Alternative Verdict

Alternative verdict in Law Enforcement

Main Entry: Law Enforcement in the Legal Dictionary. This section provides, in the context of Law Enforcement, a partial definition of alternative verdict.

Resources

See Also

• Law Enforcement Officer
• Police Officer
• Law Enforcement Agency

Further Reading

• alternative verdict in A Dictionary of Law Enforcement (Oxford University Press)
• alternative verdict in the Encyclopedia of Law Enforcement
• A Treatise on the Police of the Metropolis

English Legal System: Alternative Verdict

In the context of the English law, A Dictionary of Law provides the following legal concept of Alternative Verdict : A verdict of not guilty of the offence actually charged but guilty of some lesser offence not specifically charged. Such a verdict is only permitted when there is insufficient evidence to establish the more serious offence but the evidence given is sufficient to prove the lesser offence. If, for example, in a murder case there is evidence that the defendant lacked *malice aforethought, an alternative verdict of manslaughter may be returned.