Saturday 15 March 2014

Legal Latin phrases and maxims



Legal Latin phrases and maxims

Ab initio

From the beginning

Actiones legis

Law suits

Actus reus

A guilty deed or act

Ad hoc

For this purpose

Ad idem

Of the same mind

Ad infinitum

Forever, without limit, to infinity

Ad referendum

Subject to reference

Ad valorem

By the value, e.g. Ad valorem tax

Addendum

A thing to be added

Advocatus diaboli

The devil's advocate

Affidavit

A sworn written statement usable as evidence in court

Alibi

At another place, elsewhere

Alma Mater
Nourishing mother. (One's old school or university)
Alter ego
Other 'I' or 'Other Self'
Alumnus
 Nursling (former pupil)

Amicus curiae

A friend of the Court

Ante

Before

Audi alteram partem

Hear the other side

Bona fide

Sincere, in good faith, i. e. well-intentioned, fairly

Caveat emptor
Let the buyer beware. (He buys at his own risk)
Caveat
Let him/her beware
Compos mentis
Of sound mind (and judgement)
Consensus ad idem
Agreement as to the same things
Coram non judice
Before one who is not a judge
Corpus
Body
Corrigenda
A list of things to be corrected. (in a book)
Crimen falsi
Perjury
Curriculum vitae
The course of one's life
Damnum sine injuria
Damage without legal injury
De facto
In fact, Something that is automatically accepted
De jure
Rightful, by right
De minimis lex non curat
The law does not notice trifling matters
De novo
Starting afresh, Anew
Delegata potestas non potest delegari
A delegated authority cannot be again delegated
Dura lex, sed lex
The law is harsh, but it is the law
Et cetera
Other things of that type.
Ex dolo malo actio non oritur
A right of action cannot arise out of fraud
Ex gratia
Out of kindness, voluntary
Ex nudo pacto actio non oritur
No action arises on a contract without a consideration.
Ex parte
Proceeding brought by one person in the absence of another
Ex post facto
By reason of a subsequent act
Ex turpi causa non oritur actio
No action arises on an immoral contract.
Factum
An act or deed
Forma legalis forma essentialis est
Legal form is essential form
Fiat justitia (et ruat caelum)
Let justice be done. (though the heavens fall)
Fiat lux
Let there be light
Habeas corpus
You must have the body, i.e. You must justify an imprisonment
Id est (i.e)
That is
Idem
The same person or thing
Ignorantia facti excusat, ignorantia juris non excusat
Ignorance of fact excuses, ignorance of law does not excuse.
In camera
In private
In limine
At the outset, on the threshold
In omnibus
In every respect
In personam
Against the person
In pleno
In full
In situ
In its place
Injuria non excusat injuriam
A wrong does not excuse a wrong.
Inter alia
Amongst other things
Interim
Temporary, in the meanwhile
Ipso facto
By that very fact
Ira furor brevis est
Anger is brief insanity
Iter arma leges silent
In war the laws are silent
Jus
A right that is recognised in law.
Jus naturale
Natural justice.
Lex dabit remedium
The law will give a remedy.
Lex domicilii
The law of a person's home country
Lex fori
The law of the forum (country)
Lex loci
The law of the place
Lex non scripta
The unwritten (common) law
Lex scripta
The written law
Liberum arbitrium
Free will
Locus delicti
The scene of the crime
Locus standi
Place of standing
Magnum opus
Great work, the major work of one's life
Mala fide
In bad faith
Mandamus
We command
Memorabilia
Memorable things
Mens rea
Guilty state of mind
Modus operandi (m.o.)
Way of operating
Mutatis mutandis
The necessary changes having been made
Necessitas non habet legem
Necessity has no law
Nemo bis punitur pro eodem delicto
No one can be twice punished for the same offence
Non compus mentis
Not of sound mind and understanding
Non constat
It is not certain
Non sequitur
An inconsistent statement, it does not follow
Obiter dictum
Something said in passing
Onus probandi
The burden of proof
Par delictum
Equal fault
Pari passu
On an equal footing
Per capita
Per head
Per diem
Per day; daily allowance
Per se
By or in itself
Post factum
After the fact
Prima facie
On the face of it, At first sight
Pro bono (pro bono publico)
For the good of the public
Pro forma
As a matter of formality
Pro rata
In proportion
Pro tanto
So far, to that extent
Pro tempore
For the time being
Publici juris
Of public right
Qua
In so far as
Quantum meruit
As much as he/she deserved
Quasi
As if
Qui facit per alium, facit per se
He who acts through another acts himself
Qui non habet, ille non dat
He who has not, does not give
Qui non improbat, approbat
He who does not disapprove, approves
Quid pro quo
Consideration. Something for something.
Quis, quid, ubi, quibus auxiliis, cur, quomodo, quando?
Who, what, where, with what, why, how, when?
Quo vadis?
Where are you going?
Quorum
Of whom
Ratio decidendi
The reason for the decision
Re
In the matter of, Concerning
Res judicata accipitur pro veritate
A thing adjudged is accepted for the truth
Referendum
Something to be referred
Res judicata
Thing already judged upon
Rigor mortis
The rigidity of death
Salus populi est suprema lex
The safety of the people is the supreme law.
Simpliciter
Naturally; without qualification
Sine die
Without a day (indefinitely)
Sine qua non
Something/someone indispensable
Stare decisis
To stand by decisions (precedents).
Status quo
The current state of being
Sub judice
Before a court
Sub poena
Under penalty of law
Sui generis
Of his/her/its kind, Unique
Suppressio veri
The suppression of the truth
Supra
Above or on an earlier page
Uberrimae fidei
Of the utmost good faith
Ubi jus ibi remedium est
Where there is a right there is a remedy
Ultra vires
Beyond the powers or legal authority
Verbatim
Word by word, exactly
Verso
Reverse
Versus
Against
Veto
I forbid
Via
By way of
Vice
In place of
Vice versa
The other way around.
Vide
See
Viva voce
With living voice
Vox populi
Vox populi

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