law
noun OPAL WOPAL S
/lɔː/
/lɔː/
Idioms - [countable] a rule that deals with a particular crime, agreement, etc.
- to pass a law (= officially make it part of the system of laws)
- law against (doing) something Police don't have the resources to enforce the law against dumping waste.
- (informal) There ought to be a law against it!
- law on something The company's actions violated the law on equal employment.
- The suspects were in clear violation of immigration laws.
Wordfindersee also blue law, by-law, lemon law, licensing laws, martial law, natural law- Act
- bill
- chamber
- coalition
- election
- law
- legislation
- parliament
- politician
- vote
Extra ExamplesTopics Permission and obligationa2, Law and justicea2, Politicsa2- The government has introduced some tough new laws on food hygiene.
- The country has very strict gun laws.
- He was charged under the 1996 law against hiring illegal immigrants.
- the passage of a restrictive immigration law in 1924
- the legislators who drafted the law
- the laws regulating firearms
- the laws regarding child actors
- the law concerning industrial action ballots
- a local law against keeping horses
- a law recognizing civil unions for same-sex couples
- a law limiting the hours of work to ten hours per day
- Laws criminalizing same-sex relationships were ruled unconstitutional.
- Judges interpret this law in different ways.
- Congress amended the law in 1998.
- Environmental laws are strict about polluting precious water.
- The law applies equally to businesses large and small.
- The law forbids gambling of any kind.
- We believe this law is unconstitutional.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- administrative
- case
- civil
- …
- become
- apply
- enforce
- …
- allow something
- authorize something
- permit something
- …
- court
- case
- suit
- …
- above the law
- against the law
- beyond the law
- …
- as the law stands
- law and order
- the law of the land
- …
- (also the law)[uncountable] the whole system of rules that everyone in a country or society must obey
- If they entered the building they would be breaking the law.
- The reforms have recently become law.
- The Civil Rights Act of 1964 became the law of the land on July 2, 1964.
- state/federal law
- State law prohibits gambling in public places.
- against the law In Sweden it is against the law to hit a child.
- within the law Defence attorneys can use any means within the law to get their client off.
- outside the law to operate outside the law
- by law British schools are required by law to publish their exam results.
- under the (…) law | under… law Under existing law, journalists cannot refuse to provide information to a jury.
- above the law Do not think you are above the law (= that you cannot be punished by the law).
- They acted in accordance with the law of the country.
- The constitution guarantees equality before the law for all.
- law enforcement agencies/officials
- (humorous) Kate's word was law in the Brown household.
Collocations Criminal justiceCriminal justiceBreaking the law- break/violate/obey/uphold the law
- be investigated/arrested/tried for a crime/a robbery/fraud
- be arrested/ (especially North American English) indicted/convicted on charges of rape/fraud/(especially US English) felony charges
- be arrested on suspicion of arson/robbery/shoplifting
- be accused of/be charged with murder/(especially North American English) homicide/four counts of fraud
- face two charges of indecent assault
- admit your guilt/liability/responsibility (for something)
- deny the allegations/claims/charges
- confess to a crime
- grant/be refused/be released on/skip/jump bail
- stand/await/bring somebody to/come to/be on trial
- take somebody to/come to/settle something out of court
- face/avoid/escape prosecution
- seek/retain/have the right to/be denied access to legal counsel
- hold/conduct/attend/adjourn a hearing/trial
- sit on/influence/persuade/convince the jury
- sit/stand/appear/be put/place somebody in the dock
- plead guilty/not guilty to a crime
- be called to/enter (British English) the witness box
- take/put somebody on the stand/(North American English) the witness stand
- call/subpoena/question/cross-examine a witness
- give/hear the evidence against/on behalf of somebody
- raise/withdraw/overrule an objection
- reach a unanimous/majority verdict
- return/deliver/record a verdict of not guilty/unlawful killing/accidental death
- convict/acquit the defendant of the crime
- secure a conviction/your acquittal
- lodge/file an appeal
- appeal (against)/challenge/uphold/overturn a conviction/verdict
- pass sentence on somebody
- carry/face/serve a seven-year/life sentence
- receive/be given the death penalty
- be sentenced to ten years (in prison/jail)
- carry/impose/pay a fine (of $3 000)/a penalty (of 14 years imprisonment)
- be imprisoned/jailed for drug possession/fraud/murder
