LEGAL TERM MEANING

a fortiori from stronger

a posteriori from later
a priori from earlier
ab initio from the beginning
abatement termination
abetment to instigate
Actori incumbit probatio On the plaintiff rests the proving
actus reus criminal act
ad colligenda bona to collect the goods
ad hoc for this special purpose
ad idem to the same thing
ad quod damnum according to the harm
ad valorem in proportion to the value
adjournment sine die adjournment without a day
adult franchise suffrage right to vote
affidavit he has sworn
alias assumed name
alibi else where
alter ego another I
amicus curiae friend of the court
amnesty general pardon
Animus intention
animus nocendi intention to harm
animus possidendi intention to possess
audi alterm partem hear the other side
Bankruptcy Insolvency where liabilities are more than assets
belligerent engaged in a war
bona fide in good faith.
cardinal point Principle point
Casus belli Case of war
casus fortuitus fortuitous event
Caveat May he beware
Caveat emptor Let the buyer beware
Certiorari To be apprised
consensus ad idem Agreement to the same
consensus facit legem Consensus makes the law
contra against
corpus juris a body of law
corpus juris civilis Body of civil law
corpus juris gentium Body of the law of nations
de facto in fact
de futuro Concerning the future
de jure Concerning the law
de minimis About the smallest things
decree a verdict of the court
delegatus non potest That which has been delegated, cannot delegate
delegare [further]
deorum injuriae diis curae The gods take care of injuries to the gods
deponent one who gives evidence
dictum an opinion but not binding
doli incapax Incapable of guilt
donatio mortis causa Gift caused by death
ejusdem generis Of the same class.
estoppel an admission that cannot be contradicted
et al. And others
ex gratia By favor
ex post facto From a thing done afterward
exempli gratia For the sake of example
ex-officio by virtue of office
ex-parte from one side only
the action of giving up a fugitive criminal to the
extradition
authorities of the state in which the crime was committed
facta probantia evidentiary fact
factum porbandum principal fact
fiat let it be done;a decree
fructus industriales vegetation,like crops, that grows by human efforts
gratia grace
habeas corpus legal remedy against being wrongfully imprisoned
hypothecation to place as security
i.e. That is
ibid. In the same place
idem The same
ignorantia juris non excusat Ignorance of the law does not excuse
in absentia In absence
In articulo mortis at the moment of death
in camera In the chamber
in choate begun but not completed
in extenso In the extended
in futuro In the future
in loco parentis In the place of a parent
in omnibus In all
in pari materia In the same matter
in personam In person
in propria persona In one's own proper person
in re In the matter [of]
in rem About a thing
Inertia ignorance
injuria a legal wrong
injuria sine damno wrong without damage
innuendo By nodding
inter alia Among others
inter se Amongst themselves
inter vivos Between the living
interim mean while
intestate a person dies without making a valid will
intra legem Within the law
ipso facto By the fact itself
jurisprudence science or knowledge of law
jus civile Civil law
jus cogens Compelling law
jus naturale Natural law
jus sanguinis Right of blood
jus soli Right of soil
lacuna a gap or defect
les majestic treason
lex communis Common law.
lex loci The law of the place
lex scripta Written law
libel a written document to defame a person
a right by which a person holds or retains it against the
lien
other
locus Place
locus poenitentiae Place of repentance
locus standi Place of standing
mandamus We command
mens rea Guilty mind
modus operandi Manner of operation
mora accipiendi Delay of creditor
mora solvendi delay of debtor
mutatis mutandis Having changed [the things that] needed to be changed
nemo auditur propriam
no one can be heard, who invokes his own guilt
turpitudinem allegans
nemo dat quod non habet no one gives what he does not have
nemo debet esse iudex in
no one shall be a judge in his own case
propria
nemo judex in sua causa no one shall be a judge in his own case
nemo plus iuris ad alium no one can transfer a greater right than he himself has
transferre potest quam ipse
habet
non compos mentis not in possession of [one's] mind
non est factum It is not [my] deed
non obstante verdicto notwithstanding the verdict
noscitur a sociis it is known by friends
novation substitution of a new debtor, creditor, contract etc.
novus actus interveniens a new action coming between
nudum pactum naked promise
obiter dictum a thing said in passing
ordinance a rule
pacta sunt servanda agreements must be kept
parens patriae parent of the nation
pendente lite while the litigation is pending
per capita by head
per curiam through the court
per incuriam by their neglect
per se by itself
perjury violation of a promise made on oath
persona non grata unwelcome person
Plebscite a direct vote of whole nation
post mortem after death
post mortem auctoris after the author's death
prima facie at first face
pro bono For good
pro bono publico For the public good
pro forma as a matter of form
pro rata from the rate
probatio vincit
proof overcomes presumption
praesumptionem
prout patet per recordum as appears in the record
as much as it deserves; as much as she or he has
quantum meruit
earned[3]
quasi as if
qui facit per alium facit per
who acts through another, acts himself
se
quid pro quo this for that
quo warranto by what warrant?
quod est necessarium est
What is necessary is lawful
licitum
rebus sic stantibus things thus standing
reddendo singula singulis referring solely to the last
res communis common to all
res ipsa loquitur the thing speaks for itself
res judicata a matter judged
res nullius nobody's thing
res publica public affair
restitutio in integrum total reinstatement
salus populi suprema lex
The good of the people shall be the supreme law
esto
scire feci I have made known
se defendendo self-defense
sic utere tuo ut alienum non use your property so as not to injure that of your
laedas neighbours
sine qua non without which, nothing
slander defamatory words
status quo the state in which
sub judice under the judge
subpoena A writ commanding attendance in court under penalty
subpoena under penalty
suggestio falsi false suggestion
sui generis of its own kind/genus
sui juris of his own right
summary trial a speedy trial of certain complaints under CPC
suo motu of its own motion
supra above
terra nullius no one's land
trial de novo trial anew
uberrima fides most abundant faith
ultra posse nemo obligatur no one is obligated (to do) more than he can
ultra vires beyond the powers
veto I forbid.
vice versa the other way around
vigilantibus non
dormientibus aequitas Equity aids the vigilant, not the sleeping
subvenit
vinculum juris the chains of the law
vis major greater or superior force
volenti non fit injuria injury is not done to the willing