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Terms
Canon Law
The law of the Church; based on religious beliefs.
Expanded Legal Definition of Canon Law

Capital Punishment
The most severe of all sentences: that of death.
Expanded Legal Definition of Capital Punishment

Case Law
The entire collection of published legal decisions of the courts which, because of stare decisis, contributes a large part of the legal rules which apply in modern society.
Expanded Legal Definition of Case Law

Caveat
Latin: let him beware. A formal warning.
Expanded Legal Definition of Caveat

Certiorari
A formal request to a court challenging a legal decision of an administrative tribunal, judicial office or organization (eg. government) alleging that the decision has been irregular or incomplete or if there has been an error of law.
Expanded Legal Definition of Certiorari

Cestui Que Trust or Cestui Que Use
Latin: the beneficiary of a trust.
Expanded Legal Definition of Cestui Que Trust or Cestui Que Use

Ceteris Paribus
Latin: all things being equal or unchanged.
Expanded Legal Definition of Ceteris Paribus

Champerty
When a person agrees to finance someone else's lawsuit in exchange for a portion of the judicial award.
Expanded Legal Definition of Champerty

Chaste
A person who has never voluntarily had sexual intercourse outside of marriage such as unmarried virgins.
Expanded Legal Definition of Chaste

Chattel
Moveable items of property which are neither land nor permanently attached to land or a building, either directly or vicariously through attachment to real property.
Expanded Legal Definition of Chattel

Chattel Mortgage
When an interest is given on moveable property other than real property (in which case it is usually a 'mortgage'), in writing, to guarantee the payment of a debt or the execution of some action.
Expanded Legal Definition of Chattel Mortgage

Check or Cheque
A form of bill of exchange where the order to pay is given to a bank which is holding the payor’s money.
Expanded Legal Definition of Check or Cheque

Chose In Action
A property right in something intangible, or which is not in one's possession, but enforceable through legal or court action.
Expanded Legal Definition of Chose In Action

Circumstantial Evidence
Evidence which may allow a judge or jury to deduce a certain fact from other facts which have been proven.
Expanded Legal Definition of Circumstantial Evidence

Citation
An order of a court to either do a certain thing or to appear before it to answer charges.
Expanded Legal Definition of Citation

Civil Law
A body of law derived and evolved directly from Roman Law, the primary feature of which is that laws are struck in writing; codified, and not determined, as is common law, by the opinions of judges based on historic customs.
Expanded Legal Definition of Civil Law

Clandestine
Something purposely kept from the view or knowledge of others either in violation of the law or to conduct or conceal some illegal purpose.
Expanded Legal Definition of Clandestine

Class Action
When different persons combine their lawsuits into one opposed to a common defendant, because the facts are sufficiently similar.
Expanded Legal Definition of Class Action

Clayton's Case
An English case which established a presumption that monies withdrawn from a money account are presumed to be debits from those monies first deposited; first in, first out.
Expanded Legal Definition of Clayton's Case

Clean Hands
A maxim of the law to the effect that any person, individual or corporate, that wishes to ask or petition a court for judicial action, must be in a position free of fraud or other unfair conduct.
Expanded Legal Definition of Clean Hands

Client-Solicitor Privilege
A right that belongs to the client of a lawyer that the latter keep any information or words spoken to him during the provision of the legal services to that client, strictly confidential.
Expanded Legal Definition of Client-Solicitor Privilege

Codicil
An amendment to an existing will. Does not mean that the will is totally changed; just to the extent of the codicil.
Expanded Legal Definition of Codicil

Collateral
Property which has been committed to guarantee a loan.
Expanded Legal Definition of Collateral

Collateral Descendant
A descendant that is not direct, such as a niece or a cousin.
Expanded Legal Definition of Collateral Descendant

Collateral Source Rule
A rule of tort law which holds that the tortfeasor is not allowed to deduct from the amount he or she would be held to pay to the victim of the tort, any goods, services or money received by that victim from other 'collateral' sources as a result of the tort (eg. insurance benefits).
Expanded Legal Definition of Collateral Source Rule

