📚 Year 10 WJEC Law: Vocabulary & Terminology Quick-Memory Guide | Year 10 WJEC 法律：词汇术语速记指南
Mastering essential legal vocabulary is the first step to excelling in your WJEC Law course. This guide breaks down key terms into bite-sized, memorable explanations, pairing English definitions with Chinese translations and memory hacks so you can actively recall them under exam conditions. Each section focuses on a core theme from the Year 10 syllabus, including criminal law, tort, and contract basics, and presents paired bilingual paragraphs to reinforce understanding.
掌握基础法律词汇是学好 WJEC 法律课程的第一步。本指南将关键术语拆解成易记、好理解的解释，将英文定义与中文翻译及记忆技巧配对，帮助你在考试中主动回想。每个小节聚焦 Year 10 考纲的核心主题，包括刑法、侵权法和合同基础，并通过配对的双语段落强化理解。
1. Actus Reus & Mens Rea – The Building Blocks of Crime | 犯罪行为与犯罪意图——犯罪的构成基石
Every criminal offence requires two fundamental elements: actus reus, the guilty act, and mens rea, the guilty mind. Actus reus refers to the physical action or omission that breaks the law, such as taking someone's property or punching another person. Without a voluntary physical element, there is generally no crime.
每个刑事犯罪都需要两个基本要素：actus reus（犯罪行为）和 mens rea（犯罪意图）。Actus reus 指违法的身体行为或不作为，例如拿走他人财物或殴打他人。没有自愿的身体要素，通常不构成犯罪。
A handy memory trick is to think of 'A' for 'Action' (actus = act) and 'M' for 'Mind' accidentally trips and knocks someone over, there is no mens rea, so it is not an assault.
一个便利的记忆技巧是：把 'A' 想成 'Action'（行为），'M' 想成 'Mind'（意图）。控方必须证明两者同时存在才能定罪。如果有人意外绊倒撞到他人，不存在犯罪意图，因此不构成袭击。
Mens rea has different levels: intention, where the defendant desired the outcome, and recklessness, where they foresaw a risk but went ahead anyway. In Latin, 'mens rea' literally means 'guilty mind', reminding you that the law judges not just our deeds but our thoughts behind them.
犯罪意图有不同的层次：故意（intention），指被告人希望结果发生；以及轻率（recklessness），指预见到风险但还是实施了行为。拉丁语 'mens rea' 字面意思是 'guilty mind'，提醒你法律不仅评判我们的行为，也评判行为背后的内心想法。
2. Strict Liability – When You Don't Need a Guilty Mind | 严格责任——无需证明犯罪意图的情形
Strict liability offences are exceptions to the requirement of mens rea. In these cases, the prosecution only needs to prove the actus reus – the defendant did the prohibited act. It does not matter whether they intended to commit the crime or were merely careless; liability is automatic once the act is proved.
严格责任犯罪是犯罪意图要求的例外。在这些案件中，控方只需证明犯罪行为——被告人实施了被禁止的行为。无论他们是否有意犯罪或仅是疏忽，一旦行为被证实，责任即自动产生。
Common examples in WJEC include selling alcohol to a minor, food hygiene violations, and certain driving offences like speeding. The law imposes strict liability to protect the public in areas where health and safety are at stake, making it easier to enforce regulations.
WJEC 中常见的例子包括向未成年人售酒、食品卫生违规以及超速等某些驾驶罪行。法律施加严格责任是为了在关乎健康与安全的领域保护公众，使法规更易执行。
To recall this term, connect 'strict' to 'no excuses'. Strict liability means the law is strict and will not accept the defendant's lack of awareness as a defence. Think of a 'Strict' teacher who punishes you the moment they see a phone, regardless of whether you meant to use it.
为了记住这个术语，将 'strict' 与 'no excuses' 联系起来。严格责任意味着法律很严格，不接受被告人不知情作为辩护理由。想象一位'严格'的老师，一看到手机就惩罚你，不管你是否有意使用。
3. Assault and Battery – Two Distinct Torts and Crimes | 攻击与殴打——两种不同的侵权及犯罪
In both criminal law and tort law, assault and battery are often confused but have distinct meanings. Assault is the act of causing someone to apprehend an immediate, unlawful contact. No physical contact needs to occur – the fear of being hit is enough if it is reasonable and immediate.
