Will: A legal term with different meanings as per the context. It is also used to denote the final decision of an arbitrator. This term refers to a notice sent to a judge or court official with a request to suspend the proceedings in a particular lawsuit, until the merits of the notice are determined or until the notifier is given an opportunity to be heard. Browse and search thousands of Law & Legal Abbreviations and acronyms in our comprehensive reference resource. It is also referred to as M.O., which can be used to identify the person who has committed a crime, in case of repeated criminal acts, which have a particular pattern of performance. Ejusdem or Ejusdem Generis: The rule of ejusdem generis means that when particular words forming part of the same class or same category are followed by general words, then the general words must be construed in the context of particular words. Double Taxation: Double taxation is taxation of the same property for the same purpose twice in a year, or taxation of corporate dividends twice. License: A permission given by the concerned authority to do some act, that would be illegal, without that special permission or authorization. In the United States, If you have been deported, you are not allowed to enter the US again for at least 5 years. When an offender who is a minor reaches majority, his records are expunged. Self Defense: The right to protect one’s person, family members and property (in some cases) from injury, from the attacks of an aggressor is called self defense. This degree is abbreviated as L.L.B, and nowadays some law schools grant a Juris Doctor (J.D.) This is an exception to the general rule where both the parties have to be present for the judge to pass an order. Bifurcation: The process of dividing the trial into two parts – a liability phase and a penalty phase. Mainly used in case of judgments granting money or other damages to the party in whose favor the judgment is delivered. Ownership: It’s the state or fact of exclusive legal rights or possession over property, which can be an object, land/real estate or intellectual property. Beneficiary: the person named as such in a will or insurance policy. It is a form of government in which a few persons (usually the rich) rule and govern for their own advantage, rather than the public good by assuming all legislative and administrative authority. Federal Court: Federal courts are courts having jurisdiction over matters of the US Constitution, labor law, federal taxes, federal crimes, etc. Insolvency: A person is said to be insolvent when he/she is unable to pay the debts as they come due, or when the value of the debts exceed the value of his/her assets. There are different types of juries, and grand juries do not decide whether a person is guilty or not, they only decide whether a person should stand trial. Limited Divorce: Otherwise known as legal separation, limited divorce is granted by to those couples who do not have any grounds for absolute divorce, but are not able to solve their differences. If a court does not have a valid jurisdiction, the judgment passed will not hold any value. Here is a compilation of legal terms and meanings which can help you understand legal terminology. Act of God: A natural calamity (like earthquake, tornado and flood), which cannot be prevented by anyone. The term used to denote the final decision of a court in some lawsuits. AGREEMENT: a verbal or written resolution of disputed issues. Genericide: A process by which a brand name or trademark has become a generic description for a product or service, rather than referring to the specific meaning intended by the brand or trademark holder. Pedastry: It’s a sexual abuse crime wherein an adult sexually assaults an adolescent. Black Letter Law: Well-known principles of law that are not doubted or disputed. Commitment: The warrant or order issued by a court to send a person to the prison. Scrivener: A scrivener is a person who drafts legal and other documents for others, usually for a fee. Agreement: A term that denotes the mutual consent between two or more parties regarding their rights and obligations in relation to a particular issue or thing. Another word for law and order. Detention: The act of retaining a person or property in temporary custody while awaiting trial. Arrest: To detain a person with lawful authority, especially those who are suspected to have committed a crime. But some people may buy the goods without any knowledge of the facts. In common parlance, turbary refers to an area of peat land from which mat of grass and grass roots (turf) or any other material can be extracted to be used as fuel. That's why the words chair, seat and bench have found themselves used to describe high status professions, from academia to Parliament to the law. Once terminated, the estate reverts back to the title holder or his/her heirs. The plaintiff has to prove to the court that there is a just cause for his claim to be granted. These are not binding on the parties and often go beyond the occasion, and lay down a decision which is unnecessary for the purpose at hand. Contrary to statutory laws, common laws are based on the traditional customs, but are enforced through judgments. Debt: A sum of money due from one person to another. Such future interest is called a remainder. Floating Easement: A floating easement is a right to use another person’s property as an access to use a property connected to the former, but without specifying the manner or limiting the right in any manner. Pleadings: Written statements of the parties to litigation in which they formally set out the facts and law which support that party’s position. Hedeveloped a radically empiricist theory of the meaning of words, whichsupported his utilitarianism and his legal theory. Usually, a decision is vacated for any error, if it is substantial enough to affect the verdict. Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. Discrimination: Discrimination indicates an unjust, unfair or unreasonable bias in favor of one and against another on the basis of a protected characteristic, such as race, gender, caste or disability. Deed: A deed is a instrument in written form, executed in the manner specified by some person or corporation named in the instrument, wherein it expresses that the person or corporation so named makes, concurs, confirms or consents to some assurance of some interest in property, or of some legal or equitable title, right or claim or undertakes some obligation, duty or agreement enforceable at law, or in equity, or does or concurs in some other act affecting the legal relationship or position of a party to the instruments, or of some other person or corporation. War Crimes: Brutal crimes committed by a country’s armed forces during a war. Assault: Any willful attempt or threat to inflict injury on some person, with an ability to carry out the threat. A Priori: Latin term, which means that ‘from the cause to the effect’. Likewise, a father is legally bound to maintain the children, a son/daughter is bound to support the parents, who have no means to live, provided, the former has the ability to maintain the latter. The main responsibilities of attorneys include providing legal counsel, representing and defending their clients before courts and drafting legal documents. Some appeals can only be made on a point of law, and not in regard to the facts of the case as they were determined by the trial judge. Arson: The willful burning of the house or other structures belonging to others without any legal authority is called arson. It may also denote reducing or lessening of something. A minor, who commits a crime is called a young offender, who are treated differently as compared to adult criminals. Judgment: A judgment is the final court decree or order given by the judge based on all the facts and evidence presented by the parties. Larceny: Earlier, the crime of theft was referred to as larceny. If a person does an act voluntarily and intentionally, fully knowing the consequences, he is said to have the guilty knowledge, which has to be proved in some crimes. Ombudsman: It is an official appointed by the government or parliament to safeguard rights of citizens by receiving, investigating or addressing complaints against the government services or policies. Adoption: The legal process which makes a person (usually a child) a legal member of another family. A voluntary and intentional relinquishment of something, especially some known rights. A person with this right can use the property, enjoy the benefits or income arising from it, can rent it out and collect the rents for himself. Certiorari: The Latin term, which means ‘to be informed of’. Interim Orders: A temporary order made by a judge during the trial, until a final order is passed. These are Latin phrases which encode the legal principle that ignorance of law is no excuse. Defamatory Libel: When a false statement is made (either written or printed), which harms the reputation or status of a person, and is without legal justification. Abandonment: The voluntary relinquishment of a right by express words or by action. Find more ways to say law and order, along with related words, antonyms and example phrases at Thesaurus.com, the world's most trusted free thesaurus. It is mostly applicable to marine matters and stevedores. The party who is making the application for appeal is called an appellant, and the party who opposes the appeal is called appellee. But some people may buy the goods without any knowledge of the facts. Halliday Order: A special court order which is specially designed for reasons of privilege, privacy, confidentiality or the potential personal embarrassment of the party, wherein the plaintiff first obtains the records sought by the defendants to determine what in his or her view is private and confidential, and what is relevant, before the documents reach the defendants. Juvenile Delinquent: A minor charged with a crime is called a juvenile delinquent. An appearance notice is a document which demands the appearance of people before the court on the specified dates. Aggrieved Party: A person whose pecuniary status has been affected by a decree or judgment, statute or any other legal proceeding. Trademark: Any slogan, mark, picture or logo used by a person or company to identify and distinguish goods or services that he provides from those of others in the same field. The bailor retains the right to recover the possession of the said property once the purpose of the transfer is fulfilled. Access: A term used in family law and refers to the right of a spouse, which allows to spend time with children on a regular basis. The marriage is void ab initio, means