In the passage on a victim centric criminal justice system, choose the most appropriate verb to complete the sentence "the system must confer certain rights on victims to enable them to __________ in the proceedings".

Introduction / Context:

This cloze test question continues the passage about a victim centric criminal justice system. The sentence states that the system must give victims certain rights "to enable them to __________ in the proceedings". Your task is to select the verb that best describes the role victims should have in legal proceedings. This tests understanding of collocations with the noun "proceedings" and awareness of how legal texts talk about participation, not just speaking or judging.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The sentence to complete is "the system must confer certain rights on victims to enable them to __________ in the proceedings".
• The options are share, participate, judge, and speak.
• The context is legal proceedings where victims are given specific rights.
• Only one verb accurately describes the intended role of victims in formal justice processes.

Concept / Approach:

In legal and procedural language, the phrase "participate in the proceedings" is standard. It implies taking part in the entire process through various rights, such as being heard, being represented, and receiving information. "Share in the proceedings" is vague and usually used in connection with benefits or profits. "Judge in the proceedings" would imply acting as a decision maker, which is not the role of victims. "Speak in the proceedings" describes only one specific activity, not the broader involvement the passage emphasises. The correct choice must capture the full range of active involvement that a victim centric system aims to provide.

Step-by-Step Solution:

Verification / Alternative check:

Read the complete sentence with each option. "To enable them to participate in the proceedings" clearly conveys active involvement through various rights and matches typical legal language. It fits smoothly with other parts of the passage, such as being impleaded, engaging an advocate, and tracking the progress of the case. If you insert "share", you get a vague and unusual phrase. "Judge in the proceedings" changes the role of victims completely. "Speak in the proceedings" narrows the meaning too much. The only choice that preserves the intended meaning and formal tone is "participate".

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

"Share" usually requires an object such as profits, benefits, or experiences, and does not collocate naturally with "proceedings" in this legal context. "Judge" assigns a decision making role that belongs to the court, not to victims, and therefore misrepresents the passage. "Speak" mentions a single activity and fails to cover other important rights like tracking the case or being represented by counsel. As a result, these three options do not express the broad, active engagement that the author emphasises.

Common Pitfalls:

Learners sometimes choose a verb that sounds impressive or dramatic rather than one that precisely fits the collocation. They may also overfocus on the emotional image of victims speaking out and ignore the broader procedural context. A reliable strategy is to recall how law related texts usually phrase such ideas and to prefer collocations you have actually seen in reading materials, such as "participate in the proceedings".

Final Answer:

The verb that correctly completes the sentence is participate, giving "to enable them to participate in the proceedings".