Legal_Latin

1 / 4 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 2 / 4 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 3 / 4 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 4 / 4 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 Legal Latin Phrases and Maxims