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Law vocabulary · Judgments, Appeals & Remedies

Enforce

Meaning in law, with examples

/ɪnˈfɔːs/verbCore term

In law, enforce means: To make sure that a law, rule, contract or court decision is obeyed, if necessary by using official powers such as seizing property.

In Turkish: icra etmek, uygulamak, yerine getirilmesini sağlamak, tenfiz etmek

How it is used

A winning party 'enforces a judgment' when the other side does not pay voluntarily. Lawyers also ask whether a clause is 'enforceable', meaning a court would give effect to it. Regulators and the police 'enforce the law'. Foreign judgments and arbitral awards often need recognition before they can be enforced.

Example sentences

  1. We won the case, but enforcing the judgment against a company with no assets will be difficult.

  2. The authority has limited resources to enforce the new rules.

Common collocations

  • enforce a judgment
  • enforce the law
  • enforce a contract
  • enforce an award
  • strictly enforced
  • court orderAn official instruction from a court telling a person or organisation to do something or to stop doing something; ignoring it can lead to serious penalties.
  • judgmentThe final decision of a court in a case, together with the reasons the judge gives for it; also the written document that contains this decision.
  • remedyThe way a court puts right a wrong or protects a right, for example by ordering payment of money, banning an action or requiring a contract to be performed.
  • comply withTo act according to a rule, law, order or request; to do what is required.
  • awardTo decide officially that a person should receive something, especially an amount of money as damages or costs; also the noun for such a decision.

More terms: Judgments, Appeals & Remedies

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