📚 Year 7 SQA Law: Quick Guide to Legal Terminology | SQA 七年级法律：词汇术语速记指南
Welcome to your first step into the world of law. Law is the set of rules that a country or community makes to keep order, protect people, and make sure everyone is treated fairly. In this guide, you will learn the most important legal words and phrases that appear in the Year 7 SQA Law syllabus. Understanding these terms will help you talk about justice, rights, and responsibilities clearly, and give you a strong foundation for later study.
欢迎踏出探索法律世界的第一步。法律是一个国家或社区制定的规则体系，目的是维持秩序、保护人民、确保人人受到公平对待。在这份指南中，你将学习 SQA 七年级法律课程中最关键的词汇和短语。理解这些术语能帮助你清晰地讨论正义、权利与责任，并为今后的学习打下坚实基础。
1. What is Law? | 法律是什么
Law is a system of rules created and enforced by the government. These rules apply to everyone in society and exist to prevent harm, settle disputes, and promote fairness. Without law, there would be chaos, and people’s rights would not be protected.
法律是由政府制定并执行的规则体系。这些规则适用于社会中的每一个人，旨在防止伤害、解决争端和促进公平。没有法律，社会将陷入混乱，人的权利也无法得到保障。
In Scotland, the legal system is separate from that of England and Wales. It has its own history, courts, and procedures. This means some terms you learn might be specific to Scots law, but many basic ideas are shared across the UK.
苏格兰的法律体系独立于英格兰和威尔士。它有自己的历史、法院和程序。因此，你学到的一些术语可能是苏格兰法律特有的，但许多基本概念在整个英国都是共通的。
2. Criminal Law vs Civil Law | 刑法与民法
Criminal law deals with behaviour that is harmful to society as a whole. When someone breaks a criminal law, the state prosecutes them. If found guilty, the person may be punished by fine, community service, or imprisonment.
刑法处理的是对整个社会有害的行为。当有人违反刑法时，国家会对其提起诉讼。如果被判有罪，当事人可能会受到罚款、社区服务或监禁的处罚。
Civil law, on the other hand, handles disputes between individuals or organisations. This can include arguments over contracts, property, or family matters. The aim is usually to solve the disagreement and compensate the wronged party, not to punish.
民法则是处理个人或组织之间的纠纷。这可能包括合同、财产或家庭问题上的争议。其目的通常是解决分歧并赔偿受害方，而非进行惩罚。
3. The Court System | 法院系统
A court is a place where legal cases are heard and decided by a judge or a jury. In Scotland, the main criminal courts are the Justice of the Peace Court, the Sheriff Court, and the High Court of Justiciary. The most serious crimes, like murder, are tried in the High Court.
法院是审理法律案件并由法官或陪审团作出裁决的地方。在苏格兰，主要的刑事法院包括治安法院、郡法院和高等刑事法院。最严重的犯罪，如谋杀，在高等法院审理。
Civil cases are usually heard in the Sheriff Court or the Court of Session, which is Scotland’s supreme civil court. Understanding which court handles which type of case is a key part of legal study.
民事案件通常在郡法院或苏格兰的最高民事法院——最高民事法院审理。了解哪类法院处理哪类案件是法律学习的关键部分。
4. Key Legal Roles: Judge, Jury, Lawyer | 关键法律角色：法官、陪审团、律师
The judge is the person in charge of a court. They make sure the trial follows the rules, explain the law to the jury, and decide the sentence if someone is found guilty. In Scotland’s highest criminal court, judges are called Senators of the College of Justice.
法官是法庭的负责人。他们确保审判遵守规则，向陪审团解释法律，并在某人被判有罪时决定刑罚。在苏格兰最高刑事法院，法官被称为司法学院参议员。
A jury is a group of ordinary citizens who listen to the evidence and decide whether the accused is guilty or not. In Scottish criminal trials, a jury has 15 members, and a verdict can be reached by a simple majority. This is different from England where the jury is 12 people.
陪审团是一群普通公民，他们听取证据并决定被告是否有罪。在苏格兰的刑事审判中，陪审团有 15 名成员，裁决可通过简单多数达成。这与英格兰的 12 人陪审团不同。
A lawyer is a trained professional who gives legal advice and represents people in court. In Scotland, a solicitor deals directly with clients and prepares cases, while an advocate presents cases in the higher courts.
律师是经过专业训练的人员，提供法律建议并在法庭上代表当事人。在苏格兰，事务律师直接与客户接触并准备案件，而出庭律师则在高等法院陈述案件。
5. Legal Rights and Responsibilities | 权利与责任
A right is something you are entitled to by law. For example, under the Human Rights Act 1998, everyone has the right to a fair trial. Rights protect individuals from unfair treatment and give them freedoms, such as the right to free speech.
权利是法律赋予你应得的东西。例如，根据 1998 年《人权法》，每个人都有获得公正审判的权利。权利保护个人免受不公正对待，并赋予他们自由，如言论自由权。
A responsibility is a duty or obligation that a person has. With every right comes a responsibility. For instance, you have the right to an education, but you also have the responsibility to attend school and respect your teachers and classmates.
责任是一个人所负有的义务或职责。每一项权利都伴随着一项责任。例如，你有受教育的权利，但同时也有责任上学并尊重你的老师和同学。
6. The Rule of Law | 法治
The rule of law is the principle that everyone is subject to the law, including people in power. No one is above the law. This idea ensures that laws are applied fairly and equally, and that government action is limited by law.
