📚 SQA Law Vocabulary Quick-Reference Guide | SQA 法律词汇速记指南
Mastering legal terminology is one of the biggest challenges for Year 10 SQA Law students. The Scottish legal system is steeped in tradition and has its own distinctive vocabulary, from 'delict' to 'Procurator Fiscal'. Without a strong grasp of these terms, students risk misunderstanding legal principles and losing marks in assessments. This guide is designed to help you learn, remember, and correctly use the essential legal words and phrases that appear throughout the SQA Law course. Each term is explained clearly, accompanied by memory aids where possible, and presented in a structure that mirrors how the law is studied.
掌握法律术语是 Year 10 SQA 法律学生面临的最大挑战之一。苏格兰法律体系有着深厚的传统和独特的词汇，从 'delict'（侵权行为）到 'Procurator Fiscal'（检察官）。如果对这些术语没有牢固的掌握，学生很容易误解法律原则并在考试中失分。本指南旨在帮助你学习、记忆并正确使用 SQA 法律课程中经常出现的关键法律单词和短语。每个术语都清晰解释，尽可能附上记忆辅助，并按照法律学习的结构呈现。
1. Sources of Law in Scotland | 苏格兰法律的渊源
Scottish law comes from several key sources. The most important is legislation, which includes Acts of the UK Parliament and Acts of the devolved Scottish Parliament. Legislation is also known as statute law. For example, the Scotland Act 1998 established the Scottish Parliament and devolved powers.
苏格兰法律有几个主要渊源。最重要的是 legislation（立法），包括英国议会法案和苏格兰地方议会的法案。立法也被称为成文法。例如，1998 年苏格兰法案成立了苏格兰议会并下放了权力。
Another major source is common law. This is law developed through decisions made by judges in courts. These decisions create precedent, meaning lower courts must follow the reasoning of higher courts in similar cases. The principle of stare decisis (let the decision stand) underpins this. In Scotland, institutional writers such as Stair and Hume also carry significant weight as sources of law, a unique feature of the mixed legal system that borrows from both civil and common law traditions.
另一个主要渊源是 common law（普通法）。这是通过法官在法庭上的判决发展起来的法律。这些判决形成 precedent（先例），意味着下级法院在类似案件中必须遵循上级法院的推理。stare decisis（遵循先例） 原则支撑着这一体系。在苏格兰，如 Stair 和 Hume 这样的制度作家作为法律渊源也具有重要分量，这是融合了大陆法系和普通法系传统的混合法律体系的独特之处。
Memory tip: for the phrase 'stare decisis', think 'stare' as in 'stare at the past decision' – you follow what has been decided before. Associate 'legislation' with 'legis' (Latin for law) to remember it is written law made by Parliament.
记忆提示：对于短语 'stare decisis'，可以联想 'stare'（盯着）过去的判决——你要遵循之前已作出的决定。将 'legislation' 与拉丁语 'legis'（法律）联系起来，记住它是由议会制定的成文法。
2. The Scottish Court System and Key Personnel | 苏格兰法院体系与关键人员
The Scottish court structure has both criminal and civil courts. The highest criminal court is the High Court of Justiciary, which sits in Edinburgh and on circuit. It deals with the most serious crimes such as murder and rape, and hears appeals. The Sheriff Court handles the majority of criminal cases, using either solemn procedure (judge and jury) for serious matters or summary procedure (judge alone) for less serious ones. The lowest level of criminal court is the Justice of the Peace Court, which deals with minor offences.
苏格兰的法院结构包含刑事和民事法院。最高刑事法院是 High Court of Justiciary（高等刑事法院），设在爱丁堡并巡回审判。它处理谋杀、强奸等最严重的犯罪，并审理上诉案件。Sheriff Court（郡法院） 处理大多数刑事案件，对严重案件采用 solemn procedure（庄严程序）（法官与陪审团），对较轻案件采用 summary procedure（简易程序）（仅法官一人）。最低级别的刑事法院是 Justice of the Peace Court（治安法院），处理轻微罪行。
In civil matters, the Sheriff Court also handles cases involving smaller sums of money, while the Court of Session (Outer House for first instance, Inner House for appeals) deals with more complex or valuable civil disputes. The UK Supreme Court is the final court of appeal for civil cases from Scotland, but not for most criminal cases. Key legal professionals include solicitors, who advise clients and prepare cases, and advocates, who have rights of audience in the higher courts. The public prosecutor in Scotland is the Procurator Fiscal, who decides whether to bring criminal charges.
