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Legal Latin Terms

Terms

undefined, object
copy deck
ipso facto
by the fact itself
persona non grata
an unwelcome person
prima facie
at first sight (face)
ab initio
from the beginning
absolvo
I acquit
sine die
without a day (set for reconvening)
ad hoc
to this purpose-used for temporary committees which serve a particular purpose and are then disbanded
ad litem
to the lawsuit-for the purposes of a single lawsuit
sui generis
of one's own kind; unique
res adjudicata
a thing having been settled; a matter which has been settled by a competent court
post mortem
after death
a posteriori
from what comes after; reasoning from specific facts to general principals; inductive reasoning
a priori
from what comes before-reasoning in which consequences are deduced from principals that are assumed; deductive reasoning
a mensa et toro
from table and bed-a legal separation
amicus curiae
a friend of the court- a pserson not party to a lawsuit who gives advice to the court
a vinculo matrimonii
from the bond of marriage-an absolute divorce
ante bellum
before the war
bona fide
in good faith-genuine, done honestly
cadit quaestio
the question falls-the central idea of an arguement or legal case collapses
casus belli
cause of war-a justification for making war
caveat emptor
let the buyer beware
sine qua non
without which not-a necessary item or condition
certiorari
to be made more certain-name given to a writ calling for a transcript from a lower court
compos mentis
sound of mind-legally sane
non compos mentis
not sound of mind-legally insane
contra bonos mores
against good morals-against the best interests of society
coram iudice
before the judge
corpus iuris
body of law
cui bono
to whom for a benefit-who stands to gain?
corrigenda
that which is to be corrected-items to be corrected
cum grano salis
with a grain of salt-with a bit of healthy scepticism
de facto
according to fact-in reality
de iure
according to law
deus ex machina
a god from a machine-an unlikely but timely intervention that resolves all difficulty
Anno Domini
in the year of our Lord, the common era
annus mirabilis
a remarkable year
(argumentum) ad hominem
an appeal to feelings rather than intellect
e pluribus unum
one out of many
et al.
and others
et ux
and wife
in camera
in the room, chamber-in the judge's chambers or in a closed courtroom with public and press excluded
in aeternum
forever
in flagrante delicto
in blazing crime; caught red-handed
in extremis
at the point of death
in loco parentis
in the place of a parent
in re
in the matter of
per se
through itself-in and of itself
inter vivos
between the living-designates a gift given during the parties' lifetime
in toto
in the whole, entirely
mala fide
in bad faith
modus operandi
method of operating; the pattern a criminal follows
ne plus ultra
not more beyond-the ultimate, the highest attainable point
nolo contendere
I do not wish to contend- a plea made by a defendant who admists no guilt but presents no defense against the charges
nunc for tunc
now for then-a retroactive wage settlement
obiter dictum
having been said along the way (journey)-an incidental remark made by the judge that has no actual legal bearing
onus probandi
burden of proving-burden of proof
pendente lite
while the uit is pending-ablative absolute used as an ADVERB
lis pendens
a pending law suit-used as a NOUN
per annum
per year
per diem
per day
per capitia
per heads-individually
post scriptum
after having been written; written afterwards
post partum
after childbirth
pro bono publico
for the public good-legal work done without a fee
pro forma
for form-as a formality
quid pro quo
what for what-soemthing for something; an exchange, sometimes said of a ple bargain
qui tacet consentit
he who is silent consents-silence implies consent
rara avis
a rare bird-a rarity
res ipsa loquitur
the thing speaks for itself-the facts are obvious
(defunctus) sine prole
(dead) without issue-said of one deceased with no children to serve as heirs
ultra vires
beyond the powers-acting beyond one's legal authority
habeas corpus
you may have the body- a legal doctrine that requires a person to be charged within a reasonable time or released
sui juris
of his or her own right, of full legal capacity
mandamus
we command-a type of writ ordering that something be done
per stirpes
per branch or stem
in terrorem
to the terror, for the purposes of frightening
stare decisis (et non quieta movere)
to stand on what has been decided-to stick to the legal precedent
ex officio
out of one's office, by virtue of holding an office
ex post facto
from after the fact-retroactively
in propria persona
in one's own person, representing one's self
corpus delicti
body of the crime-evidence that a crime has been committed

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