On: L'Aquila quake: Italy scientists found guilty of m...

[michaelhoffman]

  Definition of DOCK
  : the place in a criminal court where a prisoner stands or sits during trial
  — in the dock
  : on trial

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dock

Commonly used in British/Commonwealth English, and Nature is based in London. I don't think I've ever heard it used in American English.

[SoftwareMaven → michaelhoffman]

"On the stand" would be the equivalent US idiom.

[michaelhoffman → SoftwareMaven]

Not really, because any witness goes on the stand, whether they are a party to the case or not. Saying someone is "on the stand" does not mean they are a criminal defendant.

Only criminal defendants are in the dock.

[dmckeon → SoftwareMaven]

US and UK court idioms vary widely - a US defendant would be "on trial" while a UK accused would be "in the dock"

Any witness would "on the stand" including a defendant who is called as a witness.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Witness_stand https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Courtroom