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Terms
- Ab Absurdo
- Latin: an evidentiary suggestion or statutory interpretation that is, or leads to, an absurdity.
Expanded Legal Definition of Ab Absurdo
- Abatement
- A reduction in some amount that is owed, usually granted by the person to whom the debt is owed. In the law of torts, the summary removal of a nuisance.
Expanded Legal Definition of Abatement
- Abbacinare
- A barbaric form of corporal punishment meted out in the middle ages where persons would be permanently blinded by the pressing of hot irons to the open eyes.
Expanded Legal Definition of Abbacinare
- Abduction
- To take someone away from a place without that person's consent, or by fraud.
Expanded Legal Definition of Abduction
- Aberemurder
- A spontaneous and gratuitous murder.
Expanded Legal Definition of Aberemurder
- Abet
- Encouraging or inciting another to do a certain thing, such as a crime.
Expanded Legal Definition of Abet
- Ab Initio
- Latin: from the start; from the beginning.
Expanded Legal Definition of Ab Initio
- Aboriginal
- Pertaining to things or land or person or members of a race, which are indigenous to, or first occupied a specified territory.
Expanded Legal Definition of Aboriginal
- Absolute
- Final, perfected, complete and unconditional.
Expanded Legal Definition of Absolute
- Absolute Discharge
- A sentence of a person guilty of a crime in which the accused is deemed to have not been convicted; no criminal record issues as regards the offense for which an absolute discharge is granted.
Expanded Legal Definition of Absolute Discharge
- Absolute Liability
- Offences in which it is not open to a person to avoid liability on the ground that she or he acted under a reasonable mistake of fact which, if the facts had been as the accused believed them to be, would have made his act innocent.
Expanded Legal Definition of Absolute Liability
- Absolute Privilege
- An absolute defence to an otherwise defamatory statement because of the venue or context which the statement was made.
Expanded Legal Definition of Absolute Privilege
- Acceleration Clause
- A clause in a contract that states that if a payment is missed, or some other default occurs (such as the debtor becoming insolvent), then the contract is fully due immediately.
Expanded Legal Definition of Acceleration Clause
- Acceptance
- The final and unequivocal expression of assent to another's offer to contract.
Expanded Legal Definition of Acceptance
- Access
- A non-custodian parent's bundle of rights or times and days during which he/she has exclusive time with the child of the separated parents.
Expanded Legal Definition of Access
- Accord and Satisfaction
- The act of one party, having complied with its contractual obligation, accepting some type of compensation from the other party (usually money and of a lesser value) in lieu of enforcing the contract and holding the other party to their original obligation.
Expanded Legal Definition of Accord and Satisfaction
- Accounts
- The written, detailed or summary, record of a person's managament or administration of an estate or of a particular matter.
Expanded Legal Definition of Accounts
- Accretion
- The addition to land by the action of water.
Expanded Legal Definition of Accretion
- Acquiescence
- Action or inaction which binds a person legally even though it was not intended as such.
Expanded Legal Definition of Acquiescence
- Acquittal
- A decision by a judge that a person accused of a crime is not guilty.
Expanded Legal Definition of Acquittal
- Act
- A bill which has passed through the various legislative steps required for it and which has become law.
Expanded Legal Definition of Act
- Act of God
- An event which is caused solely by the effect of nature or natural causes and without any interference by humans whatsoever.
Expanded Legal Definition of Act of God
- Actual Total Loss
- Property that is completely destroyed, or lost and irretrievable; a term of insurance and maritime law.
Expanded Legal Definition of Actual Total Loss
- Actus Reus
- Latin: a prohibited act.
Expanded Legal Definition of Actus Reus
- Actus Reus Non Facit Reum Nisi Mens Sit Rea
- Latin: conviction of a crime requires proof of a criminal act and intent.
Expanded Legal Definition of Actus Reus Non Facit Reum Nisi Mens Sit Rea
- Ad Colligendum Bona
- A person appointed by Court order and for the limited and sole purpose of collecting, inventorizing and preserving the assets of the deceased until another administrator can be found or appointed.