Collusion
A secret agreement between two or more persons, who seem to have conflicting interests, to abuse the law or the legal system, deceive a court or to defraud a third party.
Expanded Legal Definition of Collusion

Commission
A formal group of experts brought together on a regular or ad hoc basis to debate matters within that sphere of expertise, and with regulatory or quasi-judicial powers such as the ability to license activity in the sphere of activity or to subpoena witnesses.
Expanded Legal Definition of Commission

Committee
A term of parliamentary law which refers to a body of one or more persons appointed by a larger assembly or society, to consider, investigate and/or take action on certain specific matters.
Expanded Legal Definition of Committee

Common Law
Judge-declared law. Law which exists and applies to a group on the basis of customs and legal precedents developed over hundreds of years in Britain.
Expanded Legal Definition of Common Law

Common Share
The basic share in a corporation.
Expanded Legal Definition of Common Share

Company
A legal entity, allowed by legislation, which permits a group of people, as shareholders, to apply to the government for an independent organization to be created, which can then focus on pursuing set objectives, and empowered with legal rights which are usually only reserved for individuals, such as to sue and be sued, own property, hire employees or loan and borrow money.
Expanded Legal Definition of Company

Comparative Negligence
An tort law analysis which considers the negligence of the victim and which may lead to a reduction of the award against the defendant, proportionate to the contribution of the victim’s negligence.
Expanded Legal Definition of Comparative Negligence

Condition Precedent
A contractual condition that suspends the coming into effect of a contract unless or until a certain event takes place.
Expanded Legal Definition of Condition Precedent

Condonation
Obvious or implied forgiveness.
Expanded Legal Definition of Condonation

Consensus
A decision achieved through negotiation whereby a hybrid solution is arrived at between parties to an issue, dispute or disagreement, comprising typically of concessions made by all parties, and to which all parties then subscribe unanimously as an acceptable resolution to the issue or disagreement.
Expanded Legal Definition of Consensus

Consensus Ad Idem
Latin: an agreement - a meeting of the minds between the parties where all understand the commitments made by each. A basic requirement for a contract.
Expanded Legal Definition of Consensus Ad Idem

Consideration
Some right, interest, profit or benefit accruing to the one party of a contract, or some forbearance, detriment, loss or responsibility given, suffered or undertaken by the other.
Expanded Legal Definition of Consideration

Consign
To leave an item of property in the custody of another.
Expanded Legal Definition of Consign

Conspiracy
An agreement between two or more persons to commit a criminal act.
Expanded Legal Definition of Conspiracy

Constitution
The basic law of a state which sets out how that state will be organized, the powers and authorities of government between different political units, and by stating and the basic principles of the society.
Expanded Legal Definition of Constitution

Construction
The legal process of interpreting a phrase or document; of trying to find it’s meaning.
Expanded Legal Definition of Construction

Constructive Dismissal
Under the employment law of some states, judges will consider a situation where there has been a fundamental violation of the rights of an employee, by the employer, so severe that the employee would have the right to consider himself as dismissed, even though, in fact, there has been no act of dismissal on the part of the employer.
Expanded Legal Definition of Constructive Dismissal

Constructive Trust
A trust which a court declares or imposes onto participants in very specific circumstances such as those giving rise to an action for unjust enrichment, and notwithstanding the lack of any willing settlor to declare the trust.
Expanded Legal Definition of Constructive Trust

Contempt of Court
Conduct that is disobedient, obstructive or contemptuous to the Court.
Expanded Legal Definition of Contempt of Court

Contingency Fee
A method of payment of legal fees represented by a percentage of an award.
Expanded Legal Definition of Contingency Fee

Contract
An agreement between persons which obliges each party to do or not to do a certain thing.
Expanded Legal Definition of Contract

Contract Law
That body of law which regulates the formation and enforcement of contracts.
Expanded Legal Definition of Contract Law

Contributory Negligence
The negligence of a person which, while not being the primary cause of a tort, nevertheless combined with the act or omission of the primary defendant to cause the tort, and without which the tort would not have occurred.
Expanded Legal Definition of Contributory Negligence