- do/serve time/ten years
- be sent to/put somebody in/be released from jail/prison
- be/put somebody/spend X years on death row
- be granted/be denied/break (your) parole
Wordfinder- abide by something
- court
- crime
- justice
- law
- legal
- police
- prosecute
- punish
- trial
Culture the legal systemthe legal systemFor historical reasons, the system of law used in Scotland is different from that in England and Wales, with the law in Northern Ireland similar to that in England. When making decisions Scottish courts look for an appropriate general principle and apply it to a particular situation. English law relies on case law, a collection of previous decisions, called precedents. English courts look at precedents for the case being tried and make a similar judgement. A basic principle of law in Britain is that anyone accused is innocent until proven guilty, so it is the job of the prosecution to prove beyond reasonable doubt that the defendant (= the person accused) has broken the law as stated in the charge. If this cannot be proved the person must be acquitted (= allowed to go free, with no blame attached).British law is divided into civil law which concerns arguments between individuals about matters such as business contracts, and criminal law which deals with offences that involve harm to a person resulting from somebody breaking the law. In civil cases, the plaintiff (= the person who claims to have been wronged) brings an action against the defendant in the hope of winning damages (= a financial payment) or an injunction (= a court order preventing the defendant from doing something). Criminal cases are brought against criminals by the state, in England and Wales by the Director of Public Prosecutions and in Scotland through procurators fiscal.In England and Wales most towns have a Magistrates' Court, where minor cases are judged and more serious cases are passed to higher courts by three magistrates called Justices of the Peace, trained members of the public. The more serious cases are heard in a Crown Court by a judge and a jury. Minor civil cases, such as divorce and bankruptcy, are heard in the county courts and more serious ones in the High Court. Appeals against decisions from the Crown Court or the High Court go to the Court of Appeal and a few cases, where a question of law is in doubt, are passed to the Supreme Court, which has replaced the House of Lords as the highest court in the country.In Scotland, criminal cases are heard in District Courts by members of the public called lay justices. More serious cases go to regional sheriff courts and are heard by the sheriff and a jury. Appeals go to the High Court of Justiciary in Edinburgh. Civil cases begin in the sheriff court and may go on appeal to the Court of Session.In the US, the judicial system is one of the three branches of the federal government, but the legal system operates at many levels with state, county and city courts as well as federal courts. The right to trial by jury is provided by the Constitution. Each type of court has its own jurisdiction, that is, it deals with certain kinds of cases. Both civil and criminal cases are first heard in trial courts and there is a right to appeal against the court's decision in a court of appeals. Many states have family courts where people get divorced and small claims courts which deal with small amounts of money. States also have trial courts, which hear a wider range of cases, and courts of appeal called superior courts or district courts. Most states have a Supreme Court where the most serious appeals are held. States have their own criminal code, but some crimes are federal offences (= against federal law), and crimes may fall under federal jurisdiction if more than one state is involved.Most courts have only one judge, but some higher courts have several. In the US Supreme Court, the nine judges are called justices. The people on either side of a case are represented by lawyers, also called attorneys. In a criminal trial the defendant is represented by a defense attorney, or if he or she is unable to pay a lawyer, the court will appoint a public defender. The prosecution is led by an assistant district attorney or, in federal cases, by a federal attorney.Extra ExamplesTopics Permission and obligationa2, Law and justicea2, Politicsa2- A presidential veto prevented the bill from becoming law.
- As the law stands, you can get married at sixteen.
- By law, you are obliged to install smoke alarms in the factory.
- It's the job of the police to enforce the law.
- No one is above the law.
- Parliament voted for the bill to become law.
- The building was raided by law enforcement agents.
- The company is operating entirely within the law.
- The law is clear: bribery is wrong.
- The wearing of a crash helmet is required by law.
- What you did was clearly against the law.
