prosecution
noun
LAW uk/ˌprɒsɪˈkjuːʃən/ us [ C or U ]
the process of officially accusing someone in a court of law of committing a crime:
face prosecution (for sth) The company faces prosecution for breaches of safety regulations.
bring a prosecution against sb They decided to bring a private prosecution against the boy's alleged killers.
[ S ] (also the prosecution)
the lawyers who try to prove that a person accused of committing a crime is guilty:
The prosecution claims that the company tried to mislead investigators by lying under oath.
Compare
defence