在民事领域，Sheriff Court 同样处理较小金额的案件，而 Court of Session（最高法院民事庭）（外庭初审，内庭上诉）处理更复杂或金额更大的民事纠纷。英国 Supreme Court（最高法院） 是苏格兰民事案件的终审上诉法院，但对大多数刑事案件不是。关键的法律专业人员包括 solicitors（事务律师），他们为客户提供咨询并准备案件，以及 advocates（出庭律师），他们拥有在高等法院出庭发言的权利。苏格兰的公诉检察官是 Procurator Fiscal（检察官），决定是否提起刑事指控。
A helpful memory link: 'Procurator Fiscal' sounds like 'procure a fiscal penalty' – the official who seeks a financial or other penalty. 'Solemn' procedure involves a jury, so think 'solemn and serious' – it is for serious offences. 'Summary' suggests a quick summary – used for less serious matters.
一个有用的记忆联想：'Procurator Fiscal' 听起来像 'procure a fiscal penalty'（取得经济处罚）——这位官员就是寻求经济或其他处罚的人。'Solemn' 程序涉及陪审团，所以想想 'solemn and serious'（庄严且严重）——它用于严重罪行。'Summary' 暗示快速概览——用于较轻的案件。
3. Criminal Law: Actus Reus and Mens Rea | 刑法：犯罪行为与犯罪意图
To establish criminal liability in Scots law, two fundamental elements must usually be proven: the actus reus (the guilty act) and the mens rea (the guilty mind). Actus reus refers to the physical conduct or omission that breaks the law. It must be a voluntary act – someone who acts while in a state of automatism (e.g. sleepwalking) may lack actus reus. An example of actus reus is the taking of property in theft.
要确立苏格兰法中的刑事责任，通常必须证明两个基本要素：actus reus（犯罪行为） 和 mens rea（犯罪意图）。Actus reus 指的是违反法律的物理行为或不作为。它必须是自愿行为——在无意识状态（例如梦游）下行动的人可能缺乏 actus reus。盗窃罪中的 actus reus 就是拿走财产的行为。
Mens rea is the mental state that accompanies the act. Common forms include intention (deliberate purpose), recklessness (awareness of a risk but going ahead anyway), and in some cases negligence (failure to meet a standard of care). For murder, the mens rea is intention to kill or cause grievous bodily harm, whereas for culpable homicide the required mental state may be recklessness. Some offences are of strict liability, meaning no mens rea needs to be proved – only the actus reus matters. An example of a strict liability offence is selling alcohol to a person under 18.
Mens rea 是伴随行为的心理状态。常见形式包括 intention（故意）（蓄意目的）、recklessness（鲁莽）（意识到风险但仍一意孤行），以及某些情况下的 negligence（过失）（未能达到应有的注意标准）。对谋杀罪而言，mens rea 是杀人或造成严重身体伤害的故意；而对于误杀（culpable homicide），所需的心理状态可能是鲁莽。有些罪行属于 strict liability（严格责任），即无需证明 mens rea——只需 actus reus 成立即可。严格责任罪的一个例子是向未满18岁者售酒。
To remember the two terms, use the mnemonic: Actus = Action, Mens = Mind. For strict liability, think of 'strict' as 'no excuses' – the act alone makes you liable, regardless of your mental state.
要记住这两个术语，可用助记法：Actus = Action（行为），Mens = Mind（意念）。对于严格责任，把 'strict' 想成 'no excuses'（没有借口）——单凭行为就使你承担责任，无论你的心理状态如何。
4. Key Criminal Offences in Scots Law | 苏格兰刑法中的关键刑事罪名
Scots law recognises a wide range of criminal offences, many defined under common law. Murder is the unlawful killing of a person with the intention to kill or cause grievous bodily harm. When the killing lacks that full intention but involves recklessness or a lesser mental state, it is charged as culpable homicide – roughly equivalent to manslaughter in England. Assault is the intentional attack upon another person; it does not require physical contact – threats that cause fear can also constitute assault.