在刑法和侵权法中，攻击（assault）和殴打（battery）常被混淆，但含义不同。攻击是使某人担忧即将发生的非法接触的行为。无需实际发生身体接触——只要是合理的且紧迫的，对被殴打产生恐惧就足够了。
Battery, on the other hand, is the actual unlawful physical contact, from a punch to an unwanted touch. The key distinction is that assault is the threat, battery is the carrying out. WJEC often tests this by presenting a scenario where a person raises a fist (assault) and then strikes (battery).
另一方面，殴打是指实际的非法身体接触，从重击到不当触碰均可构成。关键区别在于攻击是威胁，殴打是实施。WJEC 考试常通过呈现某人举起拳头（攻击）然后击打（殴打）的场景来考查这个区别。
Use the phrase 'Apprehend – Assault; Body – Battery' to lock in the difference. Note that both can occur together or independently. If you swing at someone and miss, that is assault without battery. If you strike from behind without warning, that is battery without assault.
使用短语'Apprehend – Assault; Body – Battery'来锁定区别。注意两者可以同时或分别发生。如果你向某人挥拳但没打中，这是只有攻击没有殴打。如果从背后毫无预警地击打，这是只有殴打没有攻击。
4. Negligence – The Duty of Care Framework | 过失侵权——注意义务的框架
Negligence is the most important tort in WJEC Law. It occurs when a person fails to exercise reasonable care, causing damage to another who is owed a duty of care. The famous case Donoghue v Stevenson [1932] established the 'neighbour principle': you must take reasonable care to avoid acts or omissions which you can reasonably foresee would be likely to injure your neighbour.
过失侵权是 WJEC 法律中最重要的侵权行为。当一个人未能尽到合理注意义务，对负有注意义务的人造成损害时，即构成过失。著名的 Donoghue v Stevenson [1932] 案确立了'邻人原则'：你必须尽合理注意，避免你可以合理预见可能伤害邻人的作为或不作为。
To establish negligence, three elements are needed: duty of care, breach of that duty, and damage caused by that breach. The test for breach is the 'reasonable person' standard – what would a sensible person have done in the defendant's situation?
要证明过失成立，需要三个要素：注意义务、违反该义务、以及因违反该义务造成的损害。对义务违反的检验标准是'合理人'标准——一个明智的人在被告所处的状况下会怎么做？
A memory map helps: Draw a triangle with 'Duty' at the top, 'Breach' bottom-left, 'Damage' bottom-right. Connect them with arrows showing the sequence. The word 'Negligence' contains 'neglect', reminding you that you neglected the care you should have given.
思维导图很有帮助：画一个三角形，顶部写'Duty'，左下写'Breach'，右下写'Damage'，用箭头表示先后顺序。'Negligence'一词中包含'neglect'（疏忽），提醒你疏忽了本该给予的注意。
5. Offer, Acceptance, and the Formation of a Contract | 要约、承诺与合同成立
A legally binding contract requires offer, acceptance, consideration, and an intention to create legal relations. An offer is a clear statement of willingness to be bound by certain terms, made with the intention that it becomes binding upon acceptance. This must be distinguished from an invitation to treat, which is merely an invitation to negotiate – such as items on a shop shelf (Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain v Boots).
一份具有法律约束力的合同需要要约、承诺、对价和建立法律关系的意图。要约是明确表示愿意受特定条款约束的陈述，意图一旦被承诺即具有约束力。这必须与要约邀请区分开来，后者仅仅是邀请谈判——例如货架上的商品（Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain v Boots 案）。
Acceptance must be unconditional and communicated to the offeror. Silence cannot be acceptance (Felthouse v Bindley). The 'postal rule' is an exception: acceptance sent by post takes effect when the letter is posted, not when it is received, but only if post is a reasonable method of communication.
承诺必须是无条件的并且传达给要约人。沉默不能构成承诺（Felthouse v Bindley 案）。'邮寄规则'是一个例外：以邮寄方式发出的承诺，在信件投寄时即生效，而不是收到时，但这仅限于邮寄是合理的沟通方式的情形。
To remember the formation order, use the mnemonic 'Offers Are Cool In Contract': Offer, Acceptance, Consideration, Intention, Capacity (though capacity is not always required for the basics). Contract formation is a recurring WJEC topic; always check for a valid offer first.
