The Australian courts is rife with extremely specialised terminology that a lot of people could have trouble understanding. Then when you, or someone in your area has been faced with a criminal charge, it’s vital that you view the legal terminology that’s prone to surface in legal documents and within a trial. Here we’ve provided a list of a few of the more confusing terms and definitions often employed in the Australian criminal justice system.


Acquittal:
This term is employed once the magistrate, jury or appeal court realize that one is not guilty from the charges against him/her.
Affidavit:
A written declaration made under oath before a notary public or any other authorised officer. The one who has written the declaration claims that the contents are, on the best of their knowledge, true.
Appeal:
To make an appeal would be to take a case to a higher court to be able to challenge a decision manufactured by a lower court or tribunal. As an example, an appeal from a decision from the Federal Circuit Court of Australia might be made to the government Court. The person who appeals is called the ‘appellant’. However, it really is important to note that not all decisions can be appealed.
Committal Hearing:
This is a hearing of all the evidence that sports ths charge in the lower court by the magistrate who decides if you have sufficient evidence to the case to venture to trial. In some committal hearings, there might be witnesses who are forced to provide evidence.
Complainant:
This is the term used in the court to consult the victim from the crime committed.
Defendant:
This is the term used in the court to consult the person who has been involved in a criminal offence. This term is interchangeable with ‘the accused’.
Deposition:
This is a typed copy from the evidence recorded in the court.
Exhibits:
All evidence (in addition to evidence given by the witnesses) forced to present true on the court, for example photographs, clothing, documents or some other items that might be strongly related true.

Indictable Offence:
A critical Lawyers in Brisbane that’s commonly heard in the higher court before the court plus a jury. Less serious indictable offences, termed as summary offences, usually are heard in the Local Court.
Indictment:
This is a formal written accusation charging having it . an offence that’s intended as tried in the higher court.
Jurisdiction:
This is the extent of legal authority/power from the Court to apply the law. As an example, around australia the government Court has jurisdiction under greater than 150 Acts from the Commonwealth Parliament.
Mediation:
This is a process whereby an impartial alternative party, referred to as the mediator, aids in bringing about a compromise or agreed settlement without requiring your choice of the Court.
Plaintiff:
This is the term used to consult anyone or party who initiates a civil action. Quite simply, this is the person or party who brings an incident contrary to the defendant, and seeks punishment to the person or people who committed the crime.
Plea:
This is the time the accused person (the defendant) tells a legal court whether they are guilty or otherwise doing the charge against them. If the accused pleads guilty, a trial will not likely take place as well as the case proceeds to a sentencing hearing, which determines the punishment to the crime.
Subpoena:
A subpoena compels the look of an individual in a trial to be able to testify and/or produce documents. This is a order from the court, and when it really is disobeyed, the disobedient person could be in contempt of court.
Voir Dire:
This is a legal argument regarding the admissibility of the certain bit of evidence in the court. If this argument should happen, the witness as well as the jury are delivered of court until it finishes.

If you have inquiries regarding a criminal charge in Brisbane, please don’t hesitate to call us. Right here at Guest Lawyers, we specialize in criminal law and can be more than pleased that will help you with inquiries or concerns. Goal to provide honest, respectful and easy to be aware of legal counsel to be able to reduce the stress connected with your litigation.
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