The Law Dictionary for Everyone
The meaning of ratio decidendi is Latin for “the reason,” or “the foundation for” a decision. For example, ratio decidendi in the field of law refers to the moment or principle in a case that ultimately determines its outcome. Ratio decidendi is a legal rule regarding the legal reasoning behind the judgment of the judge or jury. To explore this […]
Read moreThe term amicus curiae translates to mean “friend of the court.” For example, amicus curiae briefs filed by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) have “amicus curiae” printed on them. What this means is that the ACLU is not a party to the case, but simply wants to provide information or expertise to the court to help shed light on […]
Read moreThe supermajority meaning is the requirement for a particular measure or legislation to receive significantly more than half of the votes in order for the measure to pass. For example, a supermajority can refer to a three-fifths or two-thirds vote. What this means is that, if two-thirds or three-fifths of the votes cast are in support of a measure to […]
Read moreThe term per curiam refers to a decision made by a court of numerous judges, but without a particular author’s name attached to the decision. For example, per curiam decisions are typically short and concern issues that the court does not consider to be controversial in nature. However, this is not always the case, as sometimes the judges do not […]
Read moreThe term “sovereign immunity” refers to a ruling body, such as the U.S. government, being immune from civil lawsuits or criminal prosecution. For example, sovereign immunity means that no one can sue the government without having the government’s consent. Sovereign immunity comes from British common law, which provided the idea that the King is immune from charges of wrongdoing. To […]
Read moreThe term “misprision” refers to the deliberate act of hiding the awareness of a crime. For example, misprision exists when someone has knowledge that a crime is about to occur, and yet does nothing to stop it. Another example of misprision is clerical misprision, which is typically less serious and occurs when the clerk of the court makes a mistake […]
Read moreThe term “judicial branch” refers to the branch of the U.S. government responsible for interpreting and applying existing laws to the cases that come before it. For example, the judicial branch decides everything from criminal and civil cases and applies the laws of the jurisdiction, as well as the Constitution to them. The most important arm of this important branch […]
Read moreThe term “crime of passion” refers to a criminal act that a person commits out of heartbreak or anger. For example, a crime of passion would be if a person shot his ex-wife in a jealous rage because he caught her cheating on him with another man. This is the most common example of a crime of passion because the […]
Read moreThe term civic duty refers to a responsibility expected from all members of a society. It follows the principle that citizens have an obligation to serve their society. In return, they receive certain rights and protections. An example of civic duty is serving on a jury. To explore this concept, consider the following civic duty definition. Definition of Civic Duty […]
Read moreThe term “fugitive” describes a person who has escaped from a place like prison, or who is in hiding for fear of the police finding him and bringing him to jail. For example, a fugitive is a person who has committed a crime and flees to another state in an attempt to evade the police and criminal charges. The famous […]
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