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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  • A TEMPORE CUJUS CONTRARII MEMORIA NON EXISTET.
    From time of which memory to the contrary does not exist. A verbis legis non est recedendum. From the words of the law there must be no departure. 5 Coke, 119; Wing. Max. 25. A court is not at liberty to disregard the express letter of a statute, in favor More...
  • A VINCULO MATRIMONII
    (Lat from the bond of matrimony.) A term descriptive of a kind of divorce, which effects a complete dissolution of the marriage contract See DIVORCE. Ab abusu ad usum non valet consequentia. A conclusion as to the use of a thing from its abuse is invalid. Broom, Max. 17.
  • AB ACTIS
    Lat. An. officer having charge of acta, public records, registers, journals, or minutes; an officer who entered on record the acta or proceedings of a court; a clerk of court; a notary or actuary. Calvin. Lex. Jurid. See "Acta." This, and the similarly formed epithets a cancellis, a secretis, a More...
  • AB AGENDO
    Disabled from acting; unable to act; incapacitated for business or transactions of any kind.
  • AB ANTE
    In advance. Thus, a legislature cannot agree ab ante to any modification or amendment to a law which a third person may make. Allen v. McKeau, 1 Sumn. 308, Fed. Cas. No. 229.
  • AB ANTECEDENTE
    Beforehand; in advance.
  • AB ANTIQUO
    Of old; of an ancient date. Ab assuetis non fit injuria. From things to which one is accustomed (or in which there has been long acquiescence) no legal injury or wrong arises. If a person neglect to insist on his right he is deemed to have abandoned it. Amb. 645 More...
  • AB EPISTOLIS
    Lat. An officer having charge of the correspondence (epistole) of his superior or sovereign; a secretary. Calvin.; Spiegelius.
  • AB EXTRA
    (Lat. exira, beyond, without) From without. Lunt v. Holland, 14 Mass. 151.
  • AB INCONVENIENTI
    From hardship, or inconvenience. An argument founded upon the hardship of the case, and the inconvenience or disastrous consequences to which a different course of reasoning would lead.
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