Legal latin:
A
Ab initio: From the very beginning
Ab intra: From within/inside
Ab extra: From outside
Actus reus: Criminal Act
Ad-hoc: For this
Ad idem: Agreeing in essential point
Ad interim: In the meantime
Ad-valorem: According to the market value
A fortiori: with even stronger reason
Alias: otherwise called
Alibi: defence claim that the accused was somewhere else of the time a crime was committed
Alimenta: means of support (i.e. food, clothing, shelter etc.)
Alinude: from any other source, in any other way
Altercatio: forensic argumentation; cross examination
Ambigendi Locus: room for doubt
Amicus-curie: A friend of the court, counsel appointed by the court
Animus: An intention
Animus defamandi: Intention of defaming
Animus domini: The intention of possession and owning
Animus possidendi: The intention of possessing
Ante: Before
At Ante: In advance
Audi Alteram Partem: Hear the other side
Autrefois acquit: a plea in a criminal case ; if an accused is acquitted, he cannot be afterwards acquitted, he cannot be afterwards indicted for the same offence
Autrefois convict: a plea of the accused that he has been already convicted of the same crime entitling him to discharge
B
Bancus communium placitorum: Court of common pleas
Bona-fide: with good faith
Bona fides: documents proving identity
Bona fiscalia: public property
Bona mobilia: moveable property
Bona peritura: perishable goods
Bona vacantia: vacant goods : goods without an owner, unclaimed property
Bona gestura: good behaviour
C
Capias ad audiendum: writ ordering appearance in court
Capias ad respondendum: writ ordering satisfaction of an order
Caveat: an entry in the court records that effectively prevents action by another party without first notifying the party entering the caveat
Caveat emptor: let the buyer beware
Causa causans: Immediate cause
Causa mortis: in respect of death
Cause Major: unusual accident
Causa omissus: a point unprovided for by statue
Causa proxima: Approximate cause
Causa sine qua non: a cause without which the effect would have been caused
Chartae libertatum: charters of liberties
Consensus ad idem: agreement as to the same things
Consortium: marital companionship
Contra: to the contrary
Corpus: body
Corpus delicti: body of the crime
Corum: required number
Corum non judice: without jurisdiction
Custos: guardian
Cypres: near to it, some way as nearly as possible
D
Damnum sine injuria: damages without violation of any legal right in fact
De die in diem: from day to day
De facto: in fact
De futuro: in the future
De-hors: beyond the scope of, unconnected to
De integro: as regards the whole
De jure: in law
Delegate potestas non-potest delegari: delegated power cannot be further delegated
Delegatus non potest delegari: delegation cannot be made by delegatee
De lunatic inquiriendo: a writ to inquire into the insanity of the person
De novo: Afresh
Dies juridicus: a day on which the court is in session
Dies non juridicus: a day on which the court is not in session
Doli: crime, mischief
Doli incapax: incapable of committing a crime
Dominus litis: Master of/having dominion over the case
Donation mortis causa: a gift made in contemplation of death, a death-bed gift
E
Ejusdem Generis: of the same kind or species
Ex auditu: from hearsay
Ex-curia: out of the court
Ex-facie: on the face of it
Exampli gratia: for example
Ex gratia: by favour/grace
Ex more: according to custom
Ex-necessitate: by/out of necessity
Ex-officio: by virtue of his office
Expatriate: living abroad, exiled
Ex-parte: in absence of other party
Ex-post facto: made after the occurrence
Ex tempore: immediately, without preparation
Ex-tenso: at length
F
Facta probantia: facts tending to prove or disprove the factum probandum
Factum: a fact/deed
Factum probandum: the fact to be proved, the fact in issue
Fascimile: an exact copy
Fait accompli: not worth arguing about
Falsus in uno falsus in omnibus: false in one thing is false in everything
Felo de se: a suicide
Feme sole: an unmarried women
Fieri facias: writ authorizing execution of a judgement
Foetus, Fetus: a baby in the womb
Forum: a court
Functus officio: having discharged duly
G
Guardian ad litem: guardian of law, a lawyer appointed to degend or prosecute a case on behalf of a party who is incapacitated by young age or other condition.
