Dictionary
due process
the principle that the government must respect all of its citizens' legal rights during the course of course of legal proceedings; the administration of justice according to established rules and principles
The defendant's counsel argued that his client's due process rights had been infringed.
Common Mistakes
- The term process is a false friend in certain other languages, and is sometimes (incorrectly) used to mean trial. In German, the term Prozess means trial, as does the term procès in French. There are many false friends in Legal English, process being one of the more common ones.
Phrase Bank
- All actions followed due process.
- The defendants have had due process.
- It is important to uphold the principles of due process.
- He is entitled to due process under the Constitution.
Additional Notes
- Due process is a shortened form of the phrase due process of law.