in the dock

Idioms  

1. 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

The women, more liberal-minded, think it’s ridiculous to put a novel in the dock.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 9, 2026

More than two decades later, Colm Sharkey was in the front row of the public gallery at the sentencing, the closest person to his brother in the dock.

From BBC • Jun. 29, 2026

Donaldson, dressed in a dark blue suit, white shirt and pink tie, was in the dock at the back of Court One, between two custody officers.

From BBC • Jun. 22, 2026

In court on Friday, Zak Hughes stood in the dock and was asked to confirm his name.

From BBC • Jun. 5, 2026

The Warthog tusks were oudined briefly against a patch of cloud in the dock lights.

From "The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm" by Nancy Farmer