H
Habeus corpus: a writ requiring the physical presence of person
Hearing de novo : full new hearing
I
Ibidem, ibid: in the same place
Idem: the same person or being
Ignorantia juris non-excusat: ignorance of law is no excuse
In camera : in private
In curia: in an open court
In custodia legis: in custody of court
In delicto: at fault
In esse: in existence
Id est: that is to say
In extenso: from the beginning to end
In Extremis: At the last breath
In Forma Pauperis: As a indigent
In Invitum: against a person’s will
In Limine: At the very outset
In Loco Parentis: in place of parents
In omnibus: in every respect
In pari delicto: in equal fault
In Personam: directly against, or with reference to specified person
In promptu: in readiness
Inter-se: in between
In situ: in its place
In solidum: in the whole, entirety
In solo: on the land
In toto: totally
In vita: in life
Intra: within , near
Inter-alia: amongst other things
In Re. : in the matter of
In rem: Against all
Interium: temporary, in the meanwhile
Interrorem: as a warning or a deterrent
Inter vivos: between living persons
Intra: within
Intra vires: within its power
Ipso-facto: by the very fact itself
Ipso jure: by the law itself
J
Judex non potest case testes in propria causa: a judge cannot be a witness in his own cause
Jus: a right that is recognized in law
Jus ad rem: an inchoate and imperfect right
L
Lex non scripta: the unwritten law
Lex scripta: the written law
Lex talionis: the law of retaliation
Lis pendens: a pending suit
Locum tenens: a deputy
Locus delicti: the place of the offence
Locus in quo: scene of the event, the place in which
Locus standi: the right to do anything
M
Magnum opus: great work of art, master piece
Mala-fides: Bad faith
Malus Usuo: a bad custom
Mens Rea: Guilty mind
Mesne-Profits: the profits of an estate received by a tenant in wrongful possession and recoverable by the landlord
Modus-operandi: Mode of operating
Modus-vivendi: a way of living
Mutatis-mutandis: with necessary changes being made
N
Nemo: nobody, none
Nexus: Bond, link or connection
Nisi: unless
Nolo cotendere: I will not contest it
Nolo prosequi: a formal motion by the prosecuting officer in criminal action, which states that he will not further prosecute the case.
Non compus mentis: not of sound mind and understanding
Non constat: it is not certain
Non-est: Never existing
Non obstante: notwithstanding
Non sequitur: an inconsistent statement
Nonest factum: it is not his/her deed
Nota bene: note well
Nulla bona: no effects
Null and void: not operative, not enforceable
Nullius fillis: illegitimate child
Nunc pro tunc: now for then
O
Obiter dictum: A saying by the way
Onus probandi: onus of proof
Orse: otherwise
P
Pardelictum: equal fault
Pari Materia: On the same matter
Pari Passu: with equal steps
Pauper: Indigent, Poor
Pendente-lite: during pendency
Per annum: by the year
Per contra: On the contrary
Per capita: per person
Per centrum ad valorem: percentage according to value
Per curiam: in the opinion of the court
Per diem: by the day
Per mensum: by the month
Per minas: by means of menaces or threats
Per pro: through another
Per quod: by reason of which
Per se: by itself
Persona Designata: once described as an individual
Persona grata: Accepted person
Persona non grata: an unacceptable person
Prima facie: on the first seeing
Prima impressionis: on first impression
Pro bono public: for public good
Pro-forma: As a matter of form
Pro hac vice: for this occasion
Pro-rata: in proportion
Pro se: for oneself
Pro-tanto: to that extent
Pro tem: for the time being
Public juris: of public right
Pusine: latter born, subordinate
Q
Qua: with respect to
Quaeitur : the question is raised
Quaere: consider whether it is correct
Quasi: seemingly
Quid pro quo: a consideration, one thing in return of another thing
Quo warranto: one form of writ, wuestioning the validity of holding an office
R
Ratio decidendi: the reason for the decision
Res : matter, affair
Res gestae: all things done in the course of same transaction
Res integra: under consideration
Res ipsa loquitur: the things speak for itself
Res integra: a dispute not decided
Res judicata: a matter already judicially decided
Res nulis: a thing that has no owner
Rigour mortis: Stiffness of body after death
S
Sciens: knowingly
Secus : the legal position is different
Sine die: indefinitely, without date
Sine qua non: an indispensable requisite
Solatium : a sum paid to an injured party over and above actual damages by way of solace
Spes successionis: a bare chance of succession
Status quo: existing condition
Stet: do not delete, let it stand
Sub modo: under condition or restriction
Sub nomine: under the name of
Sub judice: in the course of trial
Sub peona: summons
Sub peona duces tecum: a court order requiring the person to appear in the court and to bring specified documents or other items
Sub silento: in silence
Sui generis: unique
Sui juris: of his own right
Suggestio falsi: a false suggestion
Suo moto: of its own motion
Sup sponte: at its own will
Supra: after
Suppresio veri: willful concealment of a truth
T
Talis qualis: such as it is
Terra nullius: land belonging to no-one
Tete-a-tete: private or intimate conversation between two persons
U
Uberrima fides: good faith
Uberrimae fidel: of the utmost good faith
Ultra-vires: beyond their power
Uno flantu: at the same moment
v
Verbatim: word by word, exactly
Vide: refer to
Vires: authority
Vis major: act of major
Videlicet, Viz: that is
Viva voce: orally, by word of mouth
Volens: willing
Volenti non fit injuria: that to which a man consents cannot be cannot be complained of as an injury
-Tushar Kaushik