Legal Latin Terms Flashcards
a fortiori
from stronger
a mensa et thoro
from table to bed
a posteriori
from later
a quo
from which
ab extra
from outside
ab initio
from the beginning
absque hoc
without this
actori incumvit probatio
on the plaintiff rests the proving
actus reus
guilty act
ab coelum
to the sky
ab colligenda bona
to collect the goods
ad hoc
for this
ab hominem
at the person
ad idem
to the same thing
ad infinitum
to infinity
ad litem
for the case
ad quod damnum
according to the harm
ad valorem
according to value
adjournment sine die
adjournment without a day
affidavit
he has sworn
alter ego
another I
amicus curiae
friend of the court
animus nocendi
intention to harm
animus possidendi
intention to possess
animus revertendi
intention to return
ante
before
arguendo
for the sake of the argument
audi alteram partem
hear the other side
bona fide
in good faith
bona vacantia
ownerless goods
cadit quaestio
the question falls
casus belli
cases of war
caus fortuitus
fortuitous event
caveat
may he beware
caveat emptor
let the buyer beware
certiorari
to be appraised
ceteris paribus
with other things the same
cogitationis poenam nemo patitur
nobody suffers punishment for mere intent
compensatio morae
balance of delay
compos mentis
having command of mind
condicio sine qua non
a condition without which it could not be
consensus ad idem
agreement to the same
consensus facit legem
consensus makes the law
consuetudo pro lege servatur
custom is held as law
contra
against
contra bonus mores
against good morals
contra legem
against the law
contradictio in adjecto
contradiction in itself
contra proferentem
against the one bringing forth
coram non judice
before one who is not a judge
corpus delicti
body of the crime
corpus juris
body of law
corpus juris civilis
body of civil law
corpus juris gentium
body of the law of nations
crimen falsi
crime of falsifying
cui bono
As a benefit to whom?
cuius est solum eius est usque ad coelum et ad inferos
for whoever owns the soil, it is theirs up to Heaven and down to Hell
de bonis asportatis
carrying goods away
debellatio
warring down
de bonis non administratis
of goods not administered
de die in diem
from day to day
de facto
in fact
de futuro
concerning the future
de integro
concerning the whole
de jure
according to lay
de lege ferenda
of the law as it should be
de lege lata
of the law as it is
delegatus non poteset delegare
that which has been delegated, cannot delegate (further)
de minimis
about the smallest things
de minimis non curat lex
the law does not concern itself with the smallest (things)
de mortuis nil nisi bonum
of the dead, (speakd) nothing unless good
de novo
anew
defalcation
cutting off with a sickle
deorum injuriae diis curae
the gods take care of the injuries to the gods
dictum
(thing) said
doli incapax
incapable of guilt
dolus specialis
specific deceit
donatio mortis causa
gift caused by death
dramatis personae
persons of the drama
dubia in meliorem partem interpretari debenti
doubtful things should be interpreted in the best way
duces tecum
bring with you
ei incumbit probatio qui dicit
proof lies on him who asserts
ejusdem generis
of the same class
eo nomine
by that name
erga omnes
towards all
ergo
therefore
erratum
having been made in error
et al./et alii
and others
etc/et cetera
and other things
et seq/et sequens
and the following things
et uxor
and wife
et vir
and husband
ex aequo et bono
of equity and (the) good
ex cathedra
from the chair
ex concessis
from what had been conceded already
ex delicto
from the transgressions
ex facie
on the face
ex fida bona
good business norms
ex gratia
by favor
ex injuria jus non oritur
law does not arise from injustice
ex officio
from the office
ex parte
from (for) one party
ex post
from after
ex post facto
after the fact
expressio unius est excludio alterius
the express mention of one thing includes all others
ex proprio motu
by (one’s) own motion
ex rel/ex relatione
(arising) out of the narration (of the relator)
ex turpi causa non oritur actio
from a dishonorable cause an action does not arise
eg/exemple gratia
for the sake of an example
ex tunc
from then
ex nunc
from now on
extant
existing
factum
deed
facio ut facias
i do, that you may do
favor contractus
favor of the contract
felo de se
felon of himself
ferae naturae
wild animals of nature
fiat
let it be done
fiat jusitia et pereat mundus
let there be justice, though the world perish
fiat justitia ruat caelum
let justice be done through the heavens fall
fieri facias
may you cause to be done
fortis attachiamentum validior praesumptionem
strong attachment, the stronger presumption
forum non conveniens
disagreeable forum
fructus industriales
vegetation, like crops, that grows by human efforts
fumus boni iuris
smoke of a good right
functus officio
having performed his office
generalia specialibus non derogant
the general does not detract from the specific
gravamen
things weighing down
guardian ad litem
guardian for the case
habeas corpus
may you have the body
hostis humani generis
enemy of the human race
i.e./id est
that is
ibid./ibidem
