People at heart: A guide to communicating with people affected by crime

Explaining legal and formal words

Avoid using legal and formal words wherever you can. They can be confusing for people and can make an already difficult experience worse. Legalistic, complex and formal words can make it more difficult to process the information for people who’ve experienced trauma.

If you need to use words like the ones below, explain them in a way that’s easy to understand and relevant to the person you’re writing to. We’ve given alternatives here but don’t just replace them. Always check they work in your message first.

Alternative Words or Phrases:

Instead of: “Affirmation”

Try: “affirmation (a promise you make to tell the truth when giving evidence, when you can’t make an oath because of your personal beliefs)

Instead of: “Ascertain”

Try: “find out

Instead of: “Assist / assistance

Try: “help”

Instead of: “Cited”

Try: “cited (when you have received an official letter saying you must go to court, a specific location or event, or go through a process”

Instead of: “Comply” or “complies”

Try: “Follow” or “is in line with”

Instead of: “Cross-examination

Try: “questioning / questioning by a lawyer”

Instead of: “Deferred”

Try: “moved”, “changed”, or “postponed”

Instead of: “Further”

Try: “more” or “extra”

Instead of: “In order to”

Try: “to”

Instead of: “Indictment”

Try: “indictment (a formal document that officially accuses someone of a serious crime, used for cases in court)”

Instead of: “Investigate”

Try: “look into”

Instead of: “Make representations”

Try: “officially complain or share your thoughts and experiences (sometimes referred to as ‘making representations’)”

Instead of: “Obtain”

Try: “get”

Instead of: “Procurator Fiscal”

Try: “Procurator Fiscal (the prosecution lawyer)”

Instead of: “Productions”

Try: “evidence including letters, photographs, maps, forms or objects that can be shown in court”

Instead of: “Regarding / in respect of / with reference to”

Try: “about”

Instead of: “Remand”

Try: “placed into prison until the trial begins”

Instead of: “Request”

Try: “ask for”

Instead of: “Revoked”

Try: “reversed” or “cancelled”

Instead of: “Safeguarder”

Try: “a person appointed by the Children’s Hearings System or a Sheriff (judge). This person safeguards a child’s or young person's interests when a hearing or court has to make a decision about what happens in their life”

Instead of: “Sentence”

Try: “sentence (the punishment given to a person convicted of a crime)”

Instead of: “Subject to”

Try: “unless” or “depending on”

Instead of: “Sufficient”

Try: “enough”

Instead of: “Testimony”

Try: “written or spoken evidence”

Instead of: “verdict”

Try: “the decision made at the end of a trial”

Instead of: “Upheld / not upheld”

Try: try to explain what this means for the individual – for example, what the decision is and what you will or won’t do

You can find a longer list of alternatives to officious words here:

The A - Z of alternative words [Archived from original on 11 July 2024]