Expanded Legal Definition of Ad Colligendum Bona
- Ad Damnum
- Latin: refers to the parts or sections of a Court application that speaks to the damages that were allegedly suffered and claimed by the plaintiff.
Expanded Legal Definition of Ad Damnum
- Addendum
- An attachment to a written document.
Expanded Legal Definition of Addendum
- Ademption
- When property identified in a will cannot be given to the beneficiary because it no longer belonged to the deceased at the time of death.
Expanded Legal Definition of Ademption
- Adhesion Contract
- A fine-print consumer form contract which is generally given to consumers at point-of-sale, with no opportunity for negotiation as to it's terms, and which, typically, sets out the terms and conditions of the sale to advantage the seller.
Expanded Legal Definition of Adhesion Contract
- Ad Hoc
- Latin: for this purpose; for a specific purpose.
Expanded Legal Definition of Ad Hoc
- Ad Infinitum
- Latin: forever; without limit; indefinitely.
Expanded Legal Definition of Ad Infinitum
- Adjective Law
- Procedural law.
Expanded Legal Definition of Adjective Law
- Adjourn
- The postponement, suspension and interruption of an ongoing hearing or meeting to resume at some future date; to break off for later resumption.
Expanded Legal Definition of Adjourn
- Ad Litem
- Latin: for the suit.
Expanded Legal Definition of Ad Litem
- Adminiculum
- Latin: some evidence tendered to support something else
Expanded Legal Definition of Adminiculum
- Administrative Law
- That body of law which applies for hearings before quasi-judicial or quasi-judicial organizations such as administrative tribunals, or the underlying regulatory agency.
Expanded Legal Definition of Administrative Law
- Administrative Tribunal
- Hybrid adjudicating authorities which render judicial decisions.
Expanded Legal Definition of Administrative Tribunal
- Administrator
- A person who manages (administers) the assets of another, such as an estate administrator or the administrator of an insurance plan.
Expanded Legal Definition of Administrator
- Admiralty
- Law or judicial body having to do with, or jurisdiction over, shipping and use of the sea.
Expanded Legal Definition of Admiralty
- Adoption
- To take as one's own.
Expanded Legal Definition of Adoption
- Adoption of Convenience
- An adoption of a child not for the sake of the child but to the convenience, usually financial, of the adopting parent(s).
Expanded Legal Definition of Adoption of Convenience
- ADR
- Abbreviation for alternative dispute resolution.
Expanded Legal Definition of ADR
- Adult
- An individual who has reached, or is over the age of majority.
Expanded Legal Definition of Adult
- Adult Child
- A son or daughter who has reached the age of majority.
Expanded Legal Definition of Adult Child
- Adultery
- Voluntary sexual intercourse between a married person and another person who is not their married spouse.
Expanded Legal Definition of Adultery
- Adult Interdependent Partner
- A statutory term for individuals within a common-law relationship.
Expanded Legal Definition of Adult Interdependent Partner
- Adverse Possession
- The possession of land, without legal title, for a period of time sufficient to become recognized as legal owner.
Expanded Legal Definition of Adverse Possession
- Adverse Witness
- The right of a party calling a witness to show that the witness made a prior inconsistent statement.
Expanded Legal Definition of Adverse Witness
- Affiant
- A person that is sworn to an affidavit; who gives evidence by way of an affidavit.
Expanded Legal Definition of Affiant
- Affidavit
- A statement which before being signed, the person signing takes an oath that the contents are, to the best of their knowledge, true.
Expanded Legal Definition of Affidavit
- Affirmative Action
- A reverse discrimination law, program or activity that has as its object the amelioration of conditions of individuals who are socially or economically disadvantaged.
Expanded Legal Definition of Affirmative Action
- Affray
- A fight between two or more persons in a public place so as to cause terror to the public.
Expanded Legal Definition of Affray
- Affreightment
- A transportation contract whereby a transportation company, shipowner or operator agrees to carry goods in return for a sum of money, the sum being paid called freight.
