Legal Vocabulary in English, French, German, and Italian — A Comparative Note

Years ago, I worked in a correctional facility in Japan, where one of my tasks was reviewing letters and interview records written by inmates in English. While English was the most common language used, I occasionally came across inmates who communicated in French, German, or Italian.

At the time, I needed to become familiar with legal English for work. But since I was also studying European languages—specifically French, Italian, and German—I decided to create my own comparative vocabulary chart. I used this chart during my long commute (about two and a half hours), reviewing the terms on the subway alongside a legal English reference book.

For several years afterward, I paused language study while focusing entirely on publishing projects. But I’ve recently resumed studying these European languages and others at a steady pace.

　

Legal Documents — Not Always as Difficult as They Seem?

Later on, I had a chance to review a few letters written in European languages and some short legal documents related to ongoing cases. Despite being part of a field full of technical terms, the structure of these documents was often surprisingly straightforward.

While I wasn’t dealing with the full complexity of legal statutes, the kinds of documents I reviewed—such as those related to attorney visits, consular contact, or formal notices—tended to use recurring expressions. Familiarizing myself with those phrases alone was already very helpful.

　

Common Legal Terms Seen in Correctional Facility Documents (EN–FR–DE–IT)

English	French	German	Italian	Notes
Accomplice	Complice	Komplize	Complice
Acquit	Acquitter	Freisprechen	Assolvere
Attorney	Avocat	Rechtsanwalt	Avvocato
Bail	Caution	Kaution	Cauzione	popular inmate word
Charge	Inculpation / Chef d’accusation	Anklagepunkt	Accusa / Capo d’imputazione
Confiscate	Confisquer	Beschlagnahmen	Confiscare
Convict (v.)	Condamner	Verurteilen	Condannare
Convict (n.)	Condamné	Verurteilter	Condannato
Embassy	Ambassade	Botschaft	Ambasciata
Consulate	Consulat	Konsulat	Consolato
Transfer	Transfert	Überstellung	Trasferimento
Criminal record	Casier judiciaire	Strafregister	Fedina penale
Custody	Garde à vue	Gewahrsam	Custodia	Used in criminal or correctional settings for detention or legal holding.
Detention	Détention	Haft	Detenzione	FR has homonym with ‘possession’
Defendant	Accusé / Prévenu	Angeklagter	Imputato	FR uses Accusé during trial, Prévenu earlier
Appeal	Appel	Berufung	Appello
Prison	Prison	Gefängnis	Carcere
Judge	Juge	Richter	Giudice
Defender	Avocat de la défense	Verteidiger	Difensore
Prosecutor	Procureur	Staatsanwalt	Pubblico ministero
Judgement	Jugement	Urteil	Sentenza
Suspended sentence	Peine avec sursis	Bewährungsstrafe	Condanna con sospensione
Warrant	Mandat	Haftbefehl / Durchsuchungsbefehl	Mandato
Witness	Témoin	Zeuge	Testimone
Evidence	Preuve	Beweis	Prova	English is uncountable; others countable

This table summarizes terms frequently encountered in legal documents within correctional settings. Meanings may shift depending on legal context and national systems.

　

A Final Note

This post is a small record of terms I once organized during a unique period of my life. The experience reminded me that even highly specialized domains like legal language can become approachable with the right tools—and a bit of curiosity.

　

　

#Langlobe #LegalTerminology #MultilingualLaw #LegalTranslation #EuropeanLanguages #CorrectionalFacility #LegalVocabulary #LanguageForExpertise #LifeInJapan #WorkingInJapan