Legal opinion

Legal opinions
Judicial opinions
Majority opinion Dissenting opinion Plurality opinion Concurring opinion Memorandum opinion This box: view · law, an opinion (also consilia) is usually a written explanation by a judge or group of judges that accompanies an order or ruling in a case, laying out the rationale and legal principles for the ruling. Opinions are usually published at the direction of the court, and to the extent they contain pronouncements about what the law is and how it should be interpreted, they reinforce, change, establish, or overturn legal precedent. If a court decides that an opinion should be published, the opinion is included in a volume from a series of books called law reports (or reporters in the United States). Published opinions of courts are also collectively referred to as case law, which is one of the major sources of law in common law legal systems. Memorandum opinion Not every case decided by a higher court results in the publication of an opinion; in fact most cases do not, since an opinion is usually only published when the law is being interpreted in a novel way, or the case is a high-profile matter of general public interest and the court wishes to make the details of its ruling public.[citation needed] In the majority[citation needed] of American cases, the judges issue what is called a memorandum decision that indicates how state or federal law applies to the case and affirms or reverses the decision of the lower court. A memorandum decision does not establish legal precedent or re-interpret the law, and cannot be invoked in subsequent cases to justify a ruling. Opinions, on the other hand, always establish a particular legal interpretation. Legal opinions of counsel or government law officers In the United Kingdom and other common law countries, a legal opinion also refers to written legal advice on a point of law issued by either a barrister (often referred to as "counsel's opinion") or occasionally a senior government law officer, such as an attorney general. The latter form of opinion is sometimes made available to the public either because of public pressure (see for example Lord Goldsmith's opinion on the Iraq War, Yoo memo), or because a general clarification of the law is called for (see for example, the Yorke–Talbot slavery opinion). In the United States, several state attorneys general issue attorney general's opinions. Several areas of commercial practice call for formal legal opinions of counsel. The Legal Aid scheme in the United Kingdom requires a legal opinion showing reasonable prospects for success before the Legal Aid board will fund any claim. Insurance policies for professional negligence will frequently require an opinion of counsel before the insurer is required to pay out on any putative claim (sometimes called a QC clause, when it must be an opinion of leading counsel). Legal opinion in commercial transactions In commercial transactions, particularly in the context of financing, the lender will require an opinion as to the corporate capacity of the borrower and enforceability of the transaction documents the borrower is intended to enter into. This type of opinion is generally issued by the borrower's counsel or the lender's counsel, depending on the ethical rule governing the issuance of those opinion applicable to the jurisdiction. See also Appellate court Case law Law reports or reporters Memorandum opinion External links R. C. A. White, I. Boussiakou Separate opinions in the European Court of Human Rights Wikimedia Foundation. 2010. Игры ⚽ Поможем написать реферат Hengshan Lavov Most Look at other dictionaries: legal opinion — n: opinion (2a) Merriam Webster’s Dictionary of Law. Merriam Webster. 1996. legal opinion …   Law dictionary legal opinion — opinion formed in accordance with the law …   English contemporary dictionary legal opinion — noun the legal document stating the reasons for a judicial decision opinions are usually written by a single judge • Syn: ↑opinion, ↑judgment, ↑judgement • Derivationally related forms: ↑judge (for: ↑ …   Useful english dictionary legal opinion — /ligəl əˈpɪnjən/ (say leeguhl uh pinyuhn) noun → opinion (def. 4) …   legal opinion — A statement, usually written by a specialized law firm, required for a new municipal bond issue stating that the issue is legally acceptable. Bloomberg Financial Dictionary …   Financial and business terms legal opinion — A document in which an official such as a state attorney general, a city solicitor or a private attorney, renders his or her understanding of the law as applied to the assumed facts. It may or may not serve as protection to one acting on it,… …   Black's law dictionary legal opinion — A document in which an official such as a state attorney general, a city solicitor or a private attorney, renders his or her understanding of the law as applied to the assumed facts. It may or may not serve as protection to one acting on it,… …   Black's law dictionary opinion — opin·ion /ə pin yən/ n 1 a: a belief stronger than impression and less strong than positive knowledge b: a formal expression of a judgment or appraisal by an expert see also opinion testimony at testimony compare …   Law dictionary opinion letter — see letter 1 Merriam Webster’s Dictionary of Law. Merriam Webster. 1996. opinion letter …   Law dictionary Legal writing — is a type of technical writing used by legislators, lawyers, judges, and others in law to express legal analysis and legal rights and duties. Its distinguishing features include reliance on and citation to authority, importance of precedent,… …   Wikipedia 18+ © Academic, 2000-2024 Contact us: Technical Support, Advertising Dictionaries export, created on PHP, Joomla, Drupal, WordPress, MODx. Mark and share Search through all dictionaries Translate… Search Internet Share the article and excerpts Direct link … Do a right-click on the link above and select “Copy Link”