Legal Terminology - Latin Terms Flashcards
a fortiori
with stronger reason
a priori
from what goes before; from the cause to the effect
ab initio
from the beginning
actiones in personam
personal actions
ad curiam
before the court, to the court
ad damnum clause
to the damage, clause of complaint that states plaintiff’s monetary loss
ad faciendum
to do
ad hoc
for this purpose, for this occasion
ad litem
for the suit; for the litigation (a guardian ad litem, for example)
ad rem
to the thing at hand
ad valorem
according to the value (an ad valorem tax, for example)
adversus
against (defendant adv. plaintiff)
aggregatio mentium
meeting of minds (relates to formation of contracts)
alias dictus
otherwise called, also known as (as in an assumed name)
alibi
in another place, elsewhere
aliunde
from another place, from without (as in evidence outside the document); see parole evidence under Legal Terms below
alter ego
the other self
amicus curiae
friend of the court (as an amicus curiae brief filled with an appellate court)
animus
mind, intention
animo
with intention, disposition, design, will
ante litem motam
before suit brought, before litigation is filed
arguendo
in the course of the argument, for the sake of argument
assumpsit
he undertook, he promised
bona fide
good faith
capias
take, arrest
capita
persons, heads
causa mortis
by reason of death
caveat
beware, a warning
caveat emptor
let the buyer beware
certiorari
send the pleadings up (from an inferior court to a superior court)
cestui (pronounced “setty”)
beneficiaries
cestui que trust
beneficiaries of the trust
circa
in the area of, about, concerning
compos mentis
of sound mind
consortium
union of lots or chances; conjugal fellowship of husband and wife
contra
against
coram nobis
before us ourselves
corpus
body
corpus delicti
body of the offense; essence of the crime
cum testamento annexo
with the will annexed
datum
- a thing given; information; 2. a date
de facto
in fact, in deed, acutally
de jure
of right, lawful
de novo
anew, afresh
de son tort
of his own wrong
dies non
not a day
duces tecum
bring with you (as in subpoena duces tecum, whereby subpoenaed person must appear and bring records)
dum bene se gesserit
while he shall conduct himself, during good behavior
e converso
conversely, on the other hand
en banc
in the bench, all judges present
eo instanti
upon the instant
erratum
error
et alii
and others
et sequentia (et seq.)
and as follows
et ux
and wife
et vir
and husband
ex delicto
(arising) from a tort
ex gratia
as a matter of favor
ex officio
from office, by virtue of his office
ex parte
one side only, by or for one party only
ex post facto
after the fact
facto
in fact, in or by the law
felonice
feloniously
fiat
let it be done, a short order that a thing be done
fieri
to be made up, to become
fieri facias
cause to be made (ex. a writ directing the sheriff to reduce a judgement debtor’s property to sell it for the amount of the judgment)
flagrante delicto
in the very act of committing the crime
forum non conveniencs
discretionary power of a court to decline jurisdiction over a case when the court believes it should be tried elsewhere for convenience of parties and witnesses
gravis
serious, of importance
habeas corpus
you have the body (a writ directed to the custodian of a person, commanding the custodian to produce such person)
habendum clause
that part of a deed that beings “to have and to hold”; defines extent of ownership
honorarium
honorary fee or gift; compensation from gratitude
idem (id.)
the same as above
idem sonans
having the same sound (as names sounding alike but spelled differently)
in curia
in court
in esse
in being, existnce
in forma pauperis
permission given to a poor person to sue without liability for court costs
infra
beneath; below
in limine
at the beginning; threshold
in loca perentis
in place of a parent, once charged with a parent’s rights and obligations
in pari delicto
in equal fault
in personam
personally, against the person
in paesenti
at once, now
in re
in the matter
in rem
proceedings against a thing ( a bank account or real estate) distinguished form those against a person
in specie
in the same or in similar form