Conversion
A legal action against a person who found and converted someone else property to his own use.
Expanded Legal Definition of Conversion

Conveyance
A written document which transfers property from one person to another, usually real property.
Expanded Legal Definition of Conveyance

Conviction
The formal decision of a criminal trial which finds the accused guilty.
Expanded Legal Definition of Conviction

Coparcenary
An obsolete co-ownership mechanism of English law where property, if there was no will, always went to the eldest son.
Expanded Legal Definition of Coparcenary

Copyright
The exclusive right to produce or reproduce (copy), to perform in public or to publish an original literary or artistic work, pursuant to a statute usually called the "Copyright Act", or some similar name.
Expanded Legal Definition of Copyright

Coroner
A public official who holds an inquiry into violent or suspicious deaths.
Expanded Legal Definition of Coroner

Corporal Punishment
A punishment for some violation of conduct which involves the infliction of pain on, or harm to the body
Expanded Legal Definition of Corporal Punishment

Corporate Secretary
Officer of a corporation responsible for the official documents of the corporation such as the official seal, records of shares issued, and minutes of all board or committee meetings.
Expanded Legal Definition of Corporate Secretary

Corporation
A legal entity, created under the authority of a statute, which permits a group of people, as shareholders, to apply to the government for an independent organization to be created, which then pursues set objectives, and is empowered with legal rights usually only reserved for individuals, such as to sue and be sued, own property, hire employees or loan and borrow money.
Expanded Legal Definition of Corporation

Costs
A court order that the losing party in litigation must pay the successful party's expenses plus an additional allowance, the latter as a contribution towards the winner's legal fees.
Expanded Legal Definition of Costs

Council
A formal group of experts brought together on a regular basis to debate matters within that sphere of expertise, often with advisory powers to government.
Expanded Legal Definition of Council

Court Martial
A military court set up to try and punish offenses taken by members of the army, navy or air force.
Expanded Legal Definition of Court Martial

Court of Admiralty
A rather archaic term used to denote the court which has the right to hear shipping, ocean and sea legal cases; jurisdiction over maritime law cases.
Expanded Legal Definition of Court of Admiralty

Covenant
A written document in which signatories either commit themselves to do a certain thing, to not do a certain thing or in which they agree on a certain set of facts.
Expanded Legal Definition of Covenant

Creditor
A person to whom money, goods or services are owed by the debtor.
Expanded Legal Definition of Creditor

Crime
An act or omission which is prohibited by criminal law and punished, usually by fine or imprisonment.
Expanded Legal Definition of Crime

Criminal Conversation
Criminal conversation: synonymous with adultery.
Expanded Legal Definition of Criminal Conversation

Criminal Law
That body of the law that deals with conduct considered so harmful to society as a whole that it is prohibited by statute, prosecuted and punished by the government.
Expanded Legal Definition of Criminal Law

Cross Examination
The examination of a witness called by the other side at trial and for which leading questions are permitted.
Expanded Legal Definition of Cross Examination

Crown
The word refers specifically to the British Monarch, where she is the head of state of Commonwealth countries.
Expanded Legal Definition of Crown

Cuius Est Solum Ejus Est Usque Ad Caelum
Latin: who owns the land, owns down to the center of the earth and up to the heavens.
Expanded Legal Definition of Cuius Est Solum Ejus Est Usque Ad Caelum

Culpa Lata
Latin: gross negligence.
Expanded Legal Definition of Culpa Lata

Curtilage
The yard surrounding a residence or dwelling house which is reserved for or used by the occupants for their enjoyment or work.
Expanded Legal Definition of Curtilage

Custody
Charge and control of a person or item of property.
Expanded Legal Definition of Custody

Cy-pres
As near as may be.
Expanded Legal Definition of Cy-pres

Caveat Emptor
Let the buyer beware or that the buyers should examine and check for themselves things which they intend to purchase and that they cannot later hold the vendor responsible for the broken condition of the thing bought.
Expanded Legal Definition of Caveat Emptor

