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.
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| Term/Phrase | Definition |
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| 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. |
| Term/Phrase | Definition |
|---|---|
| bona fide | "In good faith." Implies sincere good intention regardless of outcome. |
| bona vacantia | "Ownerless Goods" |
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
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
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
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
generalia specialibus non derogant - gravamen – guardian ad litem
habeas corpus – hostis humani generis
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
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
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
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
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
nemo moriturus prasentium mentire
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
quaeitur – quaere – quantum – quantum meruit – quasi – "qui facit per alium facit per se" – qui tam action – quid pro quo – quid pro quo – quo ante – quo warranto – quoad hoc - quod est necessarium est licitum
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
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
terra nullius – trial de novo – trinoda necessitas – tabula rasa
uberrima fides – ultra posse nemo obligatur – ultra vires – uno flatu – uti possidetis – uxor
vel non – veto – vice versa – vide – videlicet – vinculum juris – vis major – viz. – volenti non fit injuria – vigilantibus non dormientibus aequitas subvenit