UNDERSTANDING LATIN LEGALESE WORD ORIGINAL MEANING MODERN MEANING

UNDERSTANDING LATIN LEGALESE

WORD ORIGINAL MEANING MODERN MEANING affidavit he pledged a sworn, written statement bona fide (in) good faith sincere, genuine habeas corpus may you have the bring a person body before a court per diem per day, by the day daily pro bono for the good done for free for the public good status quo the existing how things are condition or state currently of affairs sub poena under the penalty an order commanding a person to appear in court under a penalty for not appearing 1

ad hoc to this for a specific purpose, case, or situation corpus delicti body of the crime material evidence in a crime de facto from the fact in reality; actually; in effect de iure from the law according to law; by right ad infinitum forever in absentia in (his/her) absence in camera in a room in private; no spectators allowed in loco parentis in the place of a parent 2

ipso facto by the fact itself by that very fact locus delicti scene of the crime scene where a crime took place modus operandi mode of working method of operating nolo contendere I do not wish to contend a plea by the defendant that’s equivalent to an admission of guilt (and leaves him subject to punishment) but allows him the legal option to deny the charges later prima facie at first face at first sight pro forma for the sake of form done as formality, done for the show 3

quid pro quo this for that something for something; tit for tat; an equal exchange a mensa at toro for table and bed legal separation casus belli occasion of war an event that justifies a war cui bono for whom the good whom does it benefit? (in) flagrante delicto while the crime is burning red-handed, in the act inter alia among other things mutatis mutandis having charged what must be changed after making the necessary changes non compos mentis not of sound mind mentally incompetent obiter dictum something said in passing something a judge says in arguing a point, but has no bearing on the final decision 4

onus probandi burden of proving burden of proof perdente lite while judgment a case in progress is pending res ipsa loquitur the matter itself speaks it goes without saying sine qua non without which not an indispensable condition; a prerequisite sine die without a day postponed indefinitely sub judice under the judge pending judgment ultra vires beyond strength outside one’s jurisdiction 5