Legal Term Dictionary

Sp. In Spanish law. A law; the law; law In the abstract. -Leyes da Estilo. In Spanish law. A collection of laws usually published as an appendix to the Fuero Real; treating of the mode of conducting suits, prosecuting them to judgment, and entering appeals. Schm. Civil Law. Introd. 74.

Sp. In Spanish law. A law; the law; law In the abstract. -Leyes da Estilo. In Spanish law. A collection of laws usually published as an appendix to the Fuero Real; treating of the mode of conducting suits, prosecuting them to judgment, and entering appeals. Schm. Civil Law. Introd. 74. Less...

An offense against sovereign power; treason; rebellion.

An offense against sovereign power; treason; rebellion. Less...

The state of being bound or obliged in law or justice to do, pay, or make good something; legal responsibility. Wood v. Currey, 57 Cal. 209; McElfresh v. Kirkendall, 36 Iowa, 225; Benge v. Bowling, 106 Ky. 575, 51 S. W. 151; Joslin v. New Jersey Car-Spring Co., 36 N. More...

The state of being bound or obliged in law or justice to do, pay, or make good something; legal responsibility. Wood v. Currey, 57 Cal. 209; McElfresh v. Kirkendall, 36 Iowa, 225; Benge v. Bowling, 106 Ky. 575, 51 S. W. 151; Joslin v. New Jersey Car-Spring Co., 36 N. J. Law, 145. Less...

1. Bound or obliged in law or equity; responsible; chargeable; answerable; compellable to make satisfaction, compensation, or restitution. * 2. Exposed or subject to a given contingency, risk, or casualty, which is more or less probable. -Limited liability. The liability of the members of a joint-stock company may be either More...

1. Bound or obliged in law or equity; responsible; chargeable; answerable; compellable to make satisfaction, compensation, or restitution. * 2. Exposed or subject to a given contingency, risk, or casualty, which is more or less probable. -Limited liability. The liability of the members of a joint-stock company may be either unlimited or limited; and, if the latter, then the limitation of liability is either the amount, if any. unpaid on the shares, (in which case the limit is said to be "by shares,") or such an amount as the members guaranty in the event of the company being wound up, (in which case the limit is said to be "by guaranty.1') Brown.-Personal liability. The liability or the stockholders in corporations, under certain statutes, by which they may be held individually responsible for tbe debts of the corporation, either to the extent of the par value of their respective holdings of stock, or to twice that amount or without limit, or otherwise, as the particular statute directs. Less...

An old French coin, of silver or copper, formerly current to a limited extent in England, and there computed as equivalent to a farthing.

An old French coin, of silver or copper, formerly current to a limited extent in England, and there computed as equivalent to a farthing. Less...

v. In admiralty practice. To proceed against by filing a libel; to seize tinder admiralty process, at the commencement* iof a suit. Also to defame or injure a person's reputation by a published'writing. " ]

v. In admiralty practice. To proceed against by filing a libel; to seize tinder admiralty process, at the commencement* iof a suit. Also to defame or injure a person's reputation by a published'writing. " ] Less...

n. In practice. The initiatory' pleading on the part of the plaintiff or coin* plalnant in an admiralty or ecclesiastical cause, corresponding to the declaration, bill, or complaint In tbe Scotch law it is the form of the complaint or ground of the charge on which either a civil action More...

