Bringing legal action is a way to seek justice for a wrong that has been done. This can be done in a variety of ways, such as suing, prosecuting, or filing a TORT. To SUE someone means to take them to court in order to seek compensation for damages. PROSECUTE means to bring criminal charges against someone in order to punish them for a crime. A TORT is a civil wrong that can be addressed in court in order to seek compensation for damages.