in the dock

Idioms

On trial, especially in a criminal case. For example, The accused stood in the dock through the entire proceeding. This expression employs dock in the sense of “an enclosed place for the defendant in a court of law,” a usage dating from the late 1500s, and is used even in American courts where no such enclosure exists.

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The four defendants found guilty - two Greeks called Felix Bitzios and Yiannis Lavranos and two Israelis Tal Dilian and Sara Hamou – were not in the dock for the verdict, as had been the case during the five months the trial lasted.

From BBC

In the dock, Campbell claimed that on the day of the shooting he had been in his house all afternoon, after visiting a property he owned nearby in the morning.

From BBC

Warren sat in the dock wearing a grey hoodie with his head facing down throughout the hearing.

From BBC

Appearing in the dock at Belfast Magistrates Court, Koko, originally from Sudan, spoke only to confirm his name and that he understood the charge.

From BBC

Listening to the jury deliver its verdicts in court, he could be seen crying in the dock and blowing his nose with a tissue.

From BBC

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023