📚 Year 7 Edexcel Law: Quick Vocabulary Memorisation Guide | Year 7 Edexcel 法律：词汇术语速记指南
Welcome to your quick revision guide for Year 7 Edexcel Law. Mastering legal vocabulary is the first step to understanding how laws shape our society and protect our rights. This bilingual article provides clear definitions, useful examples, and practical memory tips to help you feel confident in your studies. Whether you are preparing for a test or simply curious about the legal system, use this guide to build a strong foundation.
欢迎来到 Year 7 Edexcel 法律词汇速记指南。掌握法律词汇是理解法律如何塑造社会以及保护我们权利的第一步。这篇双语文章提供清晰的定义、实用的例子和有效的记忆技巧，帮助你自信地学习。无论你是在准备考试，还是单纯对法律体系感到好奇，都可以利用本指南打下坚实的基础。
1. Understanding Law and Its Types | 理解法律及其类型
Law is a set of rules created and enforced by the state to maintain order, resolve disputes, and protect individual freedoms. In England and Wales, the legal system is mainly divided into criminal law and civil law. Criminal law deals with behaviour that harms society as a whole, while civil law deals with disputes between private parties.
法律是由国家制定并执行的一套规则，旨在维护秩序、解决纠纷以及保护个人自由。在英格兰和威尔士，法律体系主要分为刑法和民法。刑法处理危害整个社会的行为，而民法则处理私人之间的纠纷。
In criminal law, the state prosecutes an individual accused of an offence such as theft, assault, or burglary. If found guilty, the defendant can face punishments like imprisonment, a fine, or community service. The key purpose is to punish and deter wrongdoing.
在刑法中，国家起诉被指控犯有盗窃、袭击或入室抢劫等罪行的个人。如果罪名成立，被告人可能面临监禁、罚款或社区服务等惩罚。其核心目的在于惩罚和震慑不法行为。
Civil law, on the other hand, usually involves a claimant suing a defendant for a wrong—such as breach of contract, negligence, or defamation. The remedy in a civil case is typically compensation (damages) or an injunction, not a prison sentence. This branch aims to put the injured party back in the position they would have been in if the wrong had not occurred.
另一方面，民法通常涉及原告因违约、过失或诽谤等过错起诉被告。民事案件中的补救措施通常是赔偿金或禁令，而非监禁。这一分支旨在让受害方恢复到如果过错未发生时的状态。
2. Sources of Law | 法律渊源
In the UK, law originates from two principal sources: Parliament and the courts. Statute law consists of Acts of Parliament, which are written laws debated in the House of Commons and the House of Lords before receiving Royal Assent from the monarch. Once passed, an Act applies across England and Wales unless stated otherwise.
在英国，法律主要源自两大方面：议会和法院。成文法由议会法案组成，这些法案需经下议院和上议院辩论，并在获得君主御准后生效。法案一经通过，除非另有说明，即适用于英格兰和威尔士。
The second source is common law, also known as judge-made law or case law. This develops through decisions made by judges in previous cases. Under the doctrine of precedent, lower courts must follow the legal principles set by higher courts when the facts are similar. This ensures consistency and fairness in the legal system.
第二个渊源是普通法，也称法官法或判例法。它通过法官在以往案件中的裁决发展而来。根据遵循先例原则，当案件事实相似时，下级法院必须遵循上级法院确立的法律原则。这保障了法律体系的一致性与公平性。
3. Key Legal Personnel | 关键法律人员
Several key figures keep the justice system running smoothly. A judge presides over court proceedings, decides points of law, and delivers sentences in criminal trials or remedies in civil trials. In the Crown Court, a jury of 12 ordinary citizens listens to the evidence and decides whether the defendant is guilty beyond reasonable doubt.
几个关键角色确保司法体系顺畅运行。法官主持法庭程序，裁断法律要点，并在刑事审判中宣布刑罚或在民事审判中决定补救措施。在刑事法院，由12位普通公民组成的陪审团听取证据，并裁定被告人的罪行是否排除合理怀疑成立。
Lawyers are split into two main types: solicitors and barristers. A solicitor usually gives legal advice, prepares documents, and may represent clients in the lower courts (like the Magistrates’ Court). A barrister specialises in courtroom advocacy and is often instructed to present cases in the Crown Court and higher appellate courts. The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) employs lawyers who review criminal cases brought by the police and decide whether to prosecute.
律师主要分为两类：事务律师和出庭律师。事务律师通常提供法律建议、准备文件，并可能在地方法院（如治安法院）代表客户。出庭律师专门从事法庭辩护，常受委托在刑事法院和较高级别的上诉法院出庭。皇家检察署雇佣律师审查警方移交的刑事案件，并决定是否起诉。
4. Criminal Law Basics | 刑法基础
A crime is a conduct forbidden by the state, and a person accused of a crime is referred to as the defendant. In formal settings, they may be called the accused. The prosecution must prove all elements of the offence to secure a conviction.