Expanded Legal Definition of Affreightment
- Agenda
- A term of parliamentary law and procedure referring to a program, written notice and order of business at an upcoming meeting.
Expanded Legal Definition of Agenda
- Agent
- A person who has received the power to act on behalf of another, binding that other person as if he or she were themselves making the decisions.
Expanded Legal Definition of Agent
- Age of Majority
- An age generally specified by statute, at which time, upon an individual is given the full gamut of legal rights and responsibilities generally available to an adult of sound mind.
Expanded Legal Definition of Age of Majority
- Aggravated Damages
- Damages awarded by a court to reflect the exceptional harm done to a plaintiff of a tort action.
Expanded Legal Definition of Aggravated Damages
- Agnatio
- Latin: members of a group having a common male ancestor.
Expanded Legal Definition of Agnatio
- Agreement in Principle
- An agreement as to the terms of some future contract.
Expanded Legal Definition of Agreement in Principle
- Aircraft
- An object used for flight through the air.
Expanded Legal Definition of Aircraft
- Air Law
- The law of aircraft, their passengers and cargo, and their transit above states and other governed territory.
Expanded Legal Definition of Air Law
- Air of Reality Test
- A pre-requisite test against which a proposed defence to a criminal charge is weighed; that any proposed defence must at least have an evidential foundation.
Expanded Legal Definition of Air of Reality Test
- Aleatory Contract
- Civil law: a contract which depends on an uncertain event.
Expanded Legal Definition of Aleatory Contract
- Alia Enormia
- Latin: The catch-all phrase in trespass pleadings to refer to all such other harms and damages that may have been caused by the alleged trespasser other than those specified.
Expanded Legal Definition of Alia Enormia
- Alibi
- A defence to a criminal charge to the effect that the accused was elsewhere than at the scene of the alleged crime.
Expanded Legal Definition of Alibi
- Alien
- An individual citizen of a state but so characterized by and while in transit, working, residing or otherwise in the territory of another state.
Expanded Legal Definition of Alien
- Alienate
- To sell or give completely and without reserve; to transfer title to somebody else.
Expanded Legal Definition of Alienate
- Alimony
- An amount given to one spouse to another while they are separated.
Expanded Legal Definition of Alimony
- Alliance
- A military treaty between two or more states, providing for a mutually-planned offensive, or for assistance in the case of attack on any member.
Expanded Legal Definition of Alliance
- Allodial
- Land ownership that is unfettered, outright and absolute.
Expanded Legal Definition of Allodial
- Allonge
- A piece of paper which has been attached to a contract, a check or any promissory note, on which to add signatures because there is not enough room on the main document.
Expanded Legal Definition of Allonge
- Alluvion
- The gradual increase of land by the action of water such as by tides or currents.
Expanded Legal Definition of Alluvion
- Alternative Dispute Resolution
- Also known as 'ADR'; methods by which legal conflicts and disputes are resolved privately and other than through litigation in the public courts, usually through one of two forms: mediation or arbitration.
Expanded Legal Definition of Alternative Dispute Resolution
- Alternative Measures
- Canada; a much lighter disposition of a criminal charge regarding an adult accused who would be prepared to plead guilty and which does not result in a criminal record or incarceration but instead usually results in a mild penalty such as community service, an apology to the victim or counseling.
Expanded Legal Definition of Alternative Measures
- Amalgamation
- The merging of two things together to form one such as the amalgamation of different companies to form a single company.
Expanded Legal Definition of Amalgamation
- Ambassador
- A citizen that has been officially asked by their country to live in another country in order to legally represent it.
Expanded Legal Definition of Ambassador
- Ambiguity
- Where a word or phrase is capable of two or more meanings and which, in the context, raises doubt or uncertainty as to which is intended.
Expanded Legal Definition of Ambiguity
- Ambulatory
- Something which is not cast in stone; which can be changed or revoked, such as a will.
