5.16 Law and rights — Epoché
What you will be able to do Use sixty words of law and rights: freedoms, crime, the police, the courtroom, punishment, and the civil law of families and property. Follow a news item about a crime and a trial: l'enquête , le suspect , le procès , le verdict , la peine . Tell apart the three classes of offence in French law and the courts that try them. Avoid the false friends of the courtroom: le procès , l'amende , l'avocat , le crime . Sentences from this lesson, before the explanation. Read the French aloud; all of them come back below. French English Le jury a acquitté l'accusé faute de preuves. [1] The jury has acquitted the accused due to lack of evidence. Le voleur a été pris en flagrant délit. [2] The thief was caught in the act. Vous êtes en état d'arrestation. [3] You are under arrest. La police a arrêté un suspect pour l'interroger. [4] The police have hauled in a suspect for questioning. Le suspect était innocent du crime. [5] The suspect was innocent of the crime. Vous ne pouvez pas l'accuser de vol sans avoir de preuves. [6] You can't accuse him of theft without having proof. Prerequisites : 5.15 — this lesson follows 5.15 Vocabulary , where the law was made in Parliament; here it is applied. You need the passive of 4.20 Grammar , which crime reports use constantly: il a été arrêté , il a été condamné . Much of the vocabulary of law is shared between English and French, because English took it from the French spoken in English courts for three centuries after 1066: court , judge , jury , verdict , plaintiff all came from that law French. The words look familiar, but the systems behind them grew apart. France has a written civil code, judges who lead investigations, and juries only for the gravest crimes. This lesson gives the words and enough of the system to understand a French news report. Word list Sixty words in six groups: rights and freedoms, crime, the police, in court, punishment, and civil law. Rights and freedoms Word Meaning Notes le droit fr right; law (the subject) Gender / part of speech masculine noun How English differs avoir le droit de , to be allowed to ; faire du droit , to study law . C'est ton droit. [7] It is your right. les droits de l'homme fr human rights Gender / part of speech masculine plural noun How English differs From the Declaration of 1789; also les droits humains . Qu'est-ce que les droits de l'homme ? [8] What are human rights? la liberté d'expression fr freedom of speech Gender / part of speech feminine noun How English differs Protected by article 11 of the Declaration of 1789. La liberté d'expression fut restreinte dans ce pays. [9] Freedom of speech was restricted in this country. la discrimination fr discrimination Gender / part of speech feminine noun How English differs la discrimination raciale , racial discrimination . La discrimination sexuelle est interdite. [10] Discrimination on the basis of gender is prohibited. la censure fr censorship Gender / part of speech feminine noun How English differs Also a vote of censure in parliament. Non à la censure ! [11] No to censorship! autoriser fr to allow, to authorise Gender / part of speech verb How English differs c'est autorisé , it's allowed . Est-ce que c'est autorisé ? [12] Is that allowed? légal fr legal, lawful Gender / part of speech adjective How English differs Plural légaux . Est-ce légal ? [13] Is this legal? illégal fr illegal Gender / part of speech adjective How English differs la légalité , legality . C'est illégal. [14] This is illegal. Crime Word Meaning Notes le crime fr crime; serious crime Gender / part of speech masculine noun How English differs In French law, the most serious class of offence, such as murder. Le crime était prémédité. [15] The crime was premeditated. le délit fr offence Gender / part of speech masculine noun How English differs The middle class of offence; en flagrant délit , red-handed . Ils l'ont pris en flagrant délit. [16] They caught him in the act. le criminel fr criminal Gender / part of speech masculine noun How English differs Feminine la criminelle . Le criminel est nerveux. [17] The criminal is nervous. le vol fr theft; flight Gender / part of speech masculine noun How English differs The same word as a plane flight. Quand le vol est-il survenu ? [18] When did the robbery happen? le voleur fr thief Gender / part of speech masculine noun How English differs Au voleur ! , Stop thief! Arrêtez le voleur ! [19] Stop thief! voler fr to steal; to fly Gender / part of speech verb How English differs voler quelque chose à quelqu'un , to steal something from someone . Tout a été volé. [20] Everything was stolen. le meurtre fr murder Gender / part of speech masculine noun How English differs Also the legal term, for an intentional killing; with premeditation it is l'assassinat , and manslaughter is l'homicide involontaire . C'est un meurtre. [21] It's murder. l'assassin fr murderer, killer Gender / part of speech masculine noun How English differs Any murderer, not only the killer of a public figure. La police a trouvé l'assassin. [22] The police found the killer. le cambrioleur fr burglar Gender / part of speech masculine noun How English differs le cambriolage , a burglary . Le cambrioleur est entré par une fenêtre. [23] The burglar came in through a window. la fraude fr fraud Gender / part of speech feminine noun How English differs la fraude fiscale , tax fraud . Elle est coupable de fraude. [24] She is guilty of fraud. la drogue fr drug (illegal) Gender / part of speech feminine noun How English differs A medicine is un médicament . Il se drogue. [25] He takes drugs. la violence fr violence Gender / part of speech feminine noun How English differs Often plural: les violences . Il déteste la violence. [26] He abhors violence. The police Word Meaning Notes le policier fr police officer Gender / part of speech masculine noun How English differs Informal le flic . Demande au policier. [27] Ask the policeman. le gendarme fr gendarme Gender / pa