What is plea bargaining

By breaking this term into two parts, we can more easily understand the meaning of the term plea bargaining. In the context of this concept, the word ‘plea’ means “request” and the word ‘bargaining’ means “negotiation”. So, in simple terms, it means a process under which a person who is charged with a criminal offence negotiates with the prosecution for a lesser punishment than what is provided in law by pleading guilty to a less serious offence. It is based on the principle of ‘Nolo Contendere’, literally meaning ‘I do not wish to contend’.