Curtesy
Widower's right to an interest in his deceased wife's real property.
Expanded Legal Definition of Curtesy

Crimes Against Humanity
An international criminal justice offence; the perpetration of acts of war upon a civilian, non-soldier population.
Expanded Legal Definition of Crimes Against Humanity

Certificate of Independent Legal Advice
A document that attests that a person has received legal advice on a proposed contract, from a lawyer not associated with the other contracting party.
Expanded Legal Definition of Certificate of Independent Legal Advice

Condition Subsequent
A condition in a contract that causes the contract to become invalid if a certain event occurs.
Expanded Legal Definition of Condition Subsequent

Confession
A statement made by a person suspected or charged with a crime, that he (or she) did, in fact, commit that crime.
Expanded Legal Definition of Confession

Criminal Negligence
Reckless disregard for the lives or safety of other persons.
Expanded Legal Definition of Criminal Negligence

Child Support
Periodic money payments payable by a non-custodial parent, to the custodial parent, for the care of his or her child.
Expanded Legal Definition of Child Support

Counterclaim
A defendant's claim against a plaintiff.
Expanded Legal Definition of Counterclaim

Chinese Wall
A screening barricade established within a law firm to prevent conflicts of interests between associates.
Expanded Legal Definition of Chinese Wall

Cone of Silence
An oath by a solicitor or other employee in a law firm not to disclose any information in regards to a previous client otherwise placing that lawyer or employee in a conflict of interest with other clients of the same law firm.
Expanded Legal Definition of Cone of Silence

Citizen's Arrest
Detainment of a person suspected of having committed a crime, by a person other than a police officer.
Expanded Legal Definition of Citizen's Arrest

Charterparty
A transportation contract which includes the full and exclusive use of the airplane, vehicle or vessel for the duration of the transportation of either goods or persons.
Expanded Legal Definition of Charterparty

Crumbling Skull Rule
A legal theory, companion to the thin skull rule, which limits a tort defendant’s exposure to a plaintiff’s injuries to the plaintiff’s condition at the time of the tort.
Expanded Legal Definition of Crumbling Skull Rule

Carrier's Case
A monumental 1473 English case which extended the offence of theft (then called larceny) to include a carrier of goods who, initially lawfully in possession, converts goods to his own use.
Expanded Legal Definition of Carrier's Case

Co-operative
A group of people formed as a separate organization and which has as a stated purpose either in regards to the public at-large or in regards to the common interests of the members.
Expanded Legal Definition of Co-operative

Community Property
A marriage property legal term; property acquired or owned during a marriage or, where recognized, a marriage-like relationship, and which belongs, notwithstanding title, as in a partnership and as tenants in common (“hence “community”), to each spouse equally and subject to division on that basis in the event of separation or divorce.
Expanded Legal Definition of Community Property

Corollary Relief
Relief sought from a Court which is incidental, consequential or additional to another principal relief.
Expanded Legal Definition of Corollary Relief

Clear Days
Full and complete days.
Expanded Legal Definition of Clear Days

Carry
The observation or declaration by the chair of a meeting that a member’s motion has passed or attained the requisite majority vote, and is thus converted into a resolution of the whole meeting or organization.
Expanded Legal Definition of Carry

Commissioner of Oath
A formal appointment or commission governments give to individuals empowering them to certify the oath of another upon documents, such as affidavits.
Expanded Legal Definition of Commissioner of Oath

Confederation
A loose association of states in which a central, subordinate and limited government structure is created for some common purpose, except in Canada where it is used to describe a federal system in which the central government is not so subordinate to the provincial or regional governments.
Expanded Legal Definition of Confederation

Communism
A utopian state of government where specified property or means of production are owned by the state and not citizens or persons, and which may also provide for a form of equal distribution of national production.
Expanded Legal Definition of Communism

Certificate of Pending Litigation
A registration or/of a notice or warning that litigation is ongoing as to ownership of a particular piece of land or other real property; also known as a certificate of lis pendens.
Expanded Legal Definition of Certificate of Pending Litigation

