100 Latin Legal Terms Law Students Must Know
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A fortiori – With stronger reason
A posteriori – From the latter (reasoning from effect to cause)
A priori – From the former (reasoning from cause to effect)
Actus reus – Guilty act
Ad hoc – For this purpose
Ad infinitum – To infinity
Ad litem – For the lawsuit
Affidavit – A sworn written statement
Alibi – Elsewhere; a defense of being elsewhere
Amicus curiae – Friend of the court
Animus –Intent or mind
Assumpsit – He has undertaken or promised
Bona fide – In good faith
Caveat – Let him beware
Caveat emptor – Let the buyer beware
Certiorari – To be informed of, a writ from a higher court
Cestui que trust – The beneficiary of a trust
Compos mentis – Of sound mind
Consensus ad idem – Meeting of the minds
Corpus delicti – Body of the crime
Corpus juris – Body of law
De facto – In fact
De jure – By law
De minimis – Concerning small matters
De novo – Anew, or from the beginning
Dictum – A statement or remark in a judgment that is not essential to the decision
Doli incapax – Incapable of crime
Dura lex sed lex – The law is harsh, but it is the law
Emptor – Buyer
Ex gratia – As a favour
Ex officio – By virtue of office
Ex parte – By or for one party
Ex post facto – After the fact
Fait accompli – A done deal
Fiduciary – A person in a position of trust
Forum non conveniens – Inconvenient forum
Habeas corpus – You shall have the body (a writ requiring a person to be brought before a judge)
Ignorantia juris non excusat – Ignorance of the law is no excuse
In absentia – In absence
In camera – In private
In loco parentis – In the place of a parent
In personam – Against a person
In re – In the matter of
In situ – In place
In statu quo – In the current state
Inter alia – Among other things
Ipso facto – By the fact itself
Jus – Law or right
Jus cogens – Compelling law
Jus gentium – Law of nations
Jus in bello – Law in war
Jus soli – Right of the soil (citizenship by birth)
Lex loci – Law of the place
Lis pendens – Pending suit
Locus standi – Right to stand (legal standing)
Mala fide – In bad faith
Mandamus – We command (a writ commanding a public official to perform an act)
Mens rea – Guilty mind
Modus operandi – Method of operation
Nolle prosequi – Unwilling to prosecute
Nolo contendere – No contest
Non sequitur – It does not follow
Obiter dictum – Something said by the way (an incidental remark)
Onus probandi – Burden of proof
Pacta sunt servanda – Agreements must be kept
Per curiam – By the court
Per se – By itself
Prima facie – At first sight
Pro bono – For the public good (legal work undertaken voluntarily)
Pro forma – For form's sake
Pro rata – In proportion
Pro se – For oneself (representing oneself in court)
Quasi – As if; almost
Quid pro quo – Something for something
Res ipsa loquitur – The thing speaks for itself
Res judicata – A matter judged
Sine die – Without a day (adjournment without setting a date for reconvening)
Sine qua non – Without which not (an essential condition)
Stare decisis – To stand by things decided (precedent)
Sub judice – Under judgment
Subpoena – Under penalty (a writ ordering a person to attend court)
Sui generis – Of its own kind
Supra – Above
Ultra vires – Beyond the powers
Usufruct – The right to enjoy the use and advantages of another's property short of the destruction or waste of its substance
Veni, vidi, vici – I came, I saw, I conquered
Versus – Against
Vice versa – The other way around
Videre licet (viz) – It is permitted to see (namely)
Viva voce – By word of mouth
Vox populi – Voice of the people
Affirmanti non neganti incumbit probatio – The burden of proof lies on the one who affirms, not on one who denies
Amor patriae – Love of country
Caveat venditor – Let the seller beware
Contra proferentem – Against the offeror (interpreting ambiguities against the party that drafted the document)
De facto parentis – Parent in fact (a person who has assumed the role of a parent)
Delegata potestas non potest delegari – Delegated power cannot be delegated
Dolus malus – Fraud with evil intent
Ei incumbit probatio qui dicit, non qui negat – The burden of proof is on the one who declares, not on one who denies
