Year 11 Cambridge Law: Key Legal Terminology Quick-Memorisation Guide | 剑桥 Year 11 法律：关键术语速记指南

📚 Year 11 Cambridge Law: Key Legal Terminology Quick-Memorisation Guide | 剑桥 Year 11 法律：关键术语速记指南

Mastering legal terminology is the foundation of success in Cambridge IGCSE or O Level Law. Without a solid grasp of the key words, even the most logical arguments can fall apart. This guide breaks down essential terms into simple, memorable chunks, pairing English explanations with Chinese translations to accelerate your learning. Each section includes a “memory hook” to help you retain the concept effortlessly. Let's turn legal jargon into your strongest asset.

掌握法律术语是剑桥 IGCSE 或 O Level 法律考试成功的基础。如果没有扎实掌握关键词汇，即使最合乎逻辑的论证也可能站不住脚。本指南将关键术语拆解成简单易记的模块，配以英文解释和中文翻译，加速你的学习。每个小节都附有“记忆钩子”，帮助你毫不费力地记住概念。让我们把法律行话变成你的最强武器。

1. Actus Reus – The Guilty Act | 犯罪行为

Actus reus refers to the physical element of a crime – the prohibited conduct, act, or omission that forms part of the offence. It can be an action (such as striking someone) or a failure to act where there is a legal duty (like a parent not feeding a child). Without an actus reus, there can be no crime, no matter what the defendant intended.

犯罪行为是指犯罪的客观要素——构成犯罪一部分的被禁止的行为、举动或不作为。它可以是一个动作（如殴打他人），也可以是有法律义务时的消极不作为（如父母不喂养孩子）。没有犯罪行为，无论被告意图如何，都无法构成犯罪。

Think of the first letter ‘A’ in Actus for ‘Action’. The prosecution must always prove an action or a legally required omission took place.

记住“Actus”的第一个字母“A”，代表“行动”（Action）。检方必须始终证明发生了某个行动或法律要求的不作为。

2. Mens Rea – The Guilty Mind | 犯罪意图

Mens rea is the mental element of a crime; it refers to the defendant's state of mind at the time of the offence. Common forms include intention (purposefully bringing about a result), recklessness (foreseeing a risk and going ahead regardless), and negligence (failing to meet a reasonable standard of care). Mens rea must coincide with the actus reus for liability to arise.

犯罪意图是犯罪的主观要素；它指的是被告在犯罪时的心理状态。常见形式包括故意（蓄意造成某一结果）、轻率（预见到风险却仍然执意为之）和疏忽（未能达到合理的注意标准）。犯罪意图必须与犯罪行为同时发生，才能产生法律责任。

Link Mens with ‘Mental’. You need to prove what was going on inside the defendant's head.

将“Mens”与“Mental”（精神的）联系起来。你需要证明被告头脑中在想什么。

3. Strict Liability – No Mens Rea Needed | 严格责任

Strict liability offences do not require proof of mens rea for at least one element of the actus reus. The prosecution only needs to show that the defendant committed the prohibited act. These are usually regulatory or public welfare offences, such as selling food past its use‑by date or driving without insurance. The defendant’s ignorance or honest mistake is no defence.

严格责任犯罪不需要针对犯罪行为的至少一个要素证明犯罪意图。检方只需证明被告实施了被禁止的行为。这类犯罪通常是监管类或公共福利类犯罪，比如销售过期食品或无保险驾驶。被告的不知情或诚实错误不构成抗辩。

The label says it all: Liability is Strict – no excuses allowed. Even if you didn't mean to do it, you are still guilty.

标签说明了一切：责任是“严格”的——不允许借口。即使你并非故意，仍然有罪。

4. Standard of Proof – Beyond Reasonable Doubt | 证明标准——排除合理怀疑

In criminal law, the prosecution must prove the defendant's guilt beyond reasonable doubt. This is the highest standard of proof in the English legal system. It means the jury or magistrates must be sure of guilt, not absolutely certain, but so that no reasonable doubt remains after considering all the evidence. If any reasonable doubt exists, the defendant must be acquitted.

在刑法中，检方必须排除合理怀疑地证明被告有罪。这是英国法律体系中最高的证明标准。它意味着陪审团或治安法官必须确信有罪，不要求绝对肯定，但在考虑所有证据后不能留下任何合理怀疑。如果存在任何合理怀疑，被告必须被宣告无罪。

Picture a scale with a tiny feather of ‘doubt’ preventing the verdict from tipping to guilty.

想象一架天平，一根“怀疑”的羽毛就阻止了裁决滑向有罪。

5. Civil Law vs Criminal Law – Citizen vs State | 民法与刑法——公民与国家

Criminal law deals with offences against the state or society as a whole. Cases are brought by the state (Crown Prosecution Service) and punishment may involve fines, community orders or imprisonment. Civil law resolves disputes between individuals or organisations, such as contract or tort claims. The remedy is usually compensation (damages) or an injunction, not punishment.

刑法处理针对国家或整个社会的犯罪。案件由国家（皇家检察署）提起，刑罚可能包括罚款、社区矫正令或监禁。民法解决个人或组织之间的纠纷，如合同或侵权索赔。救济方式通常是赔偿（损害赔偿）或禁令，而非惩罚。

Criminal = State brings the case; Civil = Individual v Individual. Think ‘Crime’ rhymes with ‘Time’ (prison), while ‘Civil’ sounds like ‘Settle’ (money).

刑事=国家提起诉讼；民事=个人对个人。可以这么想：“Crime”与“Time”（刑期）押韵，而“Civil”听起来像“Settle”（和解赔钱）。

6. Common Law and Statute Law – Judge‑made vs Parliament‑made | 普通法与成文法——法官造法与议会立法

Common law is law created by judges through decisions in individual cases. These decisions set binding precedents for future cases under the doctrine of stare decisis. Statute law (also called legislation or Acts of Parliament) is law made by Parliament. Statutes can override common law; however, judges still interpret statutes, and their interpretations become part of the common law.

普通法是法官通过在个案中作出的判决而创造的法律。这些判决遵循“遵循先例”原则，对未来案件具有约束力。成文法（也称立法或议会法令）是由议会制定的法律。成文法可以推翻普通法；然而，法官仍需解释成文法，其解释也成为普通法的一部分。

Common = Court‑made; Statute = State‑made (Parliament). If you see ‘Act of Parliament’, it's definitely statute law.

Common（普通）=> Court（法院）造法；Statute（成文法）=> State（国家）造法。看到“议会法令”，那一定是成文法。

广告 / Sponsored

7. Ratio Decidendi and Obiter Dicta – Binding vs Persuasive | 判决理由与附带意见——约束与说服

The ratio decidendi is the legal principle or reason upon which a judge's decision is based. It is the binding part of a precedent that lower courts must follow. Obiter dicta (literally ‘things said by the way’) are observations or remarks made by the judge that are not essential to the decision. They are persuasive but not binding on later courts.

判决理由是法官作出判决所依据的法律原则或理由。它是先例中具有约束力的部分，下级法院必须遵循。附带意见（字面意思是“顺带说的话”）是法官作出的非判决必要的观察或评论。它们具有说服力，但对后来的法院没有约束力。

uasive only). Picture a tree: the ratio is the trunk holding the case up; obiter are the branches that could be trimmed away.

Ratio（比率）=> Rule（规则）——关键部分（约束性）。Obiter（附带）=> Obvious extra（明显的额外话）。想象一棵树：判决理由是支撑案件的树干；附带意见是可以修剪掉的枝杈。

8. Precedent – Stare Decisis | 先例——遵循先例

Stare decisis is the doctrine that courts should stand by previous decisions and not disturb settled points of law. This promotes certainty and consistency. A court is generally bound by decisions of courts above it in the hierarchy. The Supreme Court (formerly House of Lords) is the highest court; its decisions bind all lower courts. The Court of Appeal is bound by the Supreme Court but binds the High Court and lower courts.

遵循先例是法院应遵循先前判决、不扰乱已确定的法律原则的一项原则。这有助于提升确定性和一致性。法院通常受其上级法院裁决的约束。最高法院（前身为上议院）是最高级别法院，其裁决约束所有下级法院。上诉法院受最高法院约束，但约束高等法院及更低级别法院。

‘Stare’ sounds like ‘Stare at the past’ – you must follow what was decided before.

“Stare”听起来像“紧盯过去”（Stare at the past）——你必须遵守过去的裁决。

9. Tort Law – Negligence, Nuisance, Trespass | 侵权法——过失、妨害、侵入

A tort is a civil wrong that causes harm or loss to another, giving the victim the right to sue for compensation. The most common tort is negligence, which requires proof of a duty of care, breach of that duty, and damage caused by the breach. Other torts include nuisance (interfering with a person’s use or enjoyment of land) and trespass (direct and intentional interference with a person, land, or goods).

侵权是一种对他人造成伤害或损失的民事不法行为，赋予受害者寻求赔偿的起诉权。最常见的侵权是过失，需要证明注意义务的存在、违反该义务以及由该违约造成的损害。其他侵权包括妨害（干扰他人对土地的使用或享有）和侵入（直接且故意地干预他人、土地或财物）。

he Neighbour principle: you must take reasonable care to avoid acts that could foreseeably harm your neighbour (Donoghue v Stevenson).

侵权（Tort）可以联想为“错误（Wrong）的变体”。过失（Negligence）= 邻人原则：你必须采取合理注意，避免可预见会伤害邻人的行为（Donoghue v Stevenson 案）。

10. Contract Law – Offer, Acceptance, Consideration | 合同法——要约、承诺、对价

A legally binding contract generally requires an offer, acceptance, consideration, and an intention to create legal relations. An offer is a clear statement of willingness to contract on certain terms. Acceptance must be unconditional and communicated to the offeror. Consideration is something of value exchanged between the parties – it can be a promise, an act, or a forbearance, and it must be sufficient but need not be adequate.

具有法律约束力的合同通常需要要约、承诺、对价以及建立法律关系的意图。要约是根据特定条件订立合同的明确意愿表示。承诺必须无条件并传达给要约人。对价是双方之间交换的有价值之物——它可以是允诺、行为或不作为，且必须充分但不必相当。

r + Acceptance + Consideration = ingredients of a cake. You need all three for it to rise.

记住助记符O+A+C = 合同。要约+承诺+对价=蛋糕的成分。三者齐备，蛋糕才能发起来。

11. Judicial Precedent – Distinguishing, Overruling, Reversing | 司法先例——区分、推翻、撤销

Judges can avoid following a precedent by distinguishing, i.e., showing that the material facts of the present case are different from the previous case, so the earlier ratio does not apply. Overruling occurs when a higher court decides that a legal principle set by a lower court in a previous case was wrong and replaces it. Reversing happens when a higher court changes the decision of a lower court in the same case on appeal.

法官可以通过“区分”来避免遵循先例，即证明当前案件的重大事实与先前案件不同，因此先前的判决理由不适用。“推翻”是指上级法院认定下级法院在先例中确立的法律原则有误并予以取代。“撤销”是指上级法院在同一案件的上诉中改变下级法院的判决。

= Old rule killed by higher court; Reversing = Result changed in same case. Remember D,O,R – Different facts, Old rule out, Result reversed.

区分=找出差异（Draw a difference）；推翻=旧规则被上级法院废弃（Old rule killed）；撤销=同一案件结果改变（Result reversed）。记住 D,O,R——不同事实，旧规剔除，结果反转。

12. Legal Latin Made Easy – Common Phrases | 法律拉丁语速记——常见短语

Cambridge law students often encounter Latin terms. Here are a few quick ones: per incuriam (through lack of care) – a decision made in ignorance of a binding precedent; obiter dictum (singular of obiter dicta) – a remark by the way; ratio decidendi (reason for deciding); res ipsa loquitur (the thing speaks for itself) – used in negligence where the accident implies breach of duty; novus actus interveniens (new intervening act) – breaks the chain of causation.

剑桥法律学生常会遇到拉丁术语。几个速记技巧：per incuriam（因疏忽所致）——指在不知晓有约束力先例的情况下作出的判决；obiter dictum（附带意见单数形式）——顺带说的话；ratio decidendi（判决理由）；res ipsa loquitur（事实不言自明）——用于过失案件中，事故本身即暗示义务违反；novus actus interveniens（新介入行为）——中断因果关系链条。

Use visual images: res ipsa loquitur – imagine a barrel of flour falling from a shop window, the barrel ‘speaks for itself’.

运用图像记忆：res ipsa loquitur——想象一桶面粉从商店窗户坠落，桶“不言自明”。

Published by TutorHao | Law Revision Series | aleveler.com

更多咨询请联系16621398022（同微信）