Legal Terms Beginning with G
Garnishment
The seizing of a person's property, credit or salary, on the basis of a law which allows it, and for the purposes of paying off a debt. - (see expanded definition at duhaime.org)
Gavel
A wooden mallet used by a judge to bring proceedings to a start or to an end or to command attention in his or her court. - (see expanded definition at duhaime.org)
General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT)
Multilateral international treaty first created in 1947 and frequently amended (most recently in 1994) to which 125 countries subscribe. - (see expanded definition at duhaime.org)
General counsel
The senior lawyer of a corporation. This is normally a full-time employee of the corporation although some corporations contract this position out to a lawyer with a private firm. - (see expanded definition at duhaime.org)
Genocide
Systematic killing of persons because of their ethnicity. - (see expanded definition at duhaime.org)
Gerrymander
The intentional setting of electoral boundaries taking into account traditional voting patterns, so as to attempt to influence the taking of an elected office. - (see expanded definition at duhaime.org)
Gift
A transfer of property with nothing given in return. - (see expanded definition at duhaime.org)
Gift over
A device used in wills and trusts to provide for the gift of property to a second recipient if a certain event occurs, such as the death of the first recipient. - (see expanded definition at duhaime.org)
Golden Rule
A rule of statutory or legal document interpretation which allows a shift from the ordinary sense of as word(s) if the overall content of the document demands it. - (see expanded definition at duhaime.org)
Goodwill
An intangible business asset which includes a cultivated reputation and consequential attraction and confidence of repeat customers and connections. - (see expanded definition at duhaime.org)
Grand Jury
An American criminal justice procedure whereby, in each court district, a group of 16-23 citizens hold an inquiry on criminal complaints brought by the prosecutor and decide if a trial is warranted, in which case an indictment is issued. - (see expanded definition at duhaime.org)
Gross negligence
Any action or an omission in reckless disregard of the consequences to the safety or property of another. Sometimes referred to as 'very great negligence' and it is more then just neglect of ordinary care towards others or just inadvertence. - (see expanded definition at duhaime.org)
Guarantee or guaranty
A back-up debtor who steps in if the primary debtor defaults. - (see expanded definition at duhaime.org)
Guarantor
A person who pledges payment or performance of a contract of another, but separately, as part of an independently contract with the obligee of the original contract. - (see expanded definition at duhaime.org)
Guardian
An individual who, by legal appointment or by the effect of a written law, is given custodyof both the property and the person of one who is unable to manage their own affairs, such as a child or mentally-disabled person. - (see expanded definition at duhaime.org)
Guardian ad litem
A guardian appointed to direct litigation on behalf and in the interests of a person otherwise incapable of managing their affairs. - (see expanded definition at duhaime.org)
Guillotine
A machine designed to inflict capital punishment by dropping a blade onto the neck, thus quickly severing of the head from the body. - (see expanded definition at duhaime.org)
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