List of legal Latin terms

A number of Latin terms are used in legal terminology and legal maxims. This is a partial list of these "legal Latin" terms, which are wholly or substantially drawn from Latin.

A

Term/Phrase	Definition
a fortiori	"argument 'from [the] stronger [reason]'."
a posteriori	"Posterior to" "argument derived from subsequent event"
a priori	"Prior to" "argument derived from previous event"
ab extra	"From outside." Concerning a case, a person may have received some funding from a 3rd party. This funding may have been considered ab extra.
ab initio	"From the beginning"
actus reus	"Guilty act." Part of what proves criminal liability (with mens rea)
ad coelum	"To the sky" abbreviated from Cuius est solum eius est usque ad coelum et ad infernos which translates to "[for] whoever owns [the] soil, [it] is his all the way [up] to Heaven and [down] to Hell." The principle that the owner of a parcel of land also owns the air above and the ground below the parcel.
ad colligenda bona	"To collect the goods."
ad hoc	"For this." generally signifies a solution designed for a specific problem or task, non-generalizable, and not intended to be able to be adapted to other purposes.
ad hominem	"At the person." Attacking an opponent's character rather than answering his argument.
ad idem	"To the same thing." In agreement.
ad infinitum	"To infinity." To continue forever.
ad litem	"For the case." Describes a party designated to represent another party who is deemed incapable of representing him/herself (e.g. a child or incapacitated adult).
ad quod damnum	"According to the harm." Used in tort law. Implies that the reward or penalty ought to correspond to the damage suffered or inflicted.
ad valorem	"according to value."
adjournment sine die	"adjournment without a day." When an assembly adjourns without setting a date for its next meeting.
affidavit	"He has sworn." A formal statement of fact.
alter ego	"Another I." A second identity living within a person.
a mensa et thoro	"from bed and table." Divorce a mensa et thoro indicates legal separation without legal divorce.
amicus curiae	"friend of the court." A person who offers information to a court regarding a case before it.
animus nocendi	"mind of harming." The subjective state of mind of the author of a crime, with reference to the exact knowledge of illegal content of his behaviour, and of its possible consequences.
ante	"before."
arguendo	"For the sake of argument."
Audi alteram partem	"Hear the other side." Refers to the idea that one cannot be fairly judged unless the cases for and against them have been heard.

B

Term/Phrase	Definition
bona fide	"In good faith." Implies sincere good intention regardless of outcome.
bona vacantia	"Ownerless Goods"

C

cadit quaestio – capital – casus belli – caveat – caveat emptor – certiorari – ceteris paribus – cogitationis poenam nemo patitur – compos mentis – conditio sine qua non – consensus facit legem – consuetudo pro lege servatur – contra – contra bonos mores – contra legem – Contradictio in adjecto – contra proferentem – coram non judice – corpus – corpus delicti – corpus juris – corpus juris civilis – corpus juris gentium – corpus juris secundum – crimen falsi – cui bono – cuius est solum eius est usque ad coelum et ad inferos – crimen injuria – cuius regio, eius religio – curia advisari vult – custos morum

D

de bonis asportatis – debellatio – de bonis non administratis – de die in diem – de facto – de futuro – de integro – de jure – de lege ferenda – de lege lata – delegatus non potest delegare – de minimis – de minimis non curat lex – de mortuis nil nisi bonum – de novo – defalcation – dicta – dictum – doli incapax – dolus specialis – dubia in meliorem partem interpretari debent – duces tecum

E

ei incumbit probatio qui dicit – ejusdem generis – eo nomine – erga omnes – ergo – erratum – esse – et al. – et cetera – et seq – et uxor – et vir – ex aequo et bono – ex ante – ex cathedra – ex concessis – ex delicto – ex facie – ex gratia – ex injuria jus non oritur – ex officio – ex parte – ex post – ex post facto – ex post facto law – expressio unius est exclusio alterius – ex proprio motu – ex rel – ex turpi causa non oritur actio – exempli gratia – ex tunc – ex nunc – extant

F

facio ut facias – favor contractus – felo de se – ferae naturae – fiat – Fiat justitia et pereat mundus – fiat justitia ruat caelum – fieri facias – flagrante delicto – forum conveniens – forum non conveniens – fumus boni iuris - functus officio

G

generalia specialibus non derogant - gravamen – guardian ad litem

H

habeas corpus – hostis humani generis

I

i.e. – ibid. – id est – idem – ignorantia juris non excusat – imprimatur – in absentia – in camera – in curia – in esse – in extenso – in extremis – in flagrante delicto – in forma pauperis – in futuro – in haec verba – in limine – in loco parentis – in mitius – in omnibus – in pari delicto – in pari materia – in personam – in pleno – in prope persona – in propria persona – in re – in rem – in situ – in solidum – in terrorem – in terrorem clause – in toto – wikt:indicia| – infra – innuendo – inter alia – inter arma enim silent leges – inter rusticos – inter se – inter vivos – intra – intra fauces terra – intra legem – intra vires – ipse dixit – ipsissima verba – ipso facto - iudex non calculat

J

jura novit curia – jurat – juris et de jure – jus – jus ad bellum – jus civile – jus cogens – jus commune – jus gentium – jus in bello – jus inter gentes – jus naturale – jus primae noctis – jus sanguines – jus sanguinis – jus soli – jus tertii

L

lacunae – leges humanae nascuntur, vivunt, moriuntur – legitime – lex communis – lex lata – lex loci - lex posterior derogat priori – lex retro non agit – lex scripta – lex specialis derogat legi generali – liberum veto – lingua franca – lis alibi pendens – lis pendens – locus – locus delicti – locus in quo – locus poenitentiae

M

magna carta – male fide – malum in se – malum prohibitum – mandamus – mare clausum – mare liberum – mens rea –Meins sana incorpore sano – modus operandi – mos pro lege – motion in limine – mutatis mutandis

N

ne exeat – ne bis in idem – nemo auditur propriam turpitudinem allegans - nemo dat quod non habet – nemo debet esse iudex in propria – nemo judex in sua causa – nemo plus iuris ad alium transferre potest quam ipse habet – nemo sibi titulum adscribit – nexus – nihil – nihil dicit – nil – nisi – nisi prius – nolle prosequi – nolo contendere – non adimpleti contractus – non bis in idem – non compos mentis – non constat – non est factum – non faciat malum, ut inde veniat bonum – non liquet – non obstante verdicto – non sequitur – noscitur a sociis –nota bene – nudum pactum - nulla bona – nulla poena sine lege – nullum crimen, nulla poena sine praevia lege poenali – nunc pro tunc

O

obiter dicta is plural; see the singular obiter dictum – onus probandi – opinio juris sive necessitatis

P

pacta sunt servanda – par delictum – parens patriae – pater familias – pendente lite – per – per capita – per contra – per curiam – per diem – per incuriam – per minas – per pro – per quod – per se – periculum in mora - per stirpes – persona non grata – posse comitatus – post mortem – post mortem auctoris – praetor peregrinus – prima facie – primogeniture – prius quam exaudias ne iudices – probatio vincit praesumptionem – pro bono – pro bono publico – pro forma – pro hac vice – pro per – pro rata – pro se – pro tanto – pro tem – pro tempore – propria persona – prout patet per recordum

Q

quaeitur – quaere – quantum – quantum meruit – quasi – "qui facit per alium facit per se" – qui tam action – quid pro quo – quid pro quo sexual harassment – quo ante – quo warranto – quoad hoc - quod est necessarium est licitum

R

ratio decidendi – ratio scripta – rebus sic stantibus – reddendo singula singulis – res – res gestae – res ipsa loquitur – res judicata – res nullius – res publica – res publica christiana – respondeat superior – restitutio in integrum

S

salus populi est suprema lex – scandalum magnatum – scandalum magnum – scienter – scintilla – scire facias – scire feci – se defendendo – seriatim – sine die – sine qua non – situs – stare decisis – sua sponte – sub judice – sub modo – sub nomine – sub silentio – subpoena – subpoena ad testificandum – subpoena duces tecum – suggestio falsi – sui generis – sui iuris – sui juris – suo moto – supersedeas – suppressio veri – supra

T

terra nullius – trial de novo – trinoda necessitas – tabula rasa

U

uberrima fides – ultra posse nemo obligatur – ultra vires – uno flatu – uti possidetis – uxor

V

vel non – veto – vice versa – vide – videlicet – vinculum juris – vis major – viz. – volenti non fit injuria – vigilantibus non dormientibus aequitas subvenit

See also

• Brocard (legal term)
• Law French

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