Simple English definitions for legal terms
Read a random definition: criminal case
Encourage: To give someone confidence or support to do something. It means to help them feel brave and motivated. In some cases, encouraging someone to do something wrong is a crime called aiding and abetting. This means you are helping them do something bad and can get in trouble for it.
Definition: To instigate, incite, embolden, or help someone to take action.
Example: If someone encourages another person to commit a crime, they are aiding and abetting that person.
Explanation: Encouraging someone to commit a crime means that you are motivating or persuading them to do it. This can be considered aiding and abetting, which is a crime in most places. For example, if someone tells their friend to steal something, they are encouraging them to commit theft. This is illegal and can result in both parties being charged with a crime.