苏格兰法律承认多种刑事犯罪，其中许多由普通法界定。Murder（谋杀） 是蓄意非法杀害他人，具有杀人或造成严重身体伤害的故意。当杀人缺乏那种完全故意，但涉及鲁莽或较轻的心理状态时，则被指控为 culpable homicide（误杀）——大致相当于英格兰的误杀罪。Assault（攻击） 是故意攻击他人；它不要求身体接触——引起恐惧的威胁也可构成攻击。
Theft is the dishonest taking of property belonging to another without consent, with the intention of permanently depriving the owner. Robbery is theft accomplished by force or the threat of force. Fraud involves achieving a practical result through false pretences, such as obtaining money by deception. Another common offence is breach of the peace, which covers behaviour that causes, or is likely to cause, fear or alarm to ordinary people. This broad offence can include fighting in the street, shouting threats, or even stalking.
Theft（盗窃） 是不诚实地未经同意拿走他人财产，意图永久剥夺所有者的行为。Robbery（抢劫） 是通过武力或武力威胁实施的盗窃。Fraud（欺诈） 涉及通过虚假陈述获取实际结果，例如通过欺骗获得金钱。另一种常见罪行是 breach of the peace（扰乱治安），涵盖引起或可能引起常人恐惧或惊慌的行为。这一宽泛的罪行可包括街头斗殴、大声威胁乃至跟踪骚扰。
Tip: link 'culpable homicide' to the word 'culpable' meaning 'blameworthy' – it is a killing where the accused is blameworthy but did not fully intend to kill. 'Breach of the peace' can be recalled by thinking of 'breaking the peace and quiet' in a neighbourhood.
提示：把 'culpable homicide' 与意为 '应受谴责的' 的 'culpable' 联系起来——这是一种被告人应受谴责但并非完全蓄意杀人的杀人行为。'Breach of the peace' 可通过想到打破社区的 'peace and quiet（安宁）' 来记忆。
5. Defences to Criminal Charges | 刑事指控的抗辩理由
A person accused of a crime can raise various defences. Self-defence applies when the accused used reasonable force to protect themselves or another from imminent attack. The force must be proportionate to the threat. Provocation is a partial defence to murder; if the accused was provoked by violence or gross insult, it may reduce murder to culpable homicide. However, the retaliation must still be proportionate and not the result of premeditation.
被控犯罪的人可以提出各种抗辩。Self-defence（正当防卫） 适用于被告使用合理武力保护自己或他人免受即将发生的攻击的情形。武力必须与威胁相称。Provocation（激怒） 是谋杀罪的部分抗辩；如果被告因暴力或严重侮辱而被激怒，可能将谋杀减为误杀。但报复行为仍必须相称，且不能是预谋的结果。
Diminished responsibility is another partial defence to murder, where the accused's mental condition at the time was abnormal and substantially impaired their ability to control their conduct. If successfully pleaded, it reduces murder to culpable homicide. Automatism is a complete defence, arising when the accused acted without conscious control – for example, during a sleepwalking episode or as a result of a sudden blow to the head. Insanity (mental disorder) at the time of the offence also provides a complete defence, though the accused may be detained for treatment. Alibi is not so much a positive defence as a denial of presence: the accused claims they were somewhere else when the crime occurred.
Diminished responsibility（减轻责任） 是谋杀罪的另一项部分抗辩，指被告作案时精神状态异常，严重削弱了其控制自身行为的能力。若成功提出，可将谋杀减为误杀。Automatism（无意识行为） 是一项完全抗辩，发生于被告在无意识控制下行动时——例如，在梦游发作期间或因头部突然受击。犯罪时的 insanity（精神错乱） 也提供完全抗辩，但被告可能被拘留治疗。Alibi（不在现场） 与其说是一项积极抗辩，不如说是对在场的否认：被告声称案发时自己身处别处。
Memory hook: 'Self-defence is about defending self, using equal force.' 'Alibi' comes from Latin meaning 'elsewhere' – think of 'Ali' as 'another place'. For diminished responsibility, picture a 'diminished' (lessened) mental capacity.