犯罪是国家禁止的行为，被指控犯罪的人称为被告人。在正式场合也可能被称为被告。检方必须证明犯罪的所有要件才能定罪。
Most crimes require two essential parts: actus reus (the guilty act) and mens rea (the guilty mind). Actus reus refers to the physical action or omission that breaks the law, such as taking someone else’s property without permission. Mens rea refers to the mental state, such as intention or recklessness, at the time of the act. The Latin phrase ‘actus non facit reum nisi mens sit rea’ means an act does not make a person guilty unless the mind is also guilty.
大多数犯罪需要两个基本要素：actus reus（犯罪行为）和 mens rea（犯罪意图）。Actus reus 指违反法律的物理行为或不作为，例如未经允许拿走他人财物。Mens rea 指行为时的心理状态，如故意或轻率。拉丁语格言“actus non facit reum nisi mens sit rea”意为行为本身不构成犯罪，除非伴有犯罪意图。
Some offences, often regulatory in nature, are classified as strict liability. In these cases, the prosecution only needs to prove the actus reus; no mens rea is required. An example is selling age-restricted products to a minor.
某些罪行（通常涉及监管类事务）被归为严格责任犯罪。在这类案件中，检方只需证明犯罪行为的存在，无需证明犯罪意图。比如向未成年人出售年龄限制商品即属此类。
5. Civil Law Basics | 民法基础
Civil law governs relationships between individuals, businesses, and other organisations. The person who starts a lawsuit is the claimant, and the person being sued is the defendant—the same labels are used, but the nature of the case is very different from a criminal prosecution. Common areas of civil law include contract law, tort law, and family law.
民法调整个人、企业和其他组织之间的关系。提起诉讼的一方是原告，被诉的一方是被告——标签相同，但案件性质与刑事起诉截然不同。民法的常见领域包括合同法、侵权法和家庭法。
In a civil trial, the judge (or occasionally a jury in rare cases such as defamation) decides the outcome based on evidence. The standard of proof is ‘on the balance of probabilities,’ meaning the claimant must show that their version of events is more likely than not to be true—a lower threshold than the criminal standard.
在民事审判中，法官（或在诽谤等极少案件中由陪审团）根据证据决定结果。证明标准是“基于盖然性权衡”，即原告必须证明其所主张的事实具有更大的可能性是真实的，这一门槛低于刑事标准。
If the claimant wins, the court may award remedies including damages (monetary compensation), an injunction (an order to stop doing something), or specific performance (requiring a party to fulfil their obligations under a contract). The goal is to put the claimant back in the position they would have occupied had the wrong not occurred.
若原告胜诉，法院可判决的补救措施包括损害赔偿金（金钱补偿）、禁令（命令停止某种行为）或特定履行（要求一方履行合同义务）。其目标是使原告回复到若侵权行为未发生时的应有状态。
6. Court Structure | 法院结构
The court system in England and Wales operates through a clear hierarchy. At the base, the Magistrates’ Court handles the vast majority of criminal cases, dealing with summary offences (minor crimes such as traffic violations) and some either-way offences. It also deals with certain civil matters such as family hearings and licensing.
英格兰和威尔士的法院体系按明确的等级运作。基层的治安法院处理绝大多数刑事案件，管辖简易罪行（轻微犯罪，如交通违规）和部分可选择审判方式的罪行。它还处理一些民事事务，如家庭听证和许可证事宜。
More serious criminal cases (indictable offences like murder or rape) begin in the Magistrates’ Court but are sent to the Crown Court for trial before a judge and jury. The Crown Court also hears appeals from the Magistrates’ Court. The High Court deals with complex and high-value civil claims and can also hear some criminal appeals. It is divided into three divisions: Queen’s Bench, Chancery, and Family.
更严重的刑事案件（如谋杀、强奸等可公诉罪行）始于治安法院，但会被移送到刑事法院，由一名法官和陪审团进行审判。刑事法院还审理来自治安法院的上诉。高等法院处理复杂且高价值的民事索赔，也可以审理部分刑事上诉。高等法院分为三个分庭：王座庭、大法官庭和家事庭。
Above the High Court sits the Court of Appeal, which reviews decisions from the Crown and High Courts. The final court of appeal in the UK is the Supreme Court, which hears cases of the greatest public importance and sets binding precedents for all lower courts.
在高等法院之上是上诉法院，它复审刑事法院和高等法院的裁决。英国的终审法院是最高法院，它审理具有最大公共重要性的案件，并为所有下级法院确立有约束力的先例。
7. Legal Rights and Duties | 法律权利与义务
A legal right is a claim or privilege protected by law, such as the right to a fair trial under the Human Rights Act 1998 or the right to own property. A legal duty imposes an obligation to act or refrain from acting in a certain way. For example, drivers have a duty to obey speed limits.
