7 - 11s glossary

Sentence
The punishment given to a person found guilty of a crime.

Sergeant
A rank of police officer.

Shoplift
When someone steals goods from a store while appearing to be shopping.

Solicitor
A qualified lawyer who brings the client to the barrister, collects the evidence, and works with the barrister to prepare the case. Sometimes solicitors can present cases in court (instead of a barrister). They are called solicitor advocates. See barrister for more information on the role of the solicitor advocate.

This type of solicitor is different from a duty solicitor, who represents the accused during police interviews. See duty solicitor.

Statement (in legal terms)
A written account of what happened.

Suspended sentence
A prison sentence, but one which is not carried out unless the accused commits another crime before the end of a certain period of time.