记忆挂钩：'Self-defence 就是保护自己，使用对等的武力'。'Alibi' 来自拉丁语意为 '别处'——把 'Ali' 想成 '另一个地方'。对于减轻责任，想象 'diminished'（减弱的）精神能力。
6. Civil Law: Delict and Negligence | 民法：侵权行为与过失
In Scots law, the area of civil wrongs is known as the law of delict. (In English law, the equivalent is tort.) A delict is a wrongful act or omission that causes harm to another and gives rise to a claim for damages. The most common type of delict is negligence. To establish negligence, the pursuer (the person bringing the case) must prove that the defender owed them a duty of care, that the duty was breached (broken), and that the breach caused damage or injury that was foreseeable.
在苏格兰法律中，民事不法行为领域被称为 delict（侵权行为法）。（在英格兰法中，对等概念是 tort。）Delict 是对他人造成损害并引起损害赔偿请求权的不法行为或不作为。最常见的 delict 类型是 negligence（过失）。要证明过失成立，起诉方（提起诉讼的人）必须证明被告对其负有 duty of care（注意义务），该义务被 breached（违反），并且这种违反造成了可预见的 damage or injury（损害或伤害）。
The defender's breach must have caused the loss; this is known as causation. There must be a factual link ('but for' the breach, the harm would not have happened) and a legal link (the harm was not too remote). If negligence is proved, the court may award damages (monetary compensation) to put the pursuer in the position they would have been in had the delict not occurred. In some cases, an interdict (a court order stopping someone from doing something) or specific implement (a court order forcing a party to do what they agreed to do) may be granted instead of, or alongside, damages.
被告的违约行为必须导致了损失；这被称为 causation（因果关系）。必须存在事实联系（'but for' 该违约，损害就不会发生）和法律联系（损害并非过于间接）。若过失得以证明，法院可判给 damages（损害赔偿金），使起诉方恢复到侵权行为未发生时应处的状态。在某些情况下，还可能授予 interdict（禁制令）（法院命令某人停止某种行为）或 specific implement（实际履行令）（法院强制当事人履行合同约定），以替代或附加于损害赔偿。
Recall that 'delict' is unique to Scotland; link it to 'delinquent' – someone who commits a wrong. 'Interdict' sounds like 'interdict' (to forbid) – it stops action. 'Specific implement' means the court specifically implements the contract.
请记住，'delict' 是苏格兰特有的；将其与 'delinquent'（违法者）联系起来——即实施了不法行为的人。'Interdict' 听起来像 'interdict'（禁止）——它阻止行动。'Specific implement' 指法院具体地实施合同。
7. Contract Law: Formation and Key Terms | 合同法：成立与关键条款
A contract is a legally binding agreement. For a contract to exist, Scots law requires offer and acceptance. An offer is a clear statement of willingness to be bound on specified terms. An invitation to treat is not an offer; it is merely an invitation for others to make an offer (e.g. goods displayed on a shop shelf). Acceptance must mirror the offer and be communicated. Other essential elements include consideration (something of value exchanged, though Scots law does not emphasise consideration as much as English law), intention to create legal relations (the parties meant to be legally bound), and capacity (the parties are legally able to enter the contract – e.g. adults of sound mind).
合同是一种具有法律约束力的协议。要使合同成立，苏格兰法要求有 offer（要约） 和 acceptance（承诺）。要约是明确表示愿意受特定条款约束的声明。Invitation to treat（要约邀请） 不是要约；它仅仅是邀请他人发出要约（例如货架上展示的商品）。承诺必须与要约一致并作出传达。其他基本要素包括 consideration（对价）（交换的有价值物，尽管苏格兰法不像英格兰法那样强调对价）、intention to create legal relations（建立法律关系的意图）（双方意图受法律约束），以及 capacity（行为能力）（双方在法律上能够订立合同——例如精神健全的成年人）。
Once a contract is formed, its terms are classified. Conditions are major terms that go to the heart of the contract; a breach of condition allows the innocent party to terminate the contract and claim damages. Warranties are minor terms; breach gives a right to damages only, not termination. Scots law also recognises innominate terms – terms whose importance is assessed at the time of breach. If a breach of an innominate term deprives the innocent party of substantially the whole benefit of the contract, it is treated like a condition; otherwise, it is a warranty. Frustration occurs when, after formation, an unforeseen event makes performance impossible, thereby ending the contract.
