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   LAWYERS LATIN 

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Afortiori so much the more so, with greater reason.

Ab initio from the beginning.

Actus non facit reum, nisi mens sit rea

 the act itself does not constitute guilt unless with a guilty intent.

Actus reus guilty act.

Aliunde from elsewhere, from another person, place or quarter.

Amicus curiae literally, 'a friend of the court'. 

One who calls the attention of the court to some point of

law or fact which might otherwise be overlooked.  This term is 

frequently applied to counsel who undertake to assist

 the court in a matter in which they are not engaged professionally.

Ante before.

Bonafide in good faith.

Certiorari an order which issues from the 

High  Court of Justice removing causes from inferior courts

of record to the High Court for trial or re-trial.

Contra against.

Contra pacem against the peace.

Dictum, dicta a saying, sayings. For obiter dicta, see  later.

Doli incapax incapable of crime.

Ejusdem generis of the same kind or nature. A rule  of 

construction applicable where particular words are followed by 

general words; the general words are  limited by the particular words.

Et al and others.

Et seq. (et sequentes) and the following.

Ex hypothesi following from this assumption.

Ex pane on behalf of.

Expressio unius, exclusio alterius the express mention  of 

one thing is the exclusion of another.

Ex turpi causa non oritur actio an action does not  arise from a base cause.

Falsa demonstratio an abbreviation of the principle,  

i.e., a false description does not vitiate a document.

Flagrante delicto in the commission of the offence.

Functi (functus officio) a person whose duty has  been 

discharged and whose office or authority is therefore at an end.

Habeas corpus literally, 'thou shall have the body'.  

A prerogative writ to a person detaining another in  

custody commanding him to produce that person  before the court.

Ibid. (ibidem) in the same place, in the same book,  chapter, passage, etc.

Ignorantia juris non excusat ignorance of the law  does not excuse.

In camera in court, the public being excluded, or in the judge's private 

room.

In extremis in the last agonies, at the very point of  death.

In mitiori sensu in the less unfavourable sense.

In pari materia in an analogous case.

Infra below.

Inter alia among other things.

Inter panes between parties.

 

Ipso facto by the very fact.

Loc. cit (loco citato) in the passage already quoted.

Mandamus literally, 'we command'. An order which  issues from the High Court of Justice to compel the performance of a public duty.

Mens rea guilty mind.

Modus operandi the way in which anything is done,  mode or manner 

of operation.

Mutatis mutandis the necessary changes being made.

Nexus connection.

Non constat it does not appear; it is not proved (that  the 

asserted or implied conclusion follows from the premises).

Obiter dictum, obiter dicta a mere saying by the  way, a chance remark, which is not binding upon future courts, though it may be respected according  to the reputation of the judge, the eminence of the court and the circumstances in which it came to be  pronounced.

Op. cit. (opere citato) in the work just referred to.

Pace by permission of.

Particeps criminis, particepes criminis a person or persons taking 

part in a crime.

Per by.

Per se by or in itself.

Post after.

Prima facie at first sight, on the face of it.

Quifacit per alium facit per se he who acts through  another is deemed to act in person.

Ratio decidendi the reason or ground of a judicial  decision.

Res Integra a point, governed neither by any  decision nor by any rule of law, which must be decided upon principle.

Sed quaere but is it true?

Sic — so, thus.

Simpliciter absolutely, without qualification.

Sine die without naming a day, indefinitely.

Subjudice under judicial consideration.

Supra above.

Viva voce orally.

Viz (videlicet) that is to say, in other words, namely.  

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