Law

Bar association

A bar association is a professional association of lawyers as generally organized in countries following the Anglo-American types of jurisprudence. The word bar is derived from the old English/European custom of using a physical railing to separate the area in which court business is done from the viewing area for the general public.

Some bar associations are responsible for the regulation of the legal profession in their jurisdiction; others are professional organizations dedicated to serving their members; in many cases, they are both. In many Commonwealth jurisdictions, the bar association comprises lawyers who are qualified as barristers or advocates in particular, versus solicitors (see bar council). Membership in bar associations may be mandatory or optional for practicing attorneys, depending on jurisdiction.

Criminal procedure

Presumption of innocence

Reasonable doubt

Lawyer

A lawyer is a person who practices law. The role of a lawyer varies greatly across different legal jurisdictions. A lawyer can be classified as an advocate, government lawyer, attorney, barrister, canon lawyer, civil law notary, counsel, counselor, solicitor, legal executive, or public servant — with each role having different functions and privileges.

Prosecutor

检察官，又名公诉人、检控官、控方律师，为法律工作者。无论在欧陆法系或英美法系，检察官均是进行刑事追诉的主导者，在一些法制中，检察官也是公众利益、国家利益的代表人。

检察官制可追溯于法国中古时期，封建贵族的家臣procureur，直到法国大革命后，刑事诉讼制度于1795年彻底改制，具有现代雏型的检察官制度才相应而生。1808年，拿破仑制定《拿破仑刑法典》（Code d’Instruction Criminelle）将检察官制度定型。

随着拿破仑的东征西讨，虽然最终兵败滑铁卢，检察官制度却在欧洲各国生根。德意志诸邦在19世纪初叶亦渐次采行法国检察官制度，在1848年革命风潮后几已成各邦共行之法制，随后普法战争法国大败，本学习法国法制的日本转而学习德意志帝国的检察官制度，中国清朝透过日本学习欧陆法制，亦采德意志立法例，制定法院编制法，引入检察官制的先声。中华民国于1935年施行新制法院组织法及刑事诉讼法，正式采行检察官制度。

Defendant

In court proceedings, a defendant is a person or object who is the party either accused of committing a crime in criminal prosecution or against whom some type of civil relief is being sought in a civil case.

Barrister

A barrister is a type of lawyer in common law jurisdictions. Barristers mostly specialise in courtroom advocacy and litigation. Their tasks include taking cases in superior courts and tribunals, drafting legal pleadings, researching the law and giving expert legal opinions.

Solicitor

Plaintiff

In criminal cases, the prosecutor brings the case against the defendant, but the key complaining party is often called the “complainant”.

Tribunal

Conviction

Insanity defense

Affirmation

Sworn testimony

I swear by Almighty God that the evidence I shall give shall be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.

Civil law

  • China
  • Japan
  • Russia
  • France
  • Germany
  • Louisiana (U.S.)

Common law

  • United States
  • England
  • Singapore
  • Hong Kong

Religious law

  • Iran
  • Saudi Arabia
  • Afghanistan

Contract law

Mediator: a person who attempts to make people involved in a conflict come to an agreement; a go-between.