合同一经成立，其条款就被分类。Conditions（条件条款） 是触及合同核心的主要条款；违反条件条款允许受害方终止合同并索赔损害赔偿。Warranties（保证条款） 是次要条款；违反保证条款仅产生损害赔偿请求权，不可终止合同。苏格兰法还承认 innominate terms（无名条款）——其重要性在违约时评估。如果违反无名条款剥夺了受害方实质上的全部合同利益，则它被当作条件条款处理；否则，它就是保证条款。Frustration（合同落空） 发生在合同成立后，因不可预见的事件使履行变得不可能，从而终止合同。
Memory aid: 'Invitation to treat' is like an invitation to negotiate – it begins with 'invite', not 'offer'. Think of 'condition' as 'critical', and 'warranty' as 'wee' (small) in Scots slang. 'Frustration' is when the contract gets frustrated because something unexpected happens.
记忆辅助：'Invitation to treat' 就像邀请谈判——以 'invite'（邀请）开始，而非 'offer'（要约）。把 'condition' 想成 'critical'（关键的），'warranty' 用苏格兰俚语说就是 'wee'（小的）。'Frustration' 就是当合同因为意外事件发生而 'gets frustrated'（受挫）。
8. Key Legal Principles and Maxims | 关键法律原则与格言
Law is full of Latin maxims and principles that guide judges and lawyers. A cornerstone of criminal justice is the presumption of innocence: a person is innocent until proven guilty. The prosecution must prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. In civil cases, the standard is lower: on the balance of probabilities, meaning it is more likely than not that the defender is liable.
法律充满了指导法官和律师的拉丁格言和原则。刑事司法的基石是 presumption of innocence（无罪推定）：任何人在被证明有罪之前都是无罪的。控方必须证明被告有罪排除合理怀疑（beyond a reasonable doubt）。在民事案件中，标准较低：基于 balance of probabilities（盖然性权衡），即被告更有责任的可能性大于不可能性。
Judicial decisions rely on the doctrine of precedent, expressed as stare decisis (stand by decided things). The binding part of a judgment is the ratio decidendi (the reason for the decision), while any remarks made by the judge that are not essential to the decision are obiter dicta (things said by the way). Obiter dicta are not binding but may be persuasive in later cases. Another important principle is natural justice, which requires fair procedures: the rule against bias and the right to be heard. Ultra vires (beyond the powers) is a concept used when a body acts outside the legal authority given to it; such actions can be declared void.
司法判决依赖 precedent（先例）原则，表述为 stare decisis（遵循已决之事）。判决中具有约束力的部分是 ratio decidendi（判决理由），而法官所作的非判决必需的评论则是 obiter dicta（附带意见）。Obiter dicta 不具约束力，但可能在后案中有说服力。另一项重要原则是 natural justice（自然正义），它要求公正的程序：反对偏见的规则和获得听证的权利。Ultra vires（超越权限）这一概念用于某一机构在其被授予的法定权限之外行事时；这类行为可被宣布无效。
Remember 'presumption of innocence' by thinking the Crown must 'prove the presumption wrong'. 'Ratio' is the 'root' of the decision. 'Obiter' sounds like 'orbit' – comments that go around the main point. 'Ultra vires' – ultra means 'beyond', vires 'powers', so beyond the powers.
记住 'presumption of innocence' 可以这样想：控方必须 'prove the presumption wrong'（证明该推定错误）。'Ratio' 是判决的 'root'
Published by TutorHao | Year 10 法律 Revision Series | aleveler.com
更多咨询请联系16621398022（同微信）
或截图后用「扫一扫 → 相册」选择本图