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.

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  • SELECTI JUDICES
    Lat In Roman law. Judges who were selected very much Jifce our juries. They were returned by the pitetor, drawn by lot, subject to be challenged, and sworn. 3 Bl. Comm. 366.
  • SELECTMEN
    The name of certain municipal officers, bi the New England states, elected by the towns to transact their general public business, and possessing certain ?executive powers. See Pelch v. Weare, 69 N. H. 617, 45 Atl. 59L
  • SELF-DEFENSE
    In criminal law, "She protection of one's person or property against some injury attempted by another. The right of such protection. An excuse for the ouse of force in resisting an attack on tne person, and* especially for killing an assailant See Whart Crim. Law, 1019, 102a
  • SELF-MURDER, OR SELF-SLAUGHTER
    See SUICIDE.
  • SELF-REGARDING EVIDENCE
    Evidence which either serves or disserves the party is so called. This species of evidence is either self-serving (which is not in general -receivable) or self-disserving, which is invariably receivable, as being an admission oagainst the party offering it, and that either in court or but of court Brown.
  • SELL
    To dispose of by sale, (q. v.)
  • SELLER
    One who sells anything; the party who transfers property in the contract of sale. The correlative is "buyer," or "purchaser." Though these terms are not inapplicable to the persons concerned in a transfer of real estate, it is more customary to use "vendor" and "vendee" In that case.
  • SEMAYNE'S CASE
    This case decided, in 1604, that "every man's house [meaning his dwelling-house only] is his castle," and that an officer executing civil process may not break open outer doors in general, but only inner doors, but that (after request made) he may break open even outer doors to find goods More...
  • SEMBLE
    L. Fr. It seems; it would appear. This expression is often used in the reports to preface a statement by the court upon a point of law which is not directly decided, when such statement is intended as an intimation of what the decision would be if the point were More...
  • SEMESTRIA
    Lat. In the civil law. The collected decisions of the emperors in 'their councils'.
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