Simple English definitions for legal terms
Read a random definition: arrest of inquest
Term: SILENCE
Definition: Silence means not speaking or choosing to remain quiet. In some situations, like when someone is arrested, silence can also mean telling the police that you don't want to talk and asking for a lawyer. Sometimes, not saying something that you are required to say by law can also be considered silence. This is called estoppel by silence.
Definition: Silence is when someone refrains from speaking or fails to reveal something that is required by law to be revealed. In criminal law, silence can also refer to an arrestee's statements expressing the desire not to speak and requesting an attorney.
The first example illustrates silence as a restraint from speaking in a social situation. The second example shows silence in the context of criminal law, where an arrestee chooses not to speak. The third example demonstrates silence as a failure to reveal something required by law to be revealed, which can have legal consequences.