This lesson practises 30 C2 collocations on Law, Crime & Justice. Collocations are fixed word pairings that native speakers expect — Cambridge examiners test them in Use of English Part 1 and reward precise lexis in Writing. Run through the interactive drills first, then open this glossary to revise every item in the set. For question-by-question feedback, use Review mode after you finish the session.
subject to police investigation
The company became subject to police investigation after new evidence emerged.
reject a charge
The defendant chose to reject a charge of negligence.
appear in court
The witness was required to appear in court on Monday morning.
cloud their judgement
Personal anger can cloud their judgement when jurors assess difficult evidence.
serve a prison sentence
He was ordered to serve a prison sentence after repeated offences.
justice is served
The community felt that justice was served after the verdict.
give witness testimony
Two neighbours agreed to give witness testimony at the hearing.
take on responsibility
Senior officers must take on responsibility for their decisions.
illegal substance
Police found an illegal substance during the authorised search.
put on trial
The company directors may be put on trial for serious safety breaches.
probe a crime
The investigative unit will probe a crime linked to financial fraud.
stand trial
The defendant will stand trial next month.
lack of judgement
The report criticised the officer's lack of judgement during the arrest.
bring to justice
The police worked for years to bring the suspect to justice.
idle threat
The prosecutor argued that the message was not an idle threat.
serve out a sentence
She will serve out a sentence in a facility near her family.
caught in the crossfire
Several residents were caught in the crossfire during the conflict.
be given a sentence
At the end of the trial, the defendant may be given a sentence by the judge.
pose a threat to
The loose cable could pose a threat to public safety.
error of judgement
The judge described the decision as an error of judgement rather than deliberate misconduct.
take a sideswipe
During cross-examination, the lawyer took a sideswipe at the witness's credibility.
contest a verdict
The defence team plans to contest a verdict they consider unsafe.
notify the police
Staff must notify the police if they believe a serious offence has occurred.
investigate a crime
Specialists were called in to investigate a crime involving identity theft.
poor judgement
Publishing the witness's address would show poor judgement.
suffer casualties
Emergency services worked through the night after the incident caused several people to suffer casualties.
escape punishment
The investigation showed that the company could not escape punishment for falsifying records.
overturn a verdict
The appeal court may overturn a verdict if key evidence was excluded unfairly.
commit a minor offence
Even people who commit a minor offence may need legal advice.
heavy responsibility
Deciding on child protection cases carries a heavy responsibility.