中英文對照注解：
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. In criminal cases abuse of discretion can include sentences that are grossly too harsh. In a divorce 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(quán)，如果初審法官在審判過程中犯了嚴重的錯誤（譬如違背事實和證據(jù)、不依據(jù)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(quán)。上訴法院也將把濫用自由裁量權(quán)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(quán)包括判決判得過于嚴重，而在離婚訴訟中，它又指法官所判決的扶養(yǎng)費和生活費超出了法定的標準和配偶的實際支付能力