- individuals who are acting beyond the law
- rebels who live outside the law
- the law governing school attendance
- the law relating to the sale of goods
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- administrative
- case
- civil
- …
- become
- apply
- enforce
- …
- allow something
- authorize something
- permit something
- …
- court
- case
- suit
- …
- above the law
- against the law
- beyond the law
- …
- as the law stands
- law and order
- the law of the land
- …
- [uncountable] a particular branch of the law
- He specializes in international law.
- tax/employment law
- according to… law According to copyright law, the author is the owner of the material.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- administrative
- case
- civil
- …
- become
- apply
- enforce
- …
- allow something
- authorize something
- permit something
- …
- court
- case
- suit
- …
- above the law
- against the law
- beyond the law
- …
- as the law stands
- law and order
- the law of the land
- …
- [uncountable] the study of the law as a subject at university, etc.; the profession of being a lawyer
- a law student/professor
- Jane is studying law.
- (North American English) He's in law school.
- (British English) He's at law school.
- What made you go into law?
- a law firm
Extra ExamplesTopics Educationb1, Law and justiceb1- a room filled with law books
- She lost her job at a Boston law office.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverb + law- practise/practice
- firm
- school
- the law[singular] used to refer to the police and the legal system
- Jim is always getting into trouble with the law.
- She was well known for her brushes with the law.
- [countable] the fact that something always happens in the same way in an activity or in nature synonym principle
- The usual laws of supply and demand do not seem to apply in this case.
- the laws of nature/physics
- [countable] a scientific rule that somebody has stated to explain a natural process
- the first law of thermodynamics
- Do you remember anything about Ohm's Law?
- [countable] one of the rules that controls an organization or activity
- the laws of the Church
- The first law of kung fu is to defend yourself.
- the laws of cricket
- [countable] a rule for good behaviour or how you should behave in a particular place or situation
- He frequently behaved as though moral laws did not exist.
- Their world is shaped by their parents' attitudes and the unspoken laws of the street.
one rule
system of rules
subject/profession
police
in business/nature/science
of organization/activity
of good behaviour
Word OriginOld English lagu, from Old Norse lag ‘something laid down or fixed’, of Germanic origin and related to lay (verb).
Idioms
be a law unto yourself
- to behave in an independent way and ignore rules or what other people want you to do
- Boys of that age are a law unto themselves.
go to law
- (British English) to ask a court to settle a problem or disagreement
- They went to law to get back their property.
law and order
- a situation in which people obey the law and behave in a peaceful way
- The government struggled to maintain law and order.
- After the riots, the military was brought in to restore law and order.
- They claim to be the party of law and order.
- Martial law was imposed to prevent the breakdown of law and order.
the law of averages
- the principle that one thing will happen as often as another if you try enough times
- Keep applying and by the law of averages you'll get a job sooner or later.
the law of the jungle
- a situation in which people are prepared to harm other people in order to succeed
- These criminal gangs only recognize the law of the jungle.
lay down the law
- to tell somebody with force what they should or should not do
- My dad started laying down the law about what time I should come home.
the letter of the law
- (often disapproving) the exact words of a law or rule rather than its general meaning
- They insist on sticking to the letter of the law.
- We might be guilty of slightly bending the letter of the law.
- In spite of the difficulties it would cause her family, the judge stuck to the letter of the law and jailed her.
on the wrong side of the law
- in trouble with the police
possession is nine tenths of the law
- (saying) if you already have or control something, it is difficult for somebody else to take it away from you, even if they have the legal right to it
the rule of law
- the condition in which all members of society, including its political leaders, accept the authority of the law
- Democracy and the rule of law are yet to be firmly established in the country.
take the law into your own hands
- to do something illegal in order to punish somebody for doing something wrong, instead of letting the police deal with them
- After a series of burglaries in the area, the police are worried that residents might take the law into their own hands.
- When police failed to arrest the suspect, local people took the law into their own hands and beat him up.
there’s no law against something
- (informal) used to tell somebody who is criticizing you that you are not doing anything wrong
- I'll sing if I want to—there's no law against it.