Legal Term Dictionary

Search our free database of thousands of legal terms. The easiest-to-read, most user-friendly guide to legal terms.This dictionary is from the early 20th century and is not to be construed as legal advice.

Search
  • PRETORIUM
    In Scotch law. A courthouse, or hall of Justice. 8 How. State Tr. 425. "-PREVAILING PARTY. That one of the parties to a suit who successfully prosecutes the action or successfully defends against it, prevailing on the main issue, though not to the extent of his original contention. 6ee Belding More...
  • PREVARICATION
    In the civil law. Deceitful, crafty, or unfaithfpl conduct; particularly, such as is manifested in concealing a crime. Dig. 47, 15, 6. "- In English law. A collusion between an Informer and a defendant in order to a feigned prosecution. Cowell. Also any secret abuse committed in a public office More...
  • PREVENTION
    In the civil law. The right of a judge to take cognizance of an action over which he has concurrent jurisdiction with another judge. . In canon law. The right which a superior person or ofllcer has to lay hold of, claim, or transact an affair prior to an inferior More...
  • PREVENTION OF CRIMES ACT
    The statute 34 A 35 Vict, c 112, passed for the purpose of securing a better supervision over habitual criminals. This act provides that a person who is for a second time convicted of crime may, on his second convlc-v tion. be subjected to police supervision for a period of More...
  • PREVENTIVE JUSTICE
    The system of measures taken by government with reference to the direct prevention of crime. It generally consists in obliging those persons whom there is probable ground to suspect of future misbehavior to give full as? surance to the public that such offense as ia apprehended shall not happen, by More...
  • PREVENTIVE SERVICE
    The name given lh England tb the coast-guard, or armed police, forming a part, of the customs service, and employed in the prevention and detection of smuggling. Previous intentions are judged by subsequent nets. Dumont o v. .Smith, 4 Denio (N. Y.) 319, 320
  • PREVIOUS QUESTION
    In the procedur,e of parliamentary bodied, moving the "previous question" is ;a method of avoiding a direct vote on'the main subject of discussion, i It is described in May, Pari. Prac, 277.
  • PREVIOUSLY
    An adverb of time, used. In comparing an act or state .named with"another act. or state, subsequent^ in order, of time, for the purpose of asserting the pricfrity :of the. first Lebrecht v. Wilcoxon, 40 Iowa. 94.
  • PRICE
    The consideration (usually in money) given for the purchase of. a thing. It is true that "price" generally -means the sum of money which an article is sold for; but this is simply because, property' is generally sold for money, not because the wbrd has necessarily such a restricted meaning. More...
  • PRICKING FOR SHERIFFS
    In England, when the yearly list of persons nominated for the office of sheriff is submitted to the sovereign, he takes a pin, and to. insure impartiality, as it is said, lets the point of it fall upon one of the three names nominated for each county, etc., and the More...
Showing 11039 of 14636