Okuzeka
Law vocabulary · Lawsuits & Procedure

Summons

Meaning in law, with examples

/ˈsʌmənz/nounCommon term

In law, summons means: An official document from a court ordering a person to appear before it, or telling a defendant that a case has been started against them.

In Turkish: davetiye, çağrı kağıdı, celpname

How it is used

A summons is 'issued' by the court and 'served on' the person. In US civil cases the plaintiff must serve the summons together with the complaint on the defendant; witnesses and jurors also receive summonses. In English civil courts most cases now start with a 'claim form' instead.

Example sentences

  1. The defendant ignored the summons and did not appear at the hearing.

  2. She received a witness summons to give evidence next month.

Common collocations

  • issue a summons
  • serve a summons
  • witness summons
  • jury summons
  • receive a summons
  • serveTo deliver a legal document, such as a claim, summons or notice, to a person in the way the rules require, so that it officially reaches them.
  • complaintIn US civil procedure, the first document a plaintiff files to start a lawsuit, setting out the facts, the legal claims and what the plaintiff asks the court to order.
  • hearingA meeting of a court or tribunal where the parties or their lawyers present arguments or evidence on a particular issue.
  • witnessA person who tells a court what they saw, heard or know about a case; also someone who watches a document being signed and then signs it too.
  • default judgmentA judgment given against a defendant who has not responded to the claim or not taken a required step in time, without a full trial.

More terms: Lawsuits & Procedure

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.