中英文對照注釋：

a polite way of saying a trial judge has made such a bad mistake （clearly against reason and evidence or against established law） during a trial or on ruling on a motion that a person did not get a fair trial. A court of appeals will use a finding of this abuse as a reason to reverse the trial court judgment^{2. In criminal cases abuse of discretion can include sentences that are grossly too harsh. In a porce action, it includes awarding alimony way beyond the established formula or the spouse's or life partner's realistic ability to pay.}

在英美法系中，法官有較大的自由裁量權，假如初審法官在審判過程中有緊急的錯誤（譬如違背事實和證據、不依據適用的法律）或者作出讓當事人得不到公正判決的動議，他的這種行為就有一種文雅的稱法：濫用自由裁量權。上訴法院也將把濫用自由裁量權作為撤銷初審法院判決的一個理由。在刑事案件中，濫用\自由裁量權包含判決判得過于緊急，而在離婚訴訟中，它又指法官所判決的扶養費和生活費超出了法定的規范和配偶的實質支付能力