special verdict
- noun
- /ˈspɛʃəl ˈvɜrdɪkt/
- Jargon
:
veredicto especial
- The judge required the jury to provide a special verdict to clarify the factual issues in the case.
Examples
-
In the trial, the jury submitted a special verdict that addressed specific questions rather than making a general ruling.
-
They answered questions in the special verdict that basically said we believe her up to a point.
-
After deliberation, the panel reached a special verdict which noted their findings without ruling for either party.
Antonyms
Surface Forms
Morphology
A B1 learner who knows 'special' (unusual/particular) and 'verdict' (a jury decision) can infer that this refers to a particular or non-standard kind of jury decision, so the basic gist is accessible. However, the precise legal procedural meaning — that the jury makes specific factual findings without deciding for either party — is specialized and not predictable from the constituents alone, so full understanding requires domain knowledge or exposure.
Etymology
The legal term special verdict comes from older courts where jurors were asked to answer specific questions about the facts instead of saying who should win. The jury gave the special facts and the judge made the final decision, so the verdict states the facts but does not 'decide the case'.