that the marriage was not valid from the beginning itself. Bentham wanted to abandon what he considered to be a nonsensicalmythology of natural rights and duties—that is, moral rightsand duties that people have regardless of whether anyone … Tort: Tort refers to a civil wrong that does not consist of a breach of contract. Some examples are Band-aid, Coke, Escalator, Q-tip and Beer. We have collected almost all the words related to Law Vocabulary and listed them here for your reference. Bait and switch can be a cause for a personal lawsuit for false advertising, if damages are proved. The terms Ex Works (EXW), Cost, Insurance and Freight (CIF), Cost and Insurance Paid to (CIP), Delivered Duty Paid (DDP), and other trade terms used to describe the obligations of the parties, shall be governed by the rules prescribed in the current edition of the International Commercial Terms (INCOTERMS) published by the International Chamber of Commerce, Paris. Evidence: It is the usual means of proving or disproving a fact or matter in issue. You can hear these words and other words (shown in Table 2) in many places — particularly on TV or in the movies. Assets: Property of any kind, which is owned and possessed by any person, corporation, estate, or other entity. Yellow Dog Contract: An unlawful contract, which compels the employees to make a decision that they will not join any union or participate in the activities of any union, as a precondition for employment. Usury: Charging a person with interest rates more than what is allowed by the law is called usury. Fair Comment: Fair comment is usually a defense used for a criminal prosecution of libel. This clause is mostly used in real estate contracts. Common Legal Words Notice: This list of common legal words was compiled by the Connecticut Judicial Branch solely as a public service. Abuse: Improper or excessive use of any legal right or process. Heir: Any person who is entitled under state law to succeed to the property of a deceased person is called an heir. False Impersonation of a Citizen: Assuming the identity of a citizen to gain benefit, avoid an expense, or cause harm to a person is called a false impersonation. Such acts are done in violation of international laws, treaties and practices regarding military conflict between countries. Compensation: Damages recovered for an injury suffered or in case of violation of a contract. Dynasty Trust: A trust wherein it is designed in a way to pass down for many generations in order to avoid tax. An accessory may or may not be present at the scene of the crime. This can happen when the owner of a property gives the present interest of the property to one or more persons for a stipulated period or for life, and at the same time gives a future interest to another. The condition of bankruptcy is legally declared by the bankruptcy courts, which hear and decide petitions filed by individuals and organizations for being declared as bankrupt, and to eliminate or repay the debts as per the bankruptcy laws. Legal Transplant: In almost all countries, some laws are enacted on the same lines of the existing legal provisions in some other country. The person who receives the mortgage and lends money is called a mortgagee, and the person who concede a mortgage is called a mortgagor. When a person hires another to do some work and the contract is not completed or rendered non-performable, the employee can sue the employer for the services rendered. Approver: A criminal who confesses the crime and accuses his accomplice for the same. Good Faith: A thing shall be deemed to be done in good faith, if it is in fact done sincerely and honestly, without any intention to defraud another person. These proceedings are also known as the outlawry. Executor: An executor is a person to whom the last will of a deceased person is, by the testators appointment, confided. Testimony: Testimony is a law term that refers to the statement made by a witness under oath in a legal proceeding. This explains a legal doctrine that a person, who willingly undertakes a dangerous task or puts himself in risky situations, cannot sue for the resulting damages at a later stage. Distress: It is a seizure of a personal possession, without legal process, of a wrongdoer, into the hands of an aggrieved party, in order to obtain payment for money owed or performance of a duty. It is an equitable doctrine which can be applied when there is no contract between the parties, and is used to prevent unjust enrichment. This writ is used to challenge the authority of a public official or a corporation to exercise a particular power. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. wills and probates. Defense: A term used to describe the act of an attorney representing a defendant, to show why the plaintiff or the prosecutor does not have a valid case. Material Witness: A witness, whose testimony is considered to be vital for the outcome of the case, as he is presumed to have knowledge about the subject matter of the case. Bill of Lading: A receipt received by the shipper of goods from the carrier, describing the type and quantity of goods being shipped, the carrying vessel, the shipper, the consignee and the port of loading and discharge. means a contract which lacks consideration, so that it is not a proper contract. nos : we / WE live and die by that creed. Date Rape: Forcible sexual intercourse, while on a voluntary social outing where the women resisted the sexual advances of the man. The main reasons for deportation is usually when a person overstays with an expired visa or commits some serious crime. prep. Qualified Privilege: This legal term is used to denote a defense in defamation actions, according to the specific occasions, which give rise to the defamatory statement from the defendant. Doctrine: A legal doctrine is a rule or principle of law, framework, set of rules, when established by a precedent through which judgments can be determined in a given legal case. A person who owes a sum of money to another person is called a debtor. Bait and Switch: A type of fraud associated with retail sales, wherein the store lures customers by advertising that some products are offered at very low prices, but induces them to buy other expensive products, citing the excuse that the advertised product is no longer available or is not of good quality. While some rights like the right to life cannot be transferred, the transfer of some things are prohibited by law (for example, pension granted by the government cannot be sold or transferred). Inadmissible Evidence: Any testimony, documentary or tangible evidence that fails to meet the state rules, because it is considered unreliable to be taken into consideration as evidence. This type of divorce does not require the finding of any fault-based grounds for dissolution of the marriage. The Constitution of United States defines this law term as any act that imposes war on the state or aid or comfort given to its enemies. The termination or annulment of interest in accordance with the stipulated conditions (as in if a deed completely or partially negates something on the happening of some condition.). Abatement: This term refers to the plea to squash and end a suit. Good Cause: A legally substantial reason presented before a judge for a ruling, that is not arbitrary, irrational or unreasonable, is said to be a good cause. Encumbrance: It is a burden (claim, lien or liability) attached to the land or interest in land by the owner of the land. Arraignment: A legal proceeding in which the accused is brought before the court to formally read the complaint against him. When a judge issues an order prohibiting the attorneys and parties to go to the media or public with the information about the case, as he thinks it will influence the decision, it is called a gag order. Learn a new word every day. Descendant: A person who is in direct line to an ancestor, such as a child, grandchild and great grandchild. It proves that the statement made was based on facts and was not made with dishonorable motives. Guardian ad Litem: Where the defendant is a minor, the court shall appoint a proper person to be his/her guardian,who protects the interests of the child during the course of legal proceedings. Fact: Any information, event, or anything that occurred which can be proved in a court of law. The other factor is actus reus, which denotes the guilty act. It can be sent to any person or organization. ANSWER: the written response to a complaint, petition, or motion. These hearings are governed by the state laws and the local court rules, that vary by area. Appurtenances: Things incidental to the principal thing, which is commonly referred to as dominant. Specifically, rule applies to more restricted or specific situations. Eighth Amendment: The Eighth Amendment to the constitution of the United States prohibits the Federal Government from imposing excessive bail, fines or cruel punishments. A clause, which can be found in employment agreements, which makes both parties waive the rights to bargain on any matter, which is not in the employment contract when it was negotiated and signed. U.S. College Campuses with the Coolest Amenities, 3 Tips for Choosing Your Major in College, 3 First Week of College Tips You Need to Know, 5 Ways to Balance Academics and Social Life in College. Nevertheless, most of us have to encounter these complex terminology at some points in life. They are permanent in nature. An agreement can be in a written form or verbal. Causa Mortis: A Latin term which means, “in expectation of the approaching death”. An arraignment is meant to inform the accused of the charges against him/her, and the person is required to enter a plea whether he/she is guilty or not. There are different types of immunities, such as diplomatic immunity and sovereign immunity. Public delicts are those offenses which affect the entire community, and private delicts are directly injurious to a particular individual. Jump Bail: When a person fails to attend court after he is released on depositing bail, he is said to jump bail. Record Sealing: In some cases, the court records are sealed or destroyed, so as not to make it accessible to public as a public record. An opinion, remark or comment made by a judge which does not form an important part of the court’s decision. In the legal context, a case is said to be remanded when an appellate court sends back an appeal case to the trial court for further action. One ’ s property or funds intentionally a penalty phase practice in a mistrial hidden asset: something value! The easiest-to-read, most of us have to encounter these complex terminology at points. 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