Criminal Libel
A criminal offence; deliberate publication of defamatory lies which the publisher knows to be false.
Expanded Legal Definition of Criminal Libel

Costs Follow The Event
An award of costs will generally flow with the result of litigation; the successful party being entitled to an order for costs against the unsuccessful party.
Expanded Legal Definition of Costs Follow The Event

Conflict of Laws
A specialized branch of law which resolves cases which have an element of conflicting foreign law.
Expanded Legal Definition of Conflict of Laws

Criminal Bankruptcy
The forced bankruptcy of a convicted person.
Expanded Legal Definition of Criminal Bankruptcy

Cruelty
Conduct that causes bodily or mental injury, or apprehension to such injury, to a person or an animal, without legitimate purpose.
Expanded Legal Definition of Cruelty

Chancery
The English law court with exclusive jurisdiction over equity; now phased-out and merged with the common law courts.
Expanded Legal Definition of Chancery

Conditional Discharge
A sentence of a person found guilty of a crime in which upon completion of specified actions by the accused, no criminal record issues as regards the offense for which a conditional discharge was granted.
Expanded Legal Definition of Conditional Discharge

Conditional Sentence
A sentence of a person convicted of a crime which allow that person to serve his sentence whilst continuing to reside within his/her community, subject to supervision and reporting, and fully recoverable in the event of breach of those conditions.
Expanded Legal Definition of Conditional Sentence

Common Land
Land that, ownership notwithstanding, is available for the use and enjoyment of all, or for the use or enjoyment of a class of persons.
Expanded Legal Definition of Common Land

Common Law Relationship
Two unmarried persons living together as though married.
Expanded Legal Definition of Common Law Relationship

Constructive Total Loss
Insured property that has been abandoned because its actual total loss appears to be unavoidable, or because it could not be preserved or repaired without an expenditure which would exceed its value.
Expanded Legal Definition of Constructive Total Loss

Cabotage
Trade transit of a vessel along the coast (coastal trading), from one port to another within the territorial limits of a single nation.
Expanded Legal Definition of Cabotage

Coastal Trading
Trade transit of a vessel along the coast, from one port to another within the territorial limits of a single nation.
Expanded Legal Definition of Coastal Trading

Custodia Legis
In the custody of the law; the taking, seizing or holding of something by lawful authority.
Expanded Legal Definition of Custodia Legis

Continuance
An adjournment of a trial or some other legal hearing.
Expanded Legal Definition of Continuance

CIF
Transportation contract acronym for "cost, insurance and freight" usually in reference to the sale price being inclusive thereof.
Expanded Legal Definition of CIF

Collision
An accidental contact between two or more vehicles or ships which causes damage.
Expanded Legal Definition of Collision

COLREGS 1972
Convention on the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea, 1972; an international set of standard navigation rules to prevent collisions at sea.
Expanded Legal Definition of COLREGS 1972

Criminal Harassment
Unsolicited annoying, alarming or abusive conduct or words which are threatening.
Expanded Legal Definition of Criminal Harassment

Civil Code
A document in civil law jurisdictions that purports to be a compendium of the applicable law as it pertains to the citizen.
Expanded Legal Definition of Civil Code

Constructive Eviction
An implied eviction where the landlord's act or omission justifies the immediate departure of the tenant.
Expanded Legal Definition of Constructive Eviction

Criminal Code
A statute which purports or attempts to set out all prohibited or criminal offences, and their various punishments.
Expanded Legal Definition of Criminal Code

Conciliation
A form of alternate dispute resolution (ADR) in which a neutral third-party hears both sides and then isues a non-binding suggested resolution.
Expanded Legal Definition of Conciliation

Collective Bargaining
Trade agreement negotiation between an employer and a person(s) representative of a larger unit of employees, to govern hiring, work, pay and dispute resolution.
Expanded Legal Definition of Collective Bargaining

