commonly heard within a higher court before a judge and a jury. Less serious indictable offences, referred to as summary offences, are often heard within a Local Court.
Indictment:
It is a formal written accusation charging you are not an offence that is certainly intended to be tried within a higher court.
Jurisdiction:
This is the extent of legal authority/power in the Court to make use of legislation. As an example, nationwide the Federal Court has jurisdiction under greater than 150 Acts in the Commonwealth Parliament.
Mediation:
It is a process whereby a neutral vacation, called the mediator, assists with contributing to an agreement or agreed settlement without requiring the decision of a Court.
Plaintiff:
This is the expression used to refer to anybody or party who initiates a civil action. In other words, this can be the person or party who brings in a situation contrary to the defendant, and seeks punishment to the person or individuals who committed the crime.
Plea:
This is when the accused person (the defendant) tells legal court if they are guilty or otherwise not guilty of the charge against them. If your accused pleads guilty, a shot won’t happen and also the case proceeds into a sentencing hearing, which determines the punishment to the crime.
Subpoena:
A subpoena compels the look of somebody at the trial to be able to testify and/or produce documents. It is a court order, of course, if it’s disobeyed, the disobedient person may be in contempt of court.
Voir Dire:
It is a legal argument about the admissibility of a certain little bit of evidence in court. In the event that this argument should occur, the witness and also the jury are delivered of court until it finishes.

In case you have any questions regarding a criminal charge in Brisbane, please don’t hesitate to get hold of us. Only at Guest Lawyers, we specialise in criminal law and can be more than happy that will help you with any questions or concerns. Goal to deliver honest, respectful and straightforward to know legal services to be able to reduce the stress linked to your litigation.
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