法律权利是受法律保护的主张或特权，例如根据1998年《人权法》享有公正审判的权利或拥有财产的权利。法律义务则要求以某种方式作为或不作为。例如，驾驶员有义务遵守速度限制。
Breach of a duty can lead to legal liability. In tort law, if a person owes a duty of care and breaches it, causing harm, they may be liable for negligence. This is a civil wrong and can result in an award of damages. The famous ‘neighbour principle’ from Donoghue v Stevenson established that you must take reasonable care to avoid acts that could foreseeably injure your neighbour.
违反应尽的义务可导致法律责任。在侵权法中，如果一个人负有注意义务却违反了该义务并造成损害，就可能会承担过失侵权责任。这是一种民事不法行为，可能导致赔偿金的判决。著名的“邻居原则”源自 Donoghue v Stevenson 案，规定了你必须采取合理注意，避免可预见会伤害邻人的行为。
8. Evidence and Proof | 证据与证明
Evidence is the information presented in court to prove or disprove facts. It can take many forms, including witness testimony, physical exhibits, documents, and CCTV footage. To be used in court, evidence must be both relevant to the case and admissible under the rules of evidence.
证据是在法庭上提交的、用于证明或反驳事实的信息。它可以有多种形式，包括证人证词、实物展品、文件和监控录像。要在法庭上使用，证据必须既与案件相关，又符合证据规则的可采性要求。
The burden of proof describes who is responsible for proving the case. In criminal law, the burden rests with the prosecution to prove each element of the offence. The standard required is ‘beyond reasonable doubt’—meaning the magistrates or jury must be sure of the defendant’s guilt. In civil cases, the claimant carries the burden on the ‘balance of probabilities,’ a less demanding standard. Certain defences may shift the burden partially to the defendant.
举证责任描述了谁有责任证明案件事实。在刑法中，证明犯罪各项要件的责任在于检方。所需标准是“排除合理怀疑”——这意味着治安法官或陪审团必须确信被告人有罪。在民事案件中，原告须在“盖然性权衡”的标准下承担举证责任，这是一个相对较低的标准。某些抗辩可能将部分举证责任转移给被告。
9. Important Latin Terms | 重要拉丁术语
Legal vocabulary is rich with Latin phrases that you should memorise. Actus reus (‘guilty act’) and mens rea (‘guilty mind’) have already been introduced; together they form the basis of criminal liability. Another key term is stare decisis, which means ‘let the decision stand’ and describes the principle of following precedent.
法律词汇中有大量拉丁短语需要记忆。已经介绍过 actus reus（犯罪行为）和 mens rea（犯罪意图），它们共同构成刑事责任的基础。另一个关键术语是 stare decisis，意为“遵循先例”，描述了遵循判例的原则。
Habeas corpus (‘you shall have the body’) is a historic writ that protects individuals from unlawful detention. It requires a person holding a prisoner to bring them before a court to determine the legality of the imprisonment. Other useful terms include obiter dicta (‘things said by the way’)—remarks made by a judge that are not essential to the decision and do not form a binding precedent—and ratio decidendi (‘the reason for deciding’), which is the core legal reasoning that does bind lower courts.
Habeas corpus（“你必须呈上该人的身躯”）是一项历史悠久的令状，保护个人免遭非法拘禁。它要求拘押人犯者将其带至法庭，以判定监禁的合法性。其他有用的术语包括 obiter dicta（“附带意见”）——法官作出的、对判决并非必需的评论，不构成有约束力的先例——以及 ratio decidendi（“裁决依据”），即约束下级法院的核心法律推理。
10. Making Law: Parliament | 立法：议会
The UK Parliament is sovereign and can make or repeal any law. A proposed new law is introduced as a Bill, which can be a Public Bill (affecting the general public) or a Private Bill (affecting specific individuals or organisations). After several readings and committee stages in both the House of Commons and the House of Lords, a Bill that is passed becomes an Act of Parliament once it receives Royal Assent.
英国议会具有主权地位，可制定或废除任何法律。一项新法律提案以法案形式提出，可以是公共法案（影响一般公众）或私人法案（影响特定个人或组织）。经过下议院和上议院的数轮审议、委员会阶段后，通过的法案一经获得御准，即成为议会法案。
The House of Commons is made up of elected Members of Parliament (MPs). The political party with the most MPs usually forms the government and controls the legislative agenda. The House of Lords, whose members are appointed or inherit their titles, scrutinises and can suggest amendments to Bills. Under the Parliament Acts, the House of Lords cannot block money Bills and can only delay other Bills for about a year, ensuring the elected House prevails.
下议院由选举产生的议会议员组成。拥有最多议员的政党通常组建政府并控制立法议程。上议院议员通过任命或世袭产生，审查法案并可提出修正案。根据《议会法案》，上议院不能阻挠财政法案，对其他法案也只能延迟约一年，从而确保民选下议院的主导地位。
11. Legal Consequences | 法律后果
When a person is convicted of a criminal offence, the court imposes a sentence. Sentencing options depend on the seriousness of the crime and can include imprisonment (custodial sentence), a fine, a community
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