Ejusdem generis – Of the same kind (a rule of statutory interpretation)
A posteriori – From the latter (reasoning from effect to cause)
A priori – From the former (reasoning from cause to effect)
Actus reus – Guilty act
Ad hoc – For this purpose
Ad infinitum – To infinity
Ad litem – For the lawsuit
Affidavit – A sworn written statement
Alibi – Elsewhere; a defense of being elsewhere
Amicus curiae – Friend of the court
Animus –Intent or mind
Assumpsit – He has undertaken or promised
Bona fide – In good faith
Caveat – Let him beware
Caveat emptor – Let the buyer beware
Certiorari – To be informed of, a writ from a higher court
Cestui que trust – The beneficiary of a trust
Compos mentis – Of sound mind
Consensus ad idem – Meeting of the minds
Corpus delicti – Body of the crime
Corpus juris – Body of law
De facto – In fact
De jure – By law
De minimis – Concerning small matters
De novo – Anew, or from the beginning
Dictum – A statement or remark in a judgment that is not essential to the decision
Doli incapax – Incapable of crime
Dura lex sed lex – The law is harsh, but it is the law
Emptor – Buyer
Ex gratia – As a favour
Ex officio – By virtue of office
Ex parte – By or for one party
Ex post facto – After the fact
Fait accompli – A done deal
Fiduciary – A person in a position of trust
Forum non conveniens – Inconvenient forum
Habeas corpus – You shall have the body (a writ requiring a person to be brought before a judge)
Ignorantia juris non excusat – Ignorance of the law is no excuse
In absentia – In absence
In camera – In private
In loco parentis – In the place of a parent
In personam – Against a person
In re – In the matter of
In situ – In place
In statu quo – In the current state
Inter alia – Among other things
Ipso facto – By the fact itself
Jus – Law or right
Jus cogens – Compelling law
Jus gentium – Law of nations
Jus in bello – Law in war
Jus soli – Right of the soil (citizenship by birth)
Lex loci – Law of the place
Lis pendens – Pending suit
Locus standi – Right to stand (legal standing)
Mala fide – In bad faith
Mandamus – We command (a writ commanding a public official to perform an act)
Mens rea – Guilty mind
Modus operandi – Method of operation
Nolle prosequi – Unwilling to prosecute
Nolo contendere – No contest
Non sequitur – It does not follow
Obiter dictum – Something said by the way (an incidental remark)
Onus probandi – Burden of proof
Pacta sunt servanda – Agreements must be kept
Per curiam – By the court
Per se – By itself
Prima facie – At first sight
Pro bono – For the public good (legal work undertaken voluntarily)
Pro forma – For form's sake
Pro rata – In proportion
Pro se – For oneself (representing oneself in court)
Quasi – As if; almost
Quid pro quo – Something for something
Res ipsa loquitur – The thing speaks for itself
Res judicata – A matter judged
Sine die – Without a day (adjournment without setting a date for reconvening)
Sine qua non – Without which not (an essential condition)
Stare decisis – To stand by things decided (precedent)
Sub judice – Under judgment
Subpoena – Under penalty (a writ ordering a person to attend court)
Sui generis – Of its own kind
Supra – Above
Ultra vires – Beyond the powers
Usufruct – The right to enjoy the use and advantages of another's property short of the destruction or waste of its substance
Veni, vidi, vici – I came, I saw, I conquered
Versus – Against
Vice versa – The other way around
Videre licet (viz) – It is permitted to see (namely)
Viva voce – By word of mouth
Vox populi – Voice of the people
Affirmanti non neganti incumbit probatio – The burden of proof lies on the one who affirms, not on one who denies
Amor patriae – Love of country
Caveat venditor – Let the seller beware
Contra proferentem – Against the offeror (interpreting ambiguities against the party that drafted the document)
De facto parentis – Parent in fact (a person who has assumed the role of a parent)
Delegata potestas non potest delegari – Delegated power cannot be delegated
Dolus malus – Fraud with evil intent
Ei incumbit probatio qui dicit, non qui negat – The burden of proof is on the one who declares, not on one who denies
Ejusdem generis – Of the same kind (a rule of statutory interpretation)
