What latin terms do I need to know when studying LAW in U.K?

Question

Could someone give me a list with translation?

e.g I know Prima facie, ratio, obiter dictum - but what other common latin terms must a student of law know?

many thanks.

Answer 1

Latin was one of my favourite subjects at school and I even passed it at GCE 'O' level in 1958 (I failed English).



Among other things, translating the front of a daily newspaper into Latin was as good an exercise for the brain as any crossword, quizword or Sudoku.



One of the beauties of a 'dead' language is that it doesn't change all the time, also the rules of grammar cannot change, it also helped me in chemistry, medicine and also eventually in english.



I've always helped friends with Latin mottos, in fact your question has reminded me on how Latin has been usefull in my life.



These are two of my favourite terms and I include a link to help you with many more, this is a 'beginners' link but it will wet your appetite god luck.



PS I also hate useless or repeated answers.



PPS I nearly forgot my old RAF motto, Per Ardua ad Astra (through adversity to the stars).





de lege ferenda

What the law ought to be (as opposed to what the law is)



de lege lata

What the law is (as opposed to what the law ought to be)

Answer 2

You need a Bachelors degree in the subject of your choice, this will take you four years and will be termed your "undergraduate degree" Whatever you choose to get a degree in (this may be fashion or political science) will be what you work towards the first four years on this degree ONLY. (you don't even concern yourself with law school at this point)Then you attend a graduate school which will be law school for three years. You will graduate successfully and now have what is called a Jurisdoctorate degree. This degree qualifies you to take a State Bar Exam which will qualify you as a lawyer. Then the State Bar accepts your passing of the bar exam and certifies you as a lawyer. The entire process takes seven years (or you can drag it out if you want). It seems like your not sure about Latin...this would be considered a basic in your four year degree. It's not important and you shouldn't concern yourself with it because Latin is an elective that you can choose over other languages if you wish for your "foreign language" credits.

Answer 3

Surprisingly perhaps, I don't think you need to know very many at all.



Lawyers in practice, I am sorry to say, often like to dazzle clients with a bit of the old dead language. In truth though, it is far more important that you can understand and apply legal concepts than recite them in latin.



In three years of studying law at postgraduate level, the only latin terms I have found impossible to do without (mainly because they are used so much) are:



mens rea / actus reus

prima facie

violenti non fit injuria (describes the defence of consent in tort)

ex turpi causa non oritur actio (the doctrine that an action in civil law cannot arise from an illegal act)

habeus corpus



Pretty much everything else is readily translatable into English...and there are no extra marks for knowing the latin, so you might as well use it! Res ipsa loquitor, really!



Good luck with your studies.

Answer 4

If you want to learn Latin, learn Latin. Quidquid Latine dictum sit altum sonatur. But there are no "common Latin terms", as it is a dead language. Even in law, the terms are the exception rather than the rule. Even in British law, which is substantially derived from Roman law.



That being said, there are lots of collections of Latin legal maxims and principles.



Most of them have English equivalents (actus reus / guilty act), so there's no pressing need to know any of them unless you're trying to read legal documents which incorporate them.

Answer 5

Caveat emptor - Let the buyer beware

ab initio - from the beginning

flagrante delicto - in the very act

ex gratia - as an act of favour

ex curia - out of court

ex facto jus oritur - the law arises from the act; (till the nature of the offence is known, the law cannot be set in motion)

Answer 6

Latin phrases used in legal English [legalese].

http://www.dl.ket.org/latin3/mores/legallatin/legal04.htm



Here's a link to some Latin phrases used in English.



http://www.math.ohio-state.edu/~econrad/lang/lphrase.html



Here's a nother link to more Latin phrases used in English, written and/or spoken, legal and medical etc.



http://www.englishclub.com/vocabulary/latin-phrases.htm



Here's an old English legal joke for you.



Judge addresses the accused: "Have you been up before me before?"



Accused replied: "I don't know m'lud, what time do you get up in the morning?"



There are millions like the above.

Answer 7

It depends > criminal or contract law???? The most important as far as i am concerned is > Mens Rea and Actus Rea. Because you have to prove both exist in order to find a reasonable person guilty of an offence. Mens Rea > "it was in your mind to commit the act" Actus Rea > " you actually carried out the act" There is more to it of course but the meaning is plain to see. (Actus Rea > "a wrongful act") (Mens Rea > "a guilty mind")

Answer 8

There’s quite a list of them, I suggest you Google it, here’s a list of Latin legal terms under “A”:



a fortiori -- a posteriori -- a priori -- a priori assumption -- ab extra -- ab initio -- actus reus -- ad coelum -- ad colligenda bona -- ad hoc -- ad hominem -- ad idem -- ad infinitum -- ad litem -- ad quod damnum -- ad valorem -- adjournment sine die -- affidavit -- agency -- alter ego -- a mensa et thoro -- amicus curiae -- animus nocendi -- ante -- arguendo –

Answer 9

As you go through the course your tutor will be introducing the different phases I think that you should read your law books it's all in there.

Answer 10

your smart enough to be studying Law but ask this question

Answer 11

govern-ment control-mind