Indict vs. Convict

Main Difference

The main difference between Indict and Convict is that the Indict is a formal accusation that a person has committed a crime and Convict is a person found guilty of a crime and sentenced by a court.

• Indict

  An indictment ( in-DYT-mənt) is a formal accusation that a person has committed a crime. In jurisdictions that use the concept of felonies, the most serious criminal offence is a felony; jurisdictions that do not use the concept of felonies often use that of an indictable offence—an offence that requires an indictment.

  Historically, in most common law jurisdictions, an indictment was handed up by a grand jury, which returned a “true bill” if it found cause to make the charge, or “no bill” if it did not find cause.

• Convict

  A convict is “a person found guilty of a crime and sentenced by a court” or “a person serving a sentence in prison”. Convicts are often also known as “prisoners” or “inmates” or by the slang term “con”, while a common label for former convicts, especially those recently released from prison, is “ex-con” (“ex-convict”). Persons convicted and sentenced to non-custodial sentences tend not to be described as “convicts”.

  The legal label of “ex-convict” usually has lifelong implications, such as social stigma and/or reduced opportunities for employment. The federal government of Australia, for instance, will not, in general, employ an ex-convict, while some state and territory governments may limit the time for or before which a former convict may be employed.