n. In practice. The initiatory' pleading on the part of the plaintiff or coin* plalnant in an admiralty or ecclesiastical cause, corresponding to the declaration, bill, or complaint In tbe Scotch law it is the form of the complaint or ground of the charge on which either a civil action or criminal prosecution takes place. Bell. In torts. That which is written or printed, and published, calculated to injure the character of another by bringing him into ridicule, hatred, or contempt. Palmer v. Concord, 48 N. H. 211, 97 Am. Dec. 605; Negley v. Farrow, 60 Md. 175, 45 Am. Rep. 715; Weston v. Weston, 83 App. Div. 520, 82 N. Y. Supp. 351; Collins v. Dispatch Pub. Co., 152 Pa. 187, 25 Atl. 540, 34 Am. St Rep. 636; Hartford v. State, 96 Ind. 463, 49 Am. Rep. 185. Libel is a false and unprivileged publication by writing, printing, picture, effigy, or other fixed representation to the eye which exposes any person to hatred, contempt ridicule, or obloquy, or which causes him to be shunned or avoided, or which has a tendency to injure him in his occupation. Civ. Code Cal. ? 45. A libel is a false and malicious defamation of another, expressed in print or writing or pictures or signs, tending to injure the repn tatlon of an individual, and exposing him to public hatred, contempt, or ridicule. The publication of the libelous matter is essential to recovery. Code Ga. 1882, ? 2974. A libel is a malicious defamation, expressed either by writing, printing, or by signs or pictures, or the like, tending to blacken the memory of one who is dead, or to impeach the honesty, integrity, virtue, or reputation, or publish the natural or alleged defects, of one who is alive, and thereby to expose him to public hatred, contempt, or ridicule. Pen. Code Cal. f 248; Rev. Code Iowa 1880, | 4007; Bac. Abr. tit "Libel;" 1 Hawk. P. 0. 1, 73, | 1; Com. v. Clap, 4 Mass. 168" 3 Am. Dec. 212; Clark v. Binney, 2 Pick. (Mass.) 115; Ryckman v. Delavan, 25 Wend. (N. Y.) 198; Root v. King, 7 Cow. (N. Y.) 620. A libel is a censorious or ridiculing writing, picture, or sign made with a mischievous intent. State v. Farley, 4 McCord (S. C). 817; People v. Croswell, 3 Johns. Cas. (N. Y.) 354; Steele v. Southwick, 9 Johns. (N. Y.) 215; McCorkle v. Binns, 5 Bin. (Pa.) 348 ; 6 Am. Pec. 420. Any publication the tendency of which is to degrade or injure another person, or to bring him into contempt, ridicule, or hatred, or which accuses him of a crime punishable by law, or of an act odious and disgraceful in society, is a libel. Dexter v. Spear, 4 Mason, 115, Fed. Cas. No. 3,807; White v. Nicholls, 3 How. 291, 11 L. Ed. 501. A libel is a publication, without justification en lawful excuse, of words calculated to injure the reputation of another, and expose him to hatred or contempt. Whitney v. Janesville Gazette, 6 Biss. 330, Fed. Cas. No. 17.590. Everything, written or printed, which reflects on the character of another, and is published without lawful justification or excuse, is a libel, whatever the intention may have been. O'Brien v. Clement 15 Mees. & W. 435. -Criminal libeL A libel which is punishable criminally; one which tends to excite a breach of the peace. Maody v. State, 94 Ala. 42, 10 South. 670; State v. Shaffner, 2 Pen-newill (Dei.) 171, 44 Atl. 620; People v. Stokes, 30 Abb. N. C. 200, 24 N. Y. Supp. 727.-Libel of accusation. In Scotch law. The instrument which contains the chartre against a person accused of a crime. Libels are of two Kinds, namely, indictments and criminal letters.-Seditions libeL In English law. A written or printed document containing seditious matter or published with a seditious intention, the latter term being defined as "an intention to bring into hatred or contempt, or to excite disaffection against, the king or the government and constitution as by law established, or either house of parliament, or the administration of justice, or to excite British Hubjects to attempt otherwise than by lawful means the alteration of any matter in church or state by law established, or to promote feelings of ill will and hostility between different classes." Dicey, Const. (4th Ed.) 231, 232. See Black, Const Law (3d Ed.) p. 654. Less...

The complainant or party who files a libel in an ecclesiastical or admiralty case, corresponding to the plaintiff In actions at law.

The complainant or party who files a libel in an ecclesiastical or admiralty case, corresponding to the plaintiff In actions at law. Less...

A party against whom a libel has been filed in an ecclesiastical court or in admiralty.

A party against whom a libel has been filed in an ecclesiastical court or in admiralty. Less...

Lat. In the civil law. A little book. Libellus supplex, a petition, especially to the emperor, all petitions to whom must be in writing. Li bell urn rescribere, to mark on such petition the answer to it JW-bcllum agerc, to assist or counsel the emperor in regard to such petitions. More...

Lat. In the civil law. A little book. Libellus supplex, a petition, especially to the emperor, all petitions to whom must be in writing. Li bell urn rescribere, to mark on such petition the answer to it JW-bcllum agerc, to assist or counsel the emperor in regard to such petitions. Libellus ao-cusatorius, an information and accusation of a crime. Libellus divortii, a writing of divorcement Libellus rerum, an inventory. Calvin. Libellus or oratio consultoria, a message by which emperors laid matters before the senate. Id. A writing in which are contained the names of the plaintiff (actor) and defendant (reus,) the thing sought the right relied upon, and name of the tribunal before which the action is brought Calvin. In feudal law. An instrument of alienation or conveyance, as of a fief, or a part of it. -Libellus oonventionis. In the civil law. The statement of a plaintiffs claim in a petition presented to the magistrate, who directed an officer to deliver it to the defendant-Libellns famosns. In the civil law. A defamatory publication; a publication injuriously affecting character; a libel. Inst 4, 4, 1; Dig. 47. 10 ; Cod. 9, 36. Less...