Expanded Legal Definition of Ambulatory
- Amend
- To change, to revise; to formally change a statement on the record or the wording of a written document, such as a statute.
Expanded Legal Definition of Amend
- Amicus Curiae
- Latin: friend of the court.
Expanded Legal Definition of Amicus Curiae
- Amnesty
- A general pardon extended by the government to those persons facing prosecution for, or convicted of specified criminal offences.
Expanded Legal Definition of Amnesty
- Anarchy
- Absence of law.
Expanded Legal Definition of Anarchy
- Ancient Lights
- An opening through which light has flowed uninterrupted for twenty years and which can, in some circumstances, support a claim for nuisance if blocked.
Expanded Legal Definition of Ancient Lights
- Ancillary Relief
- Secondary relief claimed by a litigant which is subordinate or subservient to a principal claim.
Expanded Legal Definition of Ancillary Relief
- And/Or
- Any combination of two options; one, the other (either), or both.
Expanded Legal Definition of And/Or
- Animal
- A creature or living thing, other than human, being able to move of its own accord.
Expanded Legal Definition of Animal
- Animus Contrahendi
- Latin: an intention to contract.
Expanded Legal Definition of Animus Contrahendi
- Annulment
- To make void forever; to cancel an event or judicial proceeding both retroactively and for the future so that in the eyes of the law, it never occurred.
Expanded Legal Definition of Annulment
- Antedate
- To date back; retroactively.
Expanded Legal Definition of Antedate
- Antenuptial
- An event or document which pre-dates a marriage.
Expanded Legal Definition of Antenuptial
- Antichresis
- Civil law: the pledge of real property as security for a debt.
Expanded Legal Definition of Antichresis
- Anti-trust
- Prohibited trade, marketplace or merchant activities as defined in a relevant anti-trust or such other restraint of trade statute.
Expanded Legal Definition of Anti-trust
- Anton Piller Order
- A court order allowing a party to litigation to enter the premises of another to search for and, if found, remove specified documents or items.
Expanded Legal Definition of Anton Piller Order
- Apostacy
- The ancient criminal offence of not being Christian or atheism.
Expanded Legal Definition of Apostacy
- Appeal
- To ask a more senior court or person to review a decision of a subordinate court or person.
Expanded Legal Definition of Appeal
- Appearance
- The act of showing up in court as either plaintiff, defendant, accused or any other party to a civil or criminal suit.
Expanded Legal Definition of Appearance
- Apportionment
- The division and distribution of something into proportionate parts; to each according to their share.
Expanded Legal Definition of Apportionment
- Appraisal
- The informed and objective inspection and estimation of a thing's worth.
Expanded Legal Definition of Appraisal
- Appraisement
- The inspection and appraisal or valuation of property, especially vessels, such as by a court-appointed surveyor, before its judicial sale, thus allowing the court to make an informed decision as to whether the judicial sale price is fair to the parties, particularly where there are competing claims for the proceeds of sale.
Expanded Legal Definition of Appraisement
- Appurtenance
- Something that, although detached, stands as part of another thing.
Expanded Legal Definition of Appurtenance
- Arbiter
- An alternate term for arbitrator; preferred in some jurisdictions such as Scotland.
Expanded Legal Definition of Arbiter
- Arbitration
- An agreement to submit a dispute for a hearing and binding decision by a third-party, an arbitrator(s), who is neither a judge or a Court
Expanded Legal Definition of Arbitration
- Arbitration Act
- A statute that sets out default terms for the conduct of arbitration between parties to a dispute.
Expanded Legal Definition of Arbitration Act
- Arbitration Agreement
- A contract between two or more parties to refer a dispute to arbitration.
Expanded Legal Definition of Arbitration Agreement
- Arbitration Clause
- A clause in a contract which requires a party to refer a dispute to arbitration.
Expanded Legal Definition of Arbitration Clause
- Arbitration Rules
- The rules of procedure that govern a particular arbitration.
Expanded Legal Definition of Arbitration Rules
- Arbitrator
- The adjudicating and presiding officer of a dispute submitted to arbitration.