Collective Bargaining Agreement
A contract on hiring, working conditions and dispute resolution between an employer and a union, the latter representing employees of a defined group.
Expanded Legal Definition of Collective Bargaining Agreement

Commercial Arbitration
Arbitration of a dispute as to a trade transaction for the supply or exchange of goods or services.
Expanded Legal Definition of Commercial Arbitration

Centrocon Clause
A clause in an arbitration agreement which bars a claim if not made in writing and an arbitrator appointed within a set time frame.
Expanded Legal Definition of Centrocon Clause

Civil Liability
A civil law requirement to compensate another because of an unlawful injury to his/her person or property.
Expanded Legal Definition of Civil Liability

Concubinage
Civil law term for an unmarried couple living nonetheless as husband and wife or, where same-sex relationships are recognized by law, such similar cohabitation relationships.
Expanded Legal Definition of Concubinage

Civil Union
A formal union between two people, of the same or of different genders which results in, but falls short of, marriage-like rights and obligations.
Expanded Legal Definition of Civil Union

Civil Covenant of Solidarity
A contract by two individuals of the age of majority, of different or same gender, to provide legal rights and obligations as a result of their cohabitation.
Expanded Legal Definition of Civil Covenant of Solidarity

Court of Pie Powder
A special court that sat in times of public markets or fairs in England in medieval times, with exclusive jurisdiction over disputes between merchants and consumers and any other dispute arising as a result of the market or fair and on fair grounds.
Expanded Legal Definition of Court of Pie Powder

Commodum Ex Injuria Sua Nemo Habere Debet
Latin: a wrongdoer should not be enabled by law to take any advantage from his actions.
Expanded Legal Definition of Commodum Ex Injuria Sua Nemo Habere Debet

Crimen Omnia Ex Se Nata Vitiat
Latin: property obtained by crime is tainted (vitiated).
Expanded Legal Definition of Crimen Omnia Ex Se Nata Vitiat

Consuetudo Volentes Ducit, Lex Nolentes Trahit
Customs leads the willing, law drags the unwilling.
Expanded Legal Definition of Consuetudo Volentes Ducit, Lex Nolentes Trahit

Credit Card
A plastic card issued to concede to the holder, upon presentation to authorized stores or service providers, products or services on credit.
Expanded Legal Definition of Credit Card

Cardholder Agreement
A contract presented by a credit card company or through an agent, usually a bank, setting out the terms of the consumer's use of and liability for the credit card.
Expanded Legal Definition of Cardholder Agreement

Consumer Scam
A deceptive sale of goods or services to a consumer designed to extract money unreasonably excessive given the services rendered or goods provided, if any.
Expanded Legal Definition of Consumer Scam

Consumer Fraud
An act or omission in the conduct of trade or commerce designed to mislead a consumer.
Expanded Legal Definition of Consumer Fraud

Conduct Unbecoming
Conduct on the part of a certified professional that is contrary to the interests of the public served by that professional, or which harms the standing of the profession in the eyes of the public.
Expanded Legal Definition of Conduct Unbecoming

Commorientes
Two or more persons dying at about the same time, usually in the same event, but in circumstances in which it is impossible to determine the order of death.
Expanded Legal Definition of Commorientes

Compassionate Care Leave
Paid or unpaid leave to care or support a gravely ill family member.
Expanded Legal Definition of Compassionate Care Leave

Church
A charitable association of persons organized for the advancement of religion and for the conduct of religious worship, services or rites, and that is permanently established.
Expanded Legal Definition of Church

Charity
A corporate non-profit body holdings property in trust for educational, religious, anti-poverty or some other purpose beneficial to the community.
Expanded Legal Definition of Charity

Child
A young individual who is under the legal age of majority, or who is the natural offspring of another.
Expanded Legal Definition of Child

Child of the Marriage
A dependent child of two persons, married at the time of conception of the child, and for whom both parents are financialy liable.
Expanded Legal Definition of Child of the Marriage

Cease and Desist Letter
A letter which advises a person to stop (cease and desist) using specified legal rights which are asserted by another.
Expanded Legal Definition of Cease and Desist Letter

