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Criminal Law & Justice vocabulary · Crimes & Offences

Manslaughter

Meaning in criminal law & justice, with examples

/ˈmænslɔːtə/nounCommon term

In criminal law & justice, manslaughter means: The crime of unlawfully killing someone without the intention needed for murder, or with a partial defence such as loss of control.

In Turkish: taksirle öldürme, ölüme neden olma, kasten yaralama sonucu ölüm

How it is used

English law divides it into 'voluntary manslaughter' (a killing reduced from murder, for example because of loss of control) and 'involuntary manslaughter' (no intention to kill, for example a death caused by an unlawful act or gross negligence). Unlike murder in England, it has no mandatory life sentence.

Example sentences

  1. The charge was reduced from murder to manslaughter.

  2. He was convicted of manslaughter after a single punch caused the victim's death.

  3. The company was found guilty of corporate manslaughter after a worker died.

Common collocations

  • charged with manslaughter
  • voluntary manslaughter
  • involuntary manslaughter
  • gross negligence manslaughter
  • corporate manslaughter
  • murderThe crime of unlawfully and deliberately killing another person; it is one of the most serious offences in every legal system.
  • criminal negligenceA serious failure to take the care that a reasonable person would take, which causes harm or death and is serious enough to be treated as a crime.
  • intentThe mental decision to do something or to bring about a particular result; many serious crimes can only be committed with intent.
  • mens reaA Latin term meaning 'guilty mind': the mental element of a crime, such as intention, knowledge or recklessness, which the prosecution must prove.

More terms: Crimes & Offences

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This page explains English vocabulary for learners. It is not legal advice.