legal consequence
Lawsuit's binding outcome
Legal consequence refers to what follows from a law or legal action—the outcomes that flow from statutes, court decisions, or legal status.
A contract's legal consequences include enforceable obligations; a crime's legal consequences include potential punishment.
The phrase often appears in warnings: You should understand the legal consequences before signing.
Distinguished from practical or social consequences, legal consequences are what the law itself imposes or permits.
Compensation for injury
- negligenceFailure to exercise care
- tortActionable civil harm
- breachBreaking of agreement
- malpracticeHarmful professional negligence
infringement · plaintiff · defendant · litigation · sue · compensation · indemnity · settlement
Acceptable in quality
- incarcerationConfinement in jail
- imprisonmentLegal detention in jail
- probationSupervised trial period
- paroleConditional early release
community service · forfeiture · seizure · confiscation · revocation · suspension · disqualification · injunction
Official court decision
- judgmentReasoned decision-making capacity
- convictionFirmly held belief
- acquittalFormal clearing of charges
- adjudicationFormal decision on disputes
due process · tribunal · judiciary · precedent · constitutionality · ruling · sentencing · appeal
damages
Compensation for injury
- negligenceFailure to exercise care
- tortActionable civil harm
- breachBreaking of agreement
malpractice · infringement · plaintiff · defendant · litigation · sue · compensation · indemnity · settlement · obligation
fine
Acceptable in quality
- incarcerationConfinement in jail
- imprisonmentLegal detention in jail
- probationSupervised trial period
parole · community service · forfeiture · seizure · confiscation · revocation · suspension · disqualification · injunction · sanction
verdict
Official court decision
- judgmentReasoned decision-making capacity
- convictionFirmly held belief
- acquittalFormal clearing of charges
adjudication · due process · tribunal · judiciary · precedent · constitutionality · ruling · sentencing · appeal · rights
ramification
Secondary consequence of action
- aftermathResults following an event
- falloutPost-blast atmospheric particles
- outcomeFinal result of events
impact · backlash · chain reaction · spillover · blowback · implication · deterrent · stigma · record · disclosure
- legal causationcausal chain, direct cause, sine qua non, indirect cause, causal link
legal consequencewarning
Alert about danger
verbal warning · caution · slap on the wrist · admonishment · talking-to
legal consequenceimpunity
Freedom from consequences
immunity · legal immunity · amnesty · lack of accountability · above the law
legal, consequence, legality, legally, legalize, legalization, illegal, illegally, illegality