要记住成立顺序，使用助记词'Offers Are Cool In Contract'：要约（Offer）、承诺（Acceptance）、对价（Consideration）、意图（Intention）、能力（Capacity，不过在基础阶段能力并非总是必须）。合同的成立是 WJEC 反复出现的主题；始终首先检查是否存在有效的要约。
6. Consideration – The Price of a Promise | 对价——承诺的代价
Consideration is what each party gives or promises to give in exchange for the other's promise. It is often described as the 'price of the promise'. In a simple sale, the buyer's consideration is the money, the seller's is the goods. Consideration must move from the promisee but need not be adequate – it just needs to have some value in the eyes of the law (Thomas v Thomas).
对价是各方为换取对方的承诺而给予或允诺给予的东西。常被描述为'承诺的代价'。在一项简单的买卖中，买方的对价是金钱，卖方的对价是货物。对价必须由受诺人提供，但不必是对等的——仅需在法律眼中有一定价值（Thomas v Thomas 案）。
Past consideration is not valid: if you do something voluntarily and later a promise is made in return, that earlier act cannot be consideration (Re McArdle). However, an exception exists where the act was done at the promisor's request and payment was always understood.
过去的对价无效：如果你自愿做了某事，后来对方因此作出承诺，之前的行为不能成为对价（Re McArdle 案）。但有一个例外：如果该行为是应允诺人的请求进行的，并且双方始终明白会付款。
Think of 'Consideration' as 'Consi-der-ation' – it's something you need to seriously 'consider' offering. A quick chant: 'Consideration, the exchange that binds; Must move from promisee but need not be of equal kinds.'
将'Consideration'想象成'Consi-der-ation'——是需要你认真'考虑'提供的东西。快速口诀：'Consideration, the exchange that binds; Must move from promisee but need not be of equal kinds.'
7. Intention to Create Legal Relations – Social v Commercial Agreements | 建立法律关系的意图——社交协议与商业协议
Not every agreement is a contract; the parties must intend to be legally bound. In commercial contexts, there is a strong presumption that such intention exists (Edwards v Skyways). In social or domestic arrangements, the presumption is that there is no intention – for example, a husband promising to pay his wife a monthly allowance (Balfour v Balfour), unless evidence proves otherwise.
并非每个协议都是合同；双方必须有受法律约束的意图。在商业语境中，存在强烈的推定认为有此意图（Edwards v Skyways 案）。在社交或家庭安排中，推定则是不存在该意图——例如丈夫承诺每月给妻子生活费（Balfour v Balfour 案），除非有证据证明相反情况。
This distinction is crucial in WJEC questions where you must decide whether an arrangement is legally enforceable. Just remember: 'Business? Bound. Family? Free, unless proved otherwise.' The phrase 'intention to create legal relations' itself is self-explanatory if you break it down: you intend the agreement to have legal consequences.
这一区别在 WJEC 的考题中非常关键，你必须判断一项安排是否具有法律执行力。只需记住：'商业的？约束。家庭的？自由，除非另有证明。''建立法律关系的意图'这个短语如果拆解开来本身就说明问题：你意图让该协议产生法律后果。
8. Common Defences in Criminal Law – A Lifeline for the Accused | 刑法中的常见抗辩——被告人的救命索
Defences are arguments raised by the accused to avoid liability even when the actus reus and mens rea are present. Key defences include self-defence, where reasonable force is used to protect oneself or another; insanity, where the defendant did not know the nature and quality of the act or that it was wrong (M'Naghten Rules); and automatism, where the act was involuntary due to an external factor like a reflex or being hit.
抗辩是被告人提出的论点，即使在存在犯罪行为和犯罪意图时也能避免责任。主要抗辩包括：自卫（self-defence），使用合理武力保护自己或他人；精神错乱（insanity），被告不了解行为的性质和品质或不知其错误（M'Naghten 规则）；以及自动化行为（automatism），行为因外部因素（如反射或被击打）而非自愿。
A lesser-known but examinable defence is duress, where the defendant committed the crime because they were threatened with death or serious injury. Intoxication is not a general defence but may negate mens rea for specific intent crimes. For quick recall, group these under an acronym: 'S.I.A.D.' – Self-defence, Insanity, Automatism, Duress.
