"前科"通译为"criminal record/previous record/record of previous crime"，但据Marantelli.Tikotin合编的The Australian Legal Dictionary，则"前科"作"prior convictioin"，对上列通译来说堪称"前科"之新译。该词典又称："Prior convictions are often referred to simply as priors."但作为"前科"英译的"prior（名词）"，并不以澳洲为限，如：

　　（1） He didn't cause injuries requiring medical treatment and he had no priors. ——American Bar Association Journal，Feb.1997，p.14

　　（2） They will be playing "hardball" if they push for "only" three years'prison for stealing a piece of pizza （with two burglary priors）， where as they will be looked upon as flaming idios if they urge the same multidecade treatment for that comparatively benigh offense as for forcible rape with two rape priors.

　　——American Bar Association Journal，Feb.1997，p.12

　　所以就我观察，"prior（s）"算是"前科"的新译了。