Legal Latin CHECK YOUR ENGLISH VOCABULARY FOR LAW

CHECK YOUR ENGLISH VOCABULARY FOR LAW

Legal Latin

Latin words and expressions are still relatively common in the legal profession. How many of the meanings on the left can you match with the expressions on the right? 1. By the operation of the law. 2. Caught in the act of committing a crime. 3. On the face of it, or as things seem at first. 4. A gift (usually money) with no obligations attached. 5. Starting again. 6. On its own, or all alone. 7. The right to be heard in a court. 8. Among / In addition to other things. 9. A legal action or application pursued by one party only. 10. After the event. 11. Equally, or with no distinction. 12. An act, such as murder, which is a crime in itself. 13. When a threat is implied in a contract, and as a result the contract is invalid. 14. A legal remedy against wrongful imprisonment. 15. Taken as a matter of fact, even though the legal status may not be certain. 16. For a short time. 17. Legal action against a person (for example, one party in a case claims that the other should do some act or pay damages). 18. By this fact, or the fact itself shows this to be true. 19. Acting in place of a parent. 20. A matter on which a judgement has been given. 21. A decision correctly made by a court, which can be used as a precedent. 22. Capable of committing a crime. 23. The duty to prove that what has been alleged in court is true. 24. In total good faith, a state which should exist between parties to some types of legal relationship. 25. A real agreement to a contract by both parties. 26. A situation where the legal title is clear. 27. Referring to the case at law. 28. Mad, or not completely sane. 29. With no owner, or no obvious owner. 30. The mental state required to be guilty of committing a crime. 31. An action done in return for something done or promised. 32. From the beginning. 33. Legal action against a thing (for example, one party claims property or goods in the possession of another). 34. An act forbidden by criminal law. 35. Not capable of committing a crime. 36. The real proof that a crime has been committed. 37. An act which is not a crime, but is forbidden. 38. In good faith. 39. Acting in a way which exceeds your legal powers. ab initio actus reus ad litem bona fide(s) bona vacantia consensus ad idem corpus delicti de facto de jure de novo doli capax doli incapax ex gratia ex parte ex post facto habeas corpus in flagrante delicto in loco parentis in personam in rem inter alia in terrorem ipso facto ipso jure locus standi mala in se mala prohibita mens rea non compos mentis onus probandi pari passu per curiam per se prima facie pro tempore quid pro quo res judicata uberrimae fidei ultra vires

 

ANSWER KEY

1. ipso jure 2. in flagrante delicto 3. prima facie (for example, There is a prima facie case to answer, so we will proceed with the case) 4. ex gratia (for example, an ex gratia payment) 5. de novo 6. per se (for example, His claim that he was confused at the time of his actions does not stand as a defence per se) 7. locus standi (for example, The taxpayer does not have locus standi in this court) 8. inter alia (for example, She demands possession of the house and custody of the children inter alia) 9. ex parte (for example, The wife applied ex parte for an ouster order against her husband. The expression without notice is now usually used instead) 10. ex post facto 11. pari passu (for example, The new shares will rank pari passu with the existing ones) 12. mala in se 13. in terrorem 14. habeas corpus 15. de facto (for example, He is the de facto owner of the property) 16. pro tempore (for example, We are prepared to issue a pro tempore injunction until the case is dealt with fully in the court) 17. in personam (for example, an action in personam) 18. Ipso facto (for example, He was found in the vehicle at the time of the accident and ipso facto was deemed to be in charge of it) 19. in loco parentis (for example, The court is acting in loco parentis) 20. res judicata 21. per curiam 22. doli capax 23. onus probandi (we can also say burden of proof) 24. uberrimae fidei (for example, an insurance contract is uberrimae fidei) 25. consensus ad idem 26. de jure (for example, He is the de jure owner of the property) 27. ad litem 28. Non compos mentis (this can be a mitigating circumstance if a crime is committed) 29. bona vacantia (for example, in the case of a person without living relatives, dying without making a will: his / her property usually passes to the state) 30. mens rea (Generally, in order to be convicted of a crime, the accused must be shown to have committed an unlawful act (actus reus) with a criminal state of mind (mens rea)) 31. quid pro quo 32. ab initio 33. in rem 34. actus reus 35. doli incapax (for example, children under the age of 10 are doli incapax and cannot be prosecuted for criminal offences; children between 10 and 14 are presumed to be doli incapax but the presumption can be reversed if there is evidence of knowledge or malice) 36. corpus delicti 37. mala prohibita (for example, walking on the grass in a park where this is not allowed. Compare mala prohibita with mala in se) 38. bona fide (for example: The respondent was not acting bona fides; She made me a bona fide offer) 39. ultra vires (for example, The police were accused of acting ultra vires)