Legal English Idioms (Handout) PDF

Legal English - Idioms (Handout) above board ​ If a situation or business is described as above board, it is open, honest and legal."There are not secret negotiations. Our dealings have always been above board." above the law ​ Someone who thinks they...

Legal English - Idioms (Handout) above board ​ If a situation or business is described as above board, it is open, honest and legal."There are not secret negotiations. Our dealings have always been above board." above the law ​ Someone who thinks they are above the law considers that they do not have to obey the laws that apply to everyone else."Sometimes elected officials violate regulations because they think they are above the law." against one's better judgement ​ If you do something even though you feel it is not a sensible thing to do, you do it against your better judgement. Bob persuaded her to go by car, against her better judgement, and she regretted it as soon as she saw the heavy traffic. travellers are advised not to go." behind bars ​ Someone who is behind bars is in prison. "If you hang around with that gang, you'll find yourself behind bars in no time!" beyond reasonable doubt ​ This is a legal expression which means that something is certain. "The court established, beyond any reasonable doubt, that the man was innocent." do something by the book ​ Someone who does something by the book does it by strictly following the rules. "If you want it done right, ask James. He does everything by the book!" breaking and entering ​ The term breaking and entering refers to the fact of entering a building or home illegally by breaking open a window, door, etc. "The two men were found guilty of breaking and entering." brush with the law ​ When you have a brush with something, such as the law, you encounter or experience it briefly. "He had a brush with the law for speeding a few years ago, but he has had a clean record ever since."  burden of proof ​ The burden of proof is the necessity imposed by the law to prove that what one says is true. "The burden of proof lies with the claimant." case in point ​ The term case in point refers to an example which serves to illustrate, support or prove a point which is currently under discussion. "Not even the most talented athlete is guaranteed a long career. The latest skiing accident is a case in point." ​ caught red-handed ​ If a person is caught red-handed, they are caught while they are doing something wrong or illegal. "The police arrived as the burglar was leaving the house. He was caught red-handed." crack down on ​ If the authorities crack down on something, they enforce the law by taking severe measures to restrict undesirable or criminal actions. "To reduce road accidents, it was decided to crack down on speeding." cut some slack ​ If you relax a rule, treat a person less severely or allow someone to do something which is normally not permitted, you cut them some slack. "Our parents are very strict; I wish they'd cut us some slack now and then." false pretences ​ If you obtain something under false pretences, you deceive others by lying about your identity, qualifications, financial or social position, in order to get what you want. "The journalist obtained the interview under false pretences." get off the hook ​ If you do something wrong and manage to get off the hook, you avoid punishment or blame. "Barry was questioned by the police but his lawyer managed to get him off the hook." get out of hand ​ If a person or situation gets out of hand, they cannot be controlled any longer. "During the student demonstration, things got out of hand and several shop windows were broken."  hit and run (accident) ​ When the driver of a vehicle hits another vehicle without stopping to provide help, identification or insurance, and fails to report the accident to the police, the collision is called a hit-and-run accident. "A hit-and-run accident deserves serious punishment." hush money ​ Money paid to keep information secret or avoid a scandal is called hush money. "The politician had an extra-marital affair and paid hush money to keep it secret." law unto themselves ​ If someone is a law unto themselves, they do things their own way and ignore what is generally considered as acceptable. "They're against discipline and allow their children complete freedom - they're a law unto themselves." lay down the law ​ Someone who lays down the law tells people very forcefully and firmly what they must do. "The volunteers helped in a disorganised way. They needed someone to lay down the law." not have a leg to stand on ​ To say that someone doesn't have a leg to stand on means that they can't prove what they say or do not have valid arguments to support their position. "Three people testified against him. He didn't have a leg to stand on." null and void ​ Something which isnull and void has no legal force or is invalid. "The contract was declared null and void." open-and-shut case ​ An open-and-shut case is one where the facts are so clear that the matter can be dealt with or solved easily. "He was caught driving the stolen car. It's an open-and-shut case." paper trail ​ If a person or organisation leaves a paper trail, they leave evidence in writing or in document form that will serve as proof of their actions. "The police found a paper trail which lead to the author of the hoax." pervert the course of justice  ​ If a person perverts the course of justice, they tell a lie or prevent the police from finding out the truth about something. "The suspect was accused of trying to pervert the course of justice." poetic justice ​ Poetic justice is an ideal form of justice in which virtue is rewarded and evil punished, often in a particularly appropriate manner, by an ironic twist of fate. "It is poetic justice that the country responsible for the ecological disaster should suffer most from its effects." bend the rules ​ If a person bends the rules, they alter the rules slightly, make an exception or allow something that is not usually allowed. "An hour is an hour" said the car park attendant who refused to bend the rules." signed, sealed and delivered ​ When an agreement, contract or treaty is signed, sealed and delivered, all the legal documents are in order. "It is hoped that the agreement will be signed, sealed and delivered before the end of the week" smoking gun ​ A smoking gun is a piece of evidence or the indisputable sign of someone's guilt. "The fingerprints left on the door-handle was the smoking gun that enabled the police to arrest him." take the law into one's own hands ​ If, instead of calling the police, you personally take action against someone who has done something wrong, you take the law into your own hands. "Instead of calling the police, he took the law into his own hands and confronted the youth who had stolen his son's scooter." Exercise 1. Match the legal idioms below to their meaning / definition a. (Caught) Bang to Rights b. Above The Law c. Against the Law d. Bail Out e. By the Book f. Caught Red-Handed g. Get Off on a Technicality h. Hang by a Thread i. In Legal Hot Water j. Legal Eagle k. Legal Loophole l. Make a Federal Case out of Something m. Open-and-Shut Case n. Pass the Bar o. Take the Fifth p. Take the Law into One’s Own Hands q. Throw the Book at Someone 1. To greatly exaggerate the importance of a problem or issue 2. A particularly sharp or skilled lawyer 3. A legal case or problem that is easy to resolve because the evidence is clear 4. To successfully complete the official examination and qualify to practice law 5. Following rules or procedures exactly 6. To punish or reprimand someone as severely as possible 7. To be in trouble with the law; facing legal problems or potential legal action 8. A small or obscure detail in a law that allows one to avoid the consequences of the law 9. To avoid conviction or punishment due to a legal technical error or minor detail 10. To act as if one has legal authority over a situation without the consent of the legal system 11. Not subject to the laws of society; immune to legal consequences 12. To be caught in the act of committing a crime or doing something wrong 13. Caught in the act of doing something wrong, with no possibility of denial 14. Illegal; prohibited by law 15. To be in a very precarious or dangerous position or situation 16. To help someone out of a difficult situation, often with money 17. To refuse to answer a question in a legal setting (US) Exercise 2. Write a brief explanation of the following idioms and provide an example using them in a sentence. 1. A slap on the wrist 2. Above board 3. By the book 4. Caught red-handed 5. Cover your tracks 6. Face the music 7. Red tape 8. The jury is still out 9. To come clean 10. To turn a blind eye