Carrier
Persons who carry goods or passengers for others, either freely or for consideration.
Expanded Legal Definition of Carrier

Carriage
The transportation, by carriers, of people or goods for free or for reward.
Expanded Legal Definition of Carriage

Common Carrier
A carrier who accepts to transport goods indiscriminately.
Expanded Legal Definition of Common Carrier

Confusion
Civil law: grounds for extinguishing a contractual obligation when creditor and debtor become the same person.
Expanded Legal Definition of Confusion

Co-ownership
A generic legal term that refers to various forms of ownership over one asset by more than one person.
Expanded Legal Definition of Co-ownership

Curial Deference
That general courts ought to defer to the rulings of specialized tribunals save exceptional circumstances.
Expanded Legal Definition of Curial Deference

Condominium
A unit or defined portion of ownership in real property, similar to an apartment.
Expanded Legal Definition of Condominium

Comity
A principle of international law, that one state, to the greatest extent possible, recognize the legislative, executive or judicial acts of another.
Expanded Legal Definition of Comity

Court
Either the room in which, and during which, judicial proceedings are hosted, or to the judicial body presiding over those proceedings, usually personified in the person of a judge.
Expanded Legal Definition of Court

Consortium
Companionship, love and affection and intimacy between husband and wife within a mariage.
Expanded Legal Definition of Consortium

Connivance
Secretly privy or accessory to the act of another.
Expanded Legal Definition of Connivance

Candy
Crystallized sugar more fully called sugar candy; also any confection made of, or so incrusted.
Expanded Legal Definition of Candy

Cancel
To terminate; to put an end to.
Expanded Legal Definition of Cancel

Chirograph
A medieval form of contract which allowed for several verifiable authentic versions.
Expanded Legal Definition of Chirograph

Contribution
The right of a person who has discharged a common liability to recover proportionate share from the other(s) that were so liable.
Expanded Legal Definition of Contribution

Chambers
A court which sits to dispose of procedural matters.
Expanded Legal Definition of Chambers

Corody
A pension in food or such other things as may be required for sustenance.
Expanded Legal Definition of Corody

Chamberdeacon
An Irish beggar, circa 1413.
Expanded Legal Definition of Chamberdeacon

Consolidation
The union of two or more corporations into one corporate body after which the constituent corporations cease to exist.
Expanded Legal Definition of Consolidation

Corrective Force
Force used upon those over which an individual generally has guardian responsibilities, used to remove a dependent from a particular situation or to secure compliance with instructions.
Expanded Legal Definition of Corrective Force

Certainty of Terms
A legal requirement of a valid offer to contract; that it must be precise and definite in order to be subject to acceptance.
Expanded Legal Definition of Certainty of Terms

Concurrent Estates
Property owned by two or more persons at the same time.
Expanded Legal Definition of Concurrent Estates

Cognates
Relations through the mother.
Expanded Legal Definition of Cognates

Causation
The cause and effect relationship between an act or omission and damages alleged in a tort or personal injury action.
Expanded Legal Definition of Causation

Causa Sine Qua Non
An intervening cause of loss which, though not direct, may nonetheless contrinute to the loss.
Expanded Legal Definition of Causa Sine Qua Non

Causa Causans
The real, effective cause of damage.
Expanded Legal Definition of Causa Causans

Causa Proxima Et Non Remota Spectatur
Latin: the immediate, not the remote cause, is to be considered.
Expanded Legal Definition of Causa Proxima Et Non Remota Spectatur

Complementarity
The co-existence of two or more equally authoritative systems or sources of law.
Expanded Legal Definition of Complementarity

Capital Offence
A criminal offence for which the punishment, or one of the punishments, is death, capital punishment.
Expanded Legal Definition of Capital Offence

Call For Tenders
A property owner's invitation, sometimes at large, sometimes to a select group, for bids to complete a particular project.
Expanded Legal Definition of Call For Tenders

Call To The Bar
The official moment that an individual is sworn or entered into a law society or state bar or court and therafter licensed to prectise law in that jurisdiction.
Expanded Legal Definition of Call To The Bar

