11 - 16s glossary

Lawyer
A person who is qualified to advise people about the law and represent them in court. Lawyers can work on behalf of the defendant or on behalf of the state as prosecutors. Solicitors and barristers are both different types of lawyer.

Life imprisonment
Criminals sentenced to life in prison will not necessarily stay there for the rest of their lives. It is up to the judge to say how long the sentence should be, but the least amount of time would be 15 years.

Litigation
A legal dispute argued between parties in a civil court.

Local authority
A part of government which operates services in local areas.

Magistrate(s)
An ordinary person who has been specially trained to hear criminal and civil cases. They are also called Justices of the Peace and can give out penalties like fines, community penalties and prison sentences of up to 6 months (or 24 months for people under 18).

Magistrates’ court
A court that deals with both civil and criminal cases.