Expanded Legal Definition of Arbitrator
- Arbuckle Rights
- The right of an accused to be sentenced by the judge who took his guilty plea.
Expanded Legal Definition of Arbuckle Rights
- Armchair Rule
- A rule of interpretation that a judge, called upon to interpret an otherwise unclear legal document, shall take into account the circumstances in which the document was created.
Expanded Legal Definition of Armchair Rule
- Armed Robbery
- Robbery committed while the person accused is armed with a dangerous weapon.
Expanded Legal Definition of Armed Robbery
- Arraignment
- In USA criminal law, the formal appearance of an accused person to hear, and to receive a copy of, the charge against him or her, in the presence of a judge, and to then enter a plea of guilty or not guilty.
Expanded Legal Definition of Arraignment
- Arrears
- A debt that is not paid on the due date adds up and accumulates in arrears.
Expanded Legal Definition of Arrears
- Arrest
- The detainment or restraint of a person or thing for the purposes of determining legal rights as regards a thing, or suspicion of criminal activity as regards a person.
Expanded Legal Definition of Arrest
- Arson
- The intentional setting of a fire to a building.
Expanded Legal Definition of Arson
- As Is
- That a product is sold in the condition in which it then exists.
Expanded Legal Definition of As Is
- Assault
- The touching of another person with an intent to harm, without that person's consent.
Expanded Legal Definition of Assault
- Asset
- A thing of value.
Expanded Legal Definition of Asset
- Assign
- To sell, give or otherwise transfer some legal right or responsibility to another.
Expanded Legal Definition of Assign
- Assisted Suicide
- An attempt to take one's own life with the intentional assistance of another person.
Expanded Legal Definition of Assisted Suicide
- Association
- A form of organizational structure which is institutionally operated on a cost recovery basis, for which incorporation is extended by the government or, in some jurisdictions, as an unincorporated association of individuals, for a set of purposes set out in statute such as religious, scientific, social, literary, educational, recreational or benevolent purposes, and generally operated as nearly as possible at cost.
Expanded Legal Definition of Association
- Assumpsit
- Medieval era action for breach of contract.
Expanded Legal Definition of Assumpsit
- Athens Passenger Convention
- Formally, the Athens Convention relating to the Carriage of Passengers and their Luggage by Sea (PAL), 1974, an international treaty which establishes a regime of liability for damage suffered by passengers carried on a seagoing vessel.
Expanded Legal Definition of Athens Passenger Convention
- Attorney
- An alternate word for lawyers or barrister and solicitor, used mostly in the USA.
Expanded Legal Definition of Attorney
- Attorn or Attornment
- To consent, implicitly or explicitly, to a transfer of a right.
Expanded Legal Definition of Attorn or Attornment
- Audi Alteram Partem
- Latin; literally 'hear the other side'.
Expanded Legal Definition of Audi Alteram Partem
- Authentic Act
- Civil law: a contract or other legal document which has been properly prepared or authenticated by a court officer, such as a notary, and thereafter given enhanced evidentiary status of its authenticity.
Expanded Legal Definition of Authentic Act
- Automatism
- An act done by a person who is not conscious of what he is doing.
Expanded Legal Definition of Automatism
- Autrefois Acquit
- Previously acquitted; an accused cannot be tried for a crime because the record shows he has already been subjected to trial for the same conduct and was acquitted.
Expanded Legal Definition of Autrefois Acquit
- Averment
- Pleadings; official allegations of fact made by a party to a lawsuit.
Expanded Legal Definition of Averment
- A Vinculo Matrimonii
- Latin: of marriage.
Expanded Legal Definition of A Vinculo Matrimonii
- Avulsion
- The removal of land from one real property and its deposit on the property of another, by the sudden action of nature (eg. water or volcano).
Expanded Legal Definition of Avulsion
- Avunculus
- Latin: a mother's brother.
Expanded Legal Definition of Avunculus
- Award
- The decision of an arbitrator.
Expanded Legal Definition of Award
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