The Ten Essential ielts vocabulary

evidence = material presented in court to prove that someone is guilty or innocent The police had a lot of DNA evidence against her, but no witness statements.
a trial = the legal procedure of prosecuting someone for a crime


A murder trial can last for many weeks and cost millions of Euros to conduct.


conviction rates = the percentage of accused people who are convicted of (= found to be guilty of) a crime


Conviction rates for burglary are low; only about 30% of trials result in a conviction.


a deterrent = something that makes people not want to do something (verb = to deter)


We have a guard dog as a deterrent against intruders at night. It deters people from coming into our garden.


sentencing = the action of telling a convicted criminal what the punishment is (verb = to sentence)


Imprisonment = punishment by being in prison


He was sentenced to five years imprisonment for the armed robbery of a shop.


A fine = money paid as a punishment


The fine for speeding in my country is about 200 Euros.


community service = punishment by doing manual work for the public


Her community service consisted of cleaning the town parks and sweeping litter in the streets.


rehabilitation = the process of changing a criminal’s character so that he does not commit more crimes (verb = to rehabilitate someone)


Some prisons use music and drama to rehabilitate offenders. Others say there is no point in
trying.


an offender = a person who commits an offence


The government should provide training for offenders in prison, so that they don’t turn to crime again when they leave.