in the same place
id./idem
the same
ignorantia juris non excusat
ignorance of the law does not excuse
imprimatur
let it be printed
in absentia
in absence
in articulo mortis
at the moment of death
in camera
in the chamber
in curia
in court
in esse
in existence
in extenso
in the extended
in extremis
in the extreme
in flagrante delicto
in blazing offense
in forma pauperis
in the manner of a pauper
in futuro
in the future
in haec verba
in these words
in limine
at the threshold
in loco parentis
in the place of the parents
in mitius
in the milder
in omnibus
in all
in pari delicto
in equal offense
in pari materia
in the same matter
in personam
in person
in pleno
in full
in prope persona
on one’s own person
in propria persona
in one’s own proper person
in re
in the matter (of)
in rem
about a thing
in situ
in position
in solidum
for the whole
in terrorem
in order to frighten
in terrorem clause
clause “in order to frighten”
in toto
in total
indicia
indications
infra
below or under
innuendo
by nodding
inter alia
among others
inter arma enim silent leges
for among arms, the laws fall silent
inter rusticos
among rustics
inter se
between themselves
inter vivos
between the living
intra
within
intra fauces terra
within the jaws of the land
intra legem
within the law
intra vires
within the power
ipse dixit
he himself said it
ipsissima verba
the very words
ipso facto
by the fact itself
iudex non calculat
the judge does not calculate
jura novit curia
the court knows the law
jurat
(he) swears
juris et de jure
of law, and from law
jus
law, right
jus accrescendri
right of survivorship
jus ad bellum
laws to war
jus civile
civil law
jus cogens
compelling law
jus commune
common law
jus gentium
law of nations
jus in bello
law in war
jus inter gentes
law between the peoples
jus naturale
natural law
jus primae noctis
right of the first night
jus tertii
law of the third
lacunae
void, gap
leges humanae nascuntur; vivunt, moriuntur
the laws of man are born, live, and die
lex communis
common law
lex lata
the law born
lex loci
the law of the place
lex posterior derogat priori
later law removes the earlier
lex retro non agit
law does not operate retroactively
lex scripta
written law
lex specialis derogat legi fenerali
specific law takes away from the general law
liberum veto
free veto
mare liberum
open sea
mens ra
guilty mind
modus operandi
manner of operation
mora accipiendi
delay of creditor
mora solvendi
delay of debtor
mortis causa
caused by death
mos pro lege
custom for law
motion in limine
motion at the start
mutatis mutandis
having changed (the things that) needed to be changed
ne exeat
let him not exit
ne bis in idem
not twice in the same
negotorium gestio
management of estate
nemo auditur propriam turpitudinem allegans
no one can be heard, who invokes his own guilt
nemo dat quod non habet
no one gives what he does not have
nemo debet esse iudex in propria
no one shall be a judge in his own case
nemo judex in sua causa
no one shall be a judge in his own case
nemo plus iuris ad alium transferre potest quam ipse habet
no one can transfer a greater right than he himself has
nihil dicet
he says nothing
nisi
unless
nisi prius
unless first
nolle prosequi
not to presecute
nolo contendere
i do not wish to dispute/ no contest
non adimpleti contractus
of a non-contracted contract
non compos mentis
not in possession of (one’s) mind
non constat
it is not certain
non est factum
it is not (my) deed
non est inventus
he is not found
non faciat malum, ut inde veniat bonum
not to do evil that good may come
non lequet
it is not clear
non obstante verdicto
notwithstanding the verdict
novus actus interveniens
a new action coming between
noscitur a sociis
it is known by friends
nota bene/ n.b.
note well
nudum pactum
naked promise
nulla bona
no goods
nulla poena sine lege
no penalty without a law
nullum crimen, nulla peona sine praevia lege poenali
no crime, no punishment without a previous penal law
nunc pro tunc
now for then
obiter dictum
a thing said in passing
pacta sunt servanda
agreements must be kept
par delictum
equal fault
parens patriae
parent of the nation
pater familias
father of the family
pendente lite
while the litigation is pending
per capita
by head
per contra
be that against
per curiam
through the court
per incuriam
by their neglect
per minas
through threats
per quod
by which
per se
by itself
per stirpes
by branch
periculum in mora
danger in delay
persona non grata
unwelcome person
posse comitatus
power of the county
post mortem
after death
post mortem auctoris/ p.m.a.
after the author’s death
praetor peregrinus
magistrate of foreigners
prima facie
at first face
prior tempore potior iure
earlier in time, stronger in law
prius quam exaudias ne iudices
before you hear, do not judge
probatio vincit praesumptionem
proof overcomes presumption
pro bono
for good
pro bono publico
for the public good
pro forma
as a matter of form
pro hac vice
for this turn
pro per/ propria persona
one’s own person
pro rata
from the rate
pro se
from himself
pro tanto
for so much
pro tem/ pro tempore
for the time being
