All CRA Non-English Legal Terms

All non-English (Latin, French, Greek, etc.) legal terminology from the CRA and AAERP.

ad hoc

for this purpose only

ab ovo

from the egg -- at the beginning, from the start

ad curiam

to [at] court

ad infinitum

to infinity -- without limit, indefinitely

ad litem

to the suit -- for the purposes of a lawsuit, pending a lawsuit

ad nauseam

to the point of inducing nausea

ad testificandum

for testifying -- subpoena to appear in court and testify

alter ego

another self

amicus curiae

friend of the court -- third party filing a brief to support a specific position

ante litem

before trial

arguendo

arguing, for the sake of argument

bona fide

in good faith -- open, sincere

caveat

beware -- warning

caveat emptor

let the buyer beware

caveat venditor

let the seller beware

certiorari

to be informed of -- a writ from a higher to a lower court, ordering a transcript of proceedings for appellate review

chattel

cattle -- an article of person or movable property

compos mentis

sane, of sound mind

corpus

body

corpus delecti

body of a crime

culpa

fault -- negligence

cum laude

with praise -- an honor granted with a college degree

curriculum vitae

court of life -- a resume of one's career, qualifications, and professional history

de facto

in fact

de jure

in law -- legal, proper, legitimate

de juris

of the law

de minimis

of only a tiny amount

demurrer

defendat's assertion that plaintiff's complaint is insufficient or does not state a cause of action upon which relief can be granted

dictum

comments within a published opinion which do not relate directly to the facts of the case at hand but illustrate or explain the court's thinking

duces tecum

bring with you -- subpoena to bring items of evidence, such as documents

e.g.

thus, for example

en bane

in [on] the bench

en blonc

in a block -- as a unit, as a whole, completely

ergo

therefore

escheat

to fall out [back]

estoppel

stopped up -- a legal impediment to bringing or maintaining an action

et al.

and another, or others -- referring to other parties involved but not specifically named

et seq.

and the following -- refer to further material after a citation, usually page numbers

et ux.

and spouse -- typically used to join a wife to a husband in a contract or action

ex contractu

from the contract -- arising from a contractual promise

ex curia

out of court

ex delicto

from a crime -- resulting from a crime, tort, malfeasance, or a contractual duty

ex parte

from one part, one one side -- something done by or for one party only

ex post facto

after the fact -- an act performed or law passed with a retroactive effect

forum

place -- venue, tribunal, place or trial

forum non conveniens

inconvenient forum - authority of a court to decline jurisdiction

habeas corpus

you have the body -- a writ issued to release someone from improper imprisonment

Idem

same -- the same as above, particularly previously cited material

i.e.

that is

in absentia

in the absence of

in camera

in a room -- in chambers, in private

indicia

signs -- identifying marks, badges or characteristics

in forma pauperis

as a pauper -- permission granted to a poor litigant to proceed without having to pay court costs or fees

Infra

below -- referring to material coming later, particularly in a document

in limine

on the threshold -- immediately before or at the very beginning of a case

in loco parentis

in the place of a parent -- guardian, granted parental responsibilities for a minor

in medias res

in the middle of things -- without preface or introduction, right in the middle

in personam

on the person -- action or jurisdiction involving a person him/herself, as opposed to merely his or her property

in pro per

for oneself -- pleading a case on one's own behalf without an attorney

in re

in or on the thing -- in the matter of, particularly when there is only one party

in rem

in or on the thing -- legal action against property, such as a ship, rather than personally against its owner

inter alia

among other things

inter alios

among other persons

in toto

in all -- entirely, completely, totally

inter se

between themselves

inter vivos

among the living -- gift or property passing from one person to another, but not by means of a will or in anticipation of death

intra vires

within the power -- an act which a person or corporation has authority to perform

ipse dixit

he said it himself -- a bare assertion resting only on a person's own word

ipso facto

by the fact itself -- the mere effect of an act or fact

jurat

[s]he swears -- the clause at the end of a sworn statement showing when, where, and by whom the statement was signed under penalty of perjury

laches

lax, loose, slack -- omissions, neglect, or failure to perform a duty or to assert a right

les scripta

written law -- statutory law, versus common law or ancient customs

lis pendens

pending lawsuit

magna cum laude

with great praise -- an honor granted with a college degree

malum in se

forbitten wrong(s) -- acts forbidden by statutory law

mea culpa

my fault -- an admission of negligence

mens

mind -- a person's intention, knowledge, meaning

mens rea

a guilty mind -- having criminal intent

mens sana in corpore sano

a healthy mind in a healthy body

minutia

small -- trivial or insignificant details

ne plus ultra

nothing further, not beyond here -- a point beyond which one cannot go any further

nolle prosequi

we shall no longer prosecute

nolo contendere

I will not fight [contest] it

non compos mentis

not of sound mind

non obstante

notwithstanding, nevertheless

non sequitur

it it not to be followed

nunc pro tune

now for then

parol

a spoken word

pendente lite

during suit -- happening during litigation

per capita

by the heads -- according to the number of people involved, equal share

per centum

by a hundred -- a percentage

per curiam

by the court -- a decision not accompanied by a written opinion

per se

in an of itself

post hac

after this

post mortem

after death

prima facie

first appearance

pro bono

for the good [for the public good] -- services performed free of charge

pro forma

for the sake of form

pro hac vice

for this turn

pro rata

according to [by] calculation