1) A mensa et thoro - From bed and board.

A vinculo matrimonii - From the bond of matrimony.

Ab extra - From outside.
Ab initio - From the beginning.
Absoluta sententia expositore non indiget - An absolute judgment needs no expositor.
Abundans cautela non nocet - Abundant caution does no harm.
Accessorium non ducit sed sequitur suum principale - An accessory does not draw, but
follows its principal.
Accessorius sequitur - One who is an accessory to the crime cannot be guilty of a more
serious crime than the principal offender.
Acta exteriora iudicant interiora secreta - Outward acts indicate the inward intent.
Actio non accrevit infra s*x annos - The action has not accrued within six years.
Actio non datur non damnificato - An action is not given to one who is not injured.
Actio personalis moritur cum persona - A personal action dies with the person.
Actiones legis - Law suits.
Actori incumbit onus probandi - The burden of proof lies on the plaintiff.
Actus nemini facit injuriam - The act of the law does no one wrong.
Actus non facit reum nisi mens sit rea - The act does not make one guilty unless there be
a criminal intent.
Actus reus - A guilty deed or act.
Ad ea quae frequentius acciduunt jura adaptantur - The laws are adapted to those cases
which occur more frequently.
Ad hoc - For this purpose.
Ad infinitum - Forever, without limit, to infinity.
Ad perpetuam rei memoriam - For a perpetual memorial of the matter.
Ad quaestionem facti non respondent judices; ad quaestionem legis non respondent
juratores - The judges do not answer to a question of fact; the jury do not answer to a
question of Law.
Aedificare in tuo proprio solo non licet quod alteri noceat - It is not lawful to build on one's
own land what may be injurious to another.
Aequitas legem sequitur - Equity follows the law.
Aequitas nunquam contravenit legem - Equity never contradicts the law.
Alibi - At another place, elsewhere.
Alienatio rei praefertur juri accrescendi - Alienation is preferred by law rather than
accumulation.
Aliunde - From elsewhere, or, from a different source
Allegans contraria non est audiendus - One making contradictory statements is not to be
 heard.
Allegans suam turpitudinem non est audiendus - One alleging his own infamy is not to be
heard.
Allegatio contra factum non est admittenda - An allegation contrary to a deed is not to be
heard.
Ambiguitas contra stipulatorem est - An ambiguity is most strongly construed against the
party using it.
Ambiguitas verborum patens nulla verificatione excluditur - A patent ambiguity is never
helped by averment.
Amicus curiae - A friend of the Court.
Angliae jura in omni casu libertati dant favorem - The laws of England are favorable in
every case to liberty.
Animo furandi - With an intention of stealing.
Animo testandi - With an intention of making a will.
Annus luctus - The year of mourning.
Ante - Before.
Aqua currit et