Okuzeka
Criminal Law & Justice vocabulary · Trial & Verdict

Verdict

Meaning in criminal law & justice, with examples

/ˈvɜːdɪkt/nounCore term

In criminal law & justice, verdict means: The decision at the end of a trial on whether the defendant is guilty or not guilty, especially the decision of a jury.

In Turkish: hüküm, karar, jüri kararı

How it is used

A jury 'reaches', 'returns' or 'delivers' a verdict; the verdict can be 'guilty' or 'not guilty', 'unanimous' or 'majority'. In common law systems the verdict and the sentence are separate steps: first guilt is decided, then the judge decides the punishment.

Example sentences

  1. The jury took six hours to reach a verdict.

  2. There were tears in the courtroom when the verdict was read out.

  3. His family say they will appeal against the verdict.

Common collocations

  • reach a verdict
  • return a verdict
  • guilty verdict
  • unanimous verdict
  • majority verdict
  • juryA group of ordinary citizens, usually twelve in serious criminal cases, who listen to the evidence at a trial and decide whether the defendant is guilty.
  • guiltyOfficially judged by a court to have committed a crime; the opposite verdict is 'not guilty'.
  • acquitTo decide officially in court that a person is not guilty of the crime they were charged with.
  • convictTo decide officially in court that someone is guilty of a crime; as a noun, a convict is a person who has been found guilty and is usually in prison.
  • sentenceThe punishment that a judge gives a person who has been found guilty; as a verb, to give someone a particular punishment.

More terms: Trial & Verdict

Practise with graded reading

Reading at the right level is the fastest way to make new words stick. Pick free English books by level:

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