Calderbank Letter
A species of settlement offer delivered in the form of a letter and which can be used in the event that it is rejected and subsequent to trial or hearing of the litigation which results in terms similar to the rejected offer, costs are spoken to.
Expanded Legal Definition of Calderbank Letter

Calendar Year
A period from January 1 to December 31.
Expanded Legal Definition of Calendar Year

Calendar Month
A period from a specified day in one month to the day numericaly corresponding to that day in the following month, less one.
Expanded Legal Definition of Calendar Month

Calendar Day
In some jurisdictions, a period of time from midnight to midnight. In others, a full 24 hour period (eg. 3 am to 3 am).
Expanded Legal Definition of Calendar Day

Calendar Week
Depending on the context, either a period of time from midnight, Saturday to following midnight Saturday, or any period of seven consecutive days.
Expanded Legal Definition of Calendar Week

Calendar Quarter
A period of three consecutive months starting on one of January 1, April 1, July 1 or October 1.
Expanded Legal Definition of Calendar Quarter

Capital Gain
The eventual, net proceeds of sale of an asset, subtracting the original purchase price from the sale price.
Expanded Legal Definition of Capital Gain

Capital Loss
The amount of monies lost when disposing of an asset, the difference between the higher purchase cost and the subsequent but lower amount received when the asset was sold.
Expanded Legal Definition of Capital Loss

Capital Asset
A designation of an asset so that profit or loss can be tracked for tax purposes; generally, all and any asset belonging to a tax-payer except those specifically excluded.
Expanded Legal Definition of Capital Asset

Capital Expenditure
A once and for all expense to provide an enduring benefit to a capital asset.
Expanded Legal Definition of Capital Expenditure

Costs in any Event of the Cause
An entitlement to costs of an interlocutory application regardless of the ultimate result of the main action.
Expanded Legal Definition of Costs in any Event of the Cause

Costs in the Cause
The gemeral rule in the law of costs that the ultimate victor at trial may get his or her costs against the loser and including all interlocutory applications.
Expanded Legal Definition of Costs in the Cause

Costs if Demanded
An award of costs which is explicitly left to the discretion of the party to whom costs are awarded.
Expanded Legal Definition of Costs if Demanded

Convention Refugee
An individual defined in the 1951 UN refugee treaty as having a well-founded fear that, were he or she to return to their country of origin, he or she would suffer persecution.
Expanded Legal Definition of Convention Refugee

Co-debtor
One of two or more debtors who are primarily liable to the same debt.
Expanded Legal Definition of Co-debtor

Consumer Debt
Debt incurred by an individual primarily for a personal, family, or household purpose.
Expanded Legal Definition of Consumer Debt

Co-debtor Stay
A stay upon the debt enforcement or collection upon a co-debtor.
Expanded Legal Definition of Co-debtor Stay

Consumer Debtor
A term of bankruptcy law designating debtors who have debts under a prescribed amount.
Expanded Legal Definition of Consumer Debtor

Consumer Proposal
A summary form of bankruptcy for qualified individuals.
Expanded Legal Definition of Consumer Proposal

Constitutional Supremacy
A system of government in which the law-making freedom of parliamentary supremacy cedes to the requirements of a Constitution.
Expanded Legal Definition of Constitutional Supremacy

Common Law Marriage
An ancient form of marriage, by consent and consummation but otherwise recognized in the common law.
Expanded Legal Definition of Common Law Marriage

Citizenship
The status of an individual as owing allegiance to, and enjoying the benefits of, a designated state.
Expanded Legal Definition of Citizenship

Concurrent Sentence
A sentence which runs with another.
Expanded Legal Definition of Concurrent Sentence

Consecutive Sentences
Sentences which run one after the other.
Expanded Legal Definition of Consecutive Sentences

Consul
A representative of a foreign government assigned to another country to promote and protect the commercial interests of the subjects of his government.
Expanded Legal Definition of Consul

Congenital
Existing at birth.
Expanded Legal Definition of Congenital