V.

Latin Phrases Used In Legal English

ad hoc for this purpose

amicus curiae friend of the court

bona fide in good faith

corpus delicti "body of the crime" - material evidence that crime has occurred

cui bono good for whom, i.e., who benefits?

de facto according to the fact or deed

de jure according to the law

de minimis non
the law takes no account of trifles
curat lex

et uxor and (his) wife

ex officio by virtue of the office held

ex post facto a new law applied retroactively to a deed already done

you may have the body (writ requiring party be brought to court
habeas corpus
promptly)

mala fide in bad faith

in flagrante
in the act
delicto

in prope persona in one's own person - without a lawyer

ipso facto by the very deed

modus operandi manner of working, operating

nolo prosequi "I don't wish to prosecute" (will drop all parts of a lawsuit)

I will not contend (plea equal to admission of guilt but allows

nolo contendere
recourse to deny the matter in subsequent proceedings)

non compos
not of sane mind
mentis

obiter dictum a judicial opinion not binding on other courts

onus probandi burden of proof

per se in itself

prima facie at first sight

pro forma as a matter of form only

pro tempore (pro
for the time being, temporarily
tem)

quid pro quo something for something - a fair exchange

sine die without a specific date set for reconvening

subpoena under (threat of) punishment