die  Urteilsverkündung

C1

Estimated CEFR level.

/ˈʔuːʁtaɪ̯lsfɛɐ̯ˌkʏndʊŋ/

📜 What does 'die Urteilsverkündung' mean?

Die Urteilsverkündung translates to the pronouncement of judgment or verdict announcement. It refers to the official act in which a court orally announces its decision in a legal dispute or criminal proceeding. It's the formal conclusion of a court trial where the rendered judgment (das Urteil) – such as acquittal, conviction, allocation of rights, etc. – is read out publicly.

It is a specific legal term.

• Meaning 1: The act of announcing a court judgment.

⚠️ There are no other meanings for this word, and it is exclusively used with the article 'die' (feminine).

Article rules for der, die, and das

🧐 Grammar in Detail: Die Urteilsverkündung

The word 'Urteilsverkündung' is a feminine noun. The plural ('die Urteilsverkündungen') is grammatically correct but rarely used, as people usually refer to the specific act.

Example Sentences

1. Alle warteten gespannt auf die Urteilsverkündung.
   (Everyone waited anxiously for the pronouncement of the judgment.)
2. Nach der Urteilsverkündung herrschte Stille im Saal.
   (After the verdict was announced, silence filled the courtroom.)
3. Der Richter setzte den Termin für die Urteilsverkündung fest.
   (The judge set the date for the pronouncement of the judgment.)
4. Mehrere Journalisten berichteten über verschiedene Urteilsverkündungen in ähnlichen Fällen. (Rare!)
   (Several journalists reported on various verdict announcements in similar cases.)

🗣️ How to use 'Urteilsverkündung'?

The term 'Urteilsverkündung' is used almost exclusively in a legal context (juristischer Kontext). It describes a key moment in court proceedings.

• Typical situations: At the end of a trial, in news reports about court cases, in legal texts.
• Common verbs: stattfinden (to take place), erfolgen (to occur), beiwohnen (to attend), warten auf (to wait for), festsetzen (to set [a date]).
• Distinction: Die Urteilsverkündung is the oral announcement. The written version and reasoning (die Urteilsbegründung) often follows later. It's not the same as the court's deliberation (die Urteilsfindung) or the judgment itself (das Urteil).

In everyday language outside the legal system, the word is practically never used.

🧠 Mnemonics and Memory Aids

Remembering the article 'die':

Nouns ending in -ung in German are almost always feminine (die). Think of: die Verkündung (the announcement)! It's 'the one' important announcement at the end.

Remembering the meaning:

Picture the Urteil (judgment) being loudly announced (verkündet). It's the Verkündung (announcement) of the Urteil (judgment) – a logical combination!

🔄 Synonyms & Antonyms

⚠️ Similar but different terms:

• Die Urteilsbegründung: The reasoning behind the judgment, either written or oral. Often follows the announcement.
• Die Urteilsfindung: The internal process of decision-making by the court.
• Das Urteil: The court's decision/judgment itself.

😄 A Little Joke

Fragt der Richter den Angeklagten nach der Urteilsverkündung: "Haben Sie noch einen letzten Wunsch?"
Sagt der Angeklagte: "Ja, Herr Richter! Ich wünschte, Sie hätten Jura studiert!"

Translation: The judge asks the defendant after the verdict announcement: "Do you have a last wish?"
The defendant says: "Yes, Your Honor! I wish you had studied law!"

(Please take it with a grain of salt!)

✍️ Poem about the Verdict Announcement

Im Saale Stille, schwer die Luft,
was bringt der Richterspruch als Duft?
Ein Zittern geht durch Mark und Bein,
wird's Freiheit oder Strafe sein?

Der Hammer fällt, ein klarer Klang,
die Worte schallen, kurz und lang.
Die Urteilsverkündung, ernst und klar,
macht Schicksal nun für jeden wahr.

Translation:
In the hall silence, heavy the air,
what scent does the judge's ruling bear?
A tremor runs through marrow and bone,
will it be freedom or penalty shown?

The gavel falls, a clear sound rings,
the words resound, short and long things.
The verdict announcement, earnest and clear,
makes fate now real for everyone here.

❓ Little Riddle

Ich bin ein Akt, kein langes Buch,
beende Streit und manchen Fluch.
Im Gerichtssaal werd' ich gesprochen,
hab' schon so manche Hoffnung gebrochen.
Der Richter spricht, dann ist es klar,
was Recht ist und was Unrecht war.

Was bin ich?

Translation:
I am an act, not a long book,
I end disputes and many a curse's hook.
In the courtroom, I am spoken,
I've already left many hopes broken.
The judge speaks, then it is clear,
what was right and what was wrong here.

What am I?

Solution: die Urteilsverkündung (the pronouncement of judgment)

💡 Other Information

Word Composition:

The word 'Urteilsverkündung' is a compound noun, composed of:

• Das Urteil: The judgment/verdict.
• Die Verkündung: The announcement/proclamation (derived from 'verkünden' - to announce).

The linking 's' (Fugen-S) in Urteilsverkündung connects the two parts.

Legal Importance:

The Urteilsverkündung is a fundamental part of the rule of law (Rechtsstaatsprinzip), particularly the principle of publicity (Öffentlichkeitsgrundsatz). It ensures that court decisions are traceable and transparent.