法治是一条原则，即每个人都受法律约束，包括掌权者。没有人可以凌驾于法律之上。这一理念确保了法律的公平和平等适用，并限制了政府的行为必须依法进行。
Key elements of the rule of law include: laws must be clear, public, and stable; justice must be delivered by independent courts; and people must have access to a fair process. These elements stop the misuse of power.
法治的关键要素包括：法律必须明确、公开且稳定；司法必须由独立的法院执行；人民必须有获得公正程序的机会。这些要素能阻止权力的滥用。
7. Sources of Law | 法律渊源
Laws come from different sources. In the UK, the main sources are legislation (Acts of Parliament), common law (decisions made by judges in previous cases), and European law (though this is changing after Brexit). Scotland also has its own ancient common law and a separate legal tradition.
法律有不同的来源。在英国，主要来源是制定法（议会法案）、普通法（法官在以往案件中作出的裁决）和欧洲法（尽管脱欧后这一情况正在改变）。苏格兰还有自己古老的普通法和独立的法律传统。
Precedent is a very important concept. It means that lower courts must follow the decisions made by higher courts in similar cases. This makes the law consistent and predictable. The term for judge-made law is case law.
先例是一个非常重要的概念。它意味着下级法院在类似案件中必须遵循上级法院的裁决。这使法律具有一致性和可预测性。法官造法被称为判例法。
8. Types of Crime | 犯罪类型
Crimes can be grouped in many ways. In Scotland, a common division is between crimes of dishonesty (like theft and fraud), crimes of violence (assault, murder), and crimes against public order (breach of the peace, rioting). There are also road traffic offences and drug offences.
犯罪可以按多种方式分类。在苏格兰，常见的类别有不诚实犯罪（如盗窃和诈骗）、暴力犯罪（袭击、谋杀）和危害公共秩序犯罪（扰乱治安、暴乱）。此外还有道路交通犯罪和毒品犯罪。
Another important distinction is between serious crimes and less serious crimes. The Scottish term for a serious crime is an “indictable offence”, tried by a judge and jury. Less serious crimes, called “summary offences”, are tried by a judge alone.
另一个重要区分是严重犯罪和轻微犯罪。苏格兰对严重犯罪的术语是“公诉罪”，由法官和陪审团审理。较轻的犯罪称为“简易程序罪”，由法官单独审理。
9. Defences in Law | 法律抗辩
A defence is a reason given by the accused to show they should not be found guilty. Common defences include self-defence (protecting yourself from harm), alibi (proving you were somewhere else when the crime happened), and insanity (not being mentally responsible for your actions).
抗辩是被告提出的不应被判有罪的理由。常见的抗辩包括自卫（保护自己免受伤害）、不在场证明（证明犯罪发生时你在别处）和精神失常（对自身行为不负精神责任）。
In Scots law, there is also the special defence of “incrimination”, where the accused says someone else committed the crime. The defence must give notice before the trial so the other person can be investigated.
在苏格兰法律中，还有一种特殊的抗辩叫“归罪他人”，即被告声称犯罪是他人所为。辩方必须在审判前发出通知，以便对指称的他人进行调查。
10. Contracts | 合同
A contract is a legally binding agreement between two or more parties. To be valid, a contract needs an offer, an acceptance, and something of value exchanged (called consideration). For example, when you buy a bus ticket, you are making a contract.
合同是两个或多个当事人之间具有法律约束力的协议。一份有效的合同需要有要约、承诺和对价（有价值事物的交换）。例如，当你购买车票时，你就在订立一份合同。
If one party does not do what they promised, this is called a breach of contract. The innocent party can then go to court and ask for a remedy, such as damages (money) or specific performance (forcing the party to do what they promised).
如果一方没有履行其承诺，这被称为违约。无辜方可以向法院起诉并要求救济，如损害赔偿金（金钱）或特定履行（强制对方履行承诺）。
11. Evidence | 证据
Evidence is the information used in court to prove or disprove a fact. It can be physical (like a weapon or a document), or it can be the spoken words of a witness. Rules of evidence control what can and cannot be shown to the jury.
证据是在法庭上用于证明或反驳事实的信息。它可以是实物（如武器或文件），也可以是证人的口头陈述。证据规则控制着可以向陪审团出示的内容。
In Scotland, the law requires that some important facts must be proved by evidence from at least two separate sources. This is called corroboration. For example, in a criminal case, a confession alone is not enough; there must be other evidence linking the accused to the crime.
在苏格兰，法律规定某些重要事实必须由至少两个独立来源的证据加以证明。这被称为佐证。例如，在刑事案件中，仅有供述是不够的；必须有其他证据将被告与犯罪联系起来。
12. Legal Problem-Solving Steps | 法律问题解决步骤
When facing a legal problem, you should first identify the relevant facts. Then, find the legal rule that applies to those facts. Apply the rule to the facts, and reach a conclusion. This simple method, often called IRAC (Issue, Rule, Application, Conclusion), will help you structure answers in exams.
面对法律问题时，首先应找出相关事实。然后，找到适用于这些事实的法律规则。将规则应用于事实，并得出结论。这个简单的方法通常称为 IRAC（问题、规则、应用、结论），能帮助你构建考试答案。
Learning legal vocabulary is like learning the ABC of law. Every word you master today will make reading cases, understanding news about justice, and discussing your rights much easier. Keep practising these terms, and try to use them in short sentences to lock them into your memory.
学习法律词汇就像学习法律的字母表。你今天掌握的每一个词都会让以后阅读案例、理解司法新闻和讨论自身权利变得容易得多。坚持练习这些术语，并尝试用它们造短句，将它们牢牢印在记忆中。
Published by TutorHao | Law Revision Series | aleveler.com
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