一个不太出名但可考的抗辩是胁迫（duress），即被告因受到死亡或严重伤害的威胁而实施犯罪。醉酒（intoxication）不是一般抗辩，但可能否定特定意图犯罪的犯罪意图。为了快速记忆，将这些抗辩归类为一个首字母缩略词：'S.I.A.D.'——Self-defence, Insanity, Automatism, Duress。
9. Sources of Law – Where Our Legal Rules Come From | 法律渊源——我们的法律规则从何而来
WJEC expects you to distinguish between primary and secondary sources of law. Primary sources are the authoritative records of law itself: statutes (Acts of Parliament) and case law (judicial precedent). Secondary sources are commentaries and explanations, such as textbooks, legal journals, and ministerial statements, which influence but do not bind courts.
WJEC 要求你区分法律的主要渊源和次要渊源。主要渊源是法律本身的权威记录：制定法（议会法案）和判例法（司法先例）。次要渊源是评论和解释，如教科书、法律期刊和部长的声明，它们具有影响力但不约束法院。
Statutory interpretation is key: courts interpret statutes using four rules – Literal, Golden, Mischief, and Purposive. The 'Literal Rule' gives words their ordinary dictionary meaning. The 'Mischief Rule' looks at the problem Parliament intended to fix. The 'Golden Rule' avoids absurd outcomes. The 'Purposive Approach' seeks Parliament's purpose, widely used in EU-influenced law.
成文法解释是关键：法院使用四项规则解释成文法——文义规则、黄金规则、填补弊端规则和目的解释。'文义规则'赋予词语普通的词典含义。'填补弊端规则'着眼于议会意图解决的问题。'黄金规则'避免荒谬结果。'目的解释'探寻议会目的，广泛用于受欧盟影响的法律。
To memorise these rules, ask: 'Laws Grow Mainly Through Parliament' – Literal, Golden, Mischief, Purposive. Think of a courtroom as a tree: the trunk is statute, branches are precedent, leaves are commentary. WJEC examinations frequently ask you to identify which rule a judge has used in a scenario.
为了记忆这些规则，联想：'Laws Grow Mainly Through Parliament'——Literal, Golden, Mischief, Purposive。把法庭想象成一棵树：树干是制定法，树枝是先例，树叶是评注。WJEC 考试经常要求你识别法官在情景中使用了哪条规则。
10. Words of Art – Terms You Just Need to Know | 法律专门术语——你需要知道的词汇
Certain Latin or archaic terms appear regularly in WJEC markschemes. 'Bona fide' means in good faith; 'prima facie' means on the face of it or at first sight; 'ratio decidendi' is the binding reason for a judicial decision; 'obiter dicta' are other remarks made by the judge, which are persuasive but not binding. Understanding these will boost your analysis marks.
某些拉丁语或古老的术语经常出现在 WJEC 的评分方案中。'Bona fide' 意指善意的；'prima facie' 意指表面上或初步看来；'ratio decidendi' 是司法判决中有约束力的理由；'obiter dicta' 是法官的其他评论，具有说服力但不具有约束力。理解这些词会提升你的分析得分。
'Ultra vires' describes an action that goes beyond the legal power of a body – vital in judicial review. 'Res ipsa loquitur' ('the thing speaks for itself') is used in negligence when the accident could not have happened without negligence, shifting the burden of proof to the defendant. 'Stare decisis' is the doctrine of precedent – 'let the decision stand'.
'Ultra vires' 描述超越一个机构法律权限的行为——在司法审查中至关重要。'Res ipsa loquitur'（'事实本身说明问题'）用于过失侵权中，当事故非因过失不可能发生时，将举证责任转移给被告。'Stare decisis' 是先例原则——'让判决得以确立'。
A practical exercise: create a flashcard for each Latinism with a literal translation on one side and a legal explanation with an example on the other. For instance, 'Prima Facie -> First Face -> At first glance, the evidence shows X, but it may be rebutted later.' These terms are the 'legal glue' that holds arguments together.
一个实用练习：为每个拉丁术语制作抽认卡，一面写直译，另一面写法律解释和例子。例如，'Prima Facie -> First Face -> 初看之下，证据显示 X，但之后可能被推翻。'这些术语是凝聚论点的'法律胶水'。
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