The Law Dictionary for Everyone
False imprisonment is a legal term that refers to the restraining of a person without legal authority or justification. In simple terms, false imprisonment can apply to any act in which a person intentionally restricts another person’s freedom to move or to leave without consent. This can occur in a building, on the streets, in a vehicle, or any other […]
Read moreDiscrimination in the workplace takes place when an employer discriminates against an employee in relation to work-related decisions, including such issues as hiring, firing, promotions, and availability of benefits. There are federal and state laws in place to protect employees from discrimination in the workplace. To explore this concept, consider the following discrimination in the workplace definition. Definition of Discrimination […]
Read moreAs a legal term, confidentiality refers to a duty of an individual to refrain from sharing confidential information with others, except with the express consent of the other party. There are rules and regulations which place restrictions on the circumstances in which a professional, such as a doctor or attorney, may divulge information about a client or patient, and other […]
Read moreCivil union is a legally created relationship that is similar to marriage, though it provides protections and benefits only at the state level, as the federal government does not recognize such unions. The civil union was originally created by some states to afford a marriage-like institution for same-sex couples when marriage was not an alternative. Not all states recognize civil […]
Read moreInvasion of privacy is a legal concept dealing with intrusion into an individual’s private life. It is a tort that allows the person whose privacy was invaded to file a lawsuit against the person intruding upon his or her privacy. Laws governing the right to privacy do not treat all people the same, however, as public figures, such as politicians, […]
Read moreSexual harassment refers to unwelcome sexual advances, comments of a sexual nature, requests for sexual favors, and harassment or comments about an individual’s gender, all of which create a hostile work environment. Most commonly, sexual harassment is perpetrated by someone in a position of authority over the victim, such as an employer, supervisor, or teacher. Sexual harassment is illegal in […]
Read moreIn the law, the term sodomy refers to anal or oral sex, whether between a man and woman, two women, or two men, and was historically considered to be a criminal act. As recently as the 1960s, all 50 states had laws that made even consensual sodomy illegal, viewing such acts as “crimes against nature,” or deviant sexual acts. By […]
Read moreHabeas corpus is a legal action in which a prisoner challenges the authority of the jail or prison to continue holding him. This Latin term translates as, “you have the body,” and it allows incarcerated people to seek relief from unlawful confinement. Habeas corpus is a protection against illegal imprisonment, afforded to United States citizens as outlined in the Suspension […]
Read moreThe legal term hate crime refers to violence brought on by intolerance and prejudice. The Department of Justice defines a hate crime as an act in which an offender intends to hurt another person based on the victim’s ethnicity, national origin, race, sexual orientation, religious beliefs, or disability. Illegal acts that can be elevated to hate crimes include physical assault, […]
Read moreSame-sex marriage is the legal union between two people of the same gender. Throughout history, same sex unions have taken place around the world, but laws recognizing such marriages did not start occurring until more modern times. As of 2015, only 17 countries around the globe have laws allowing same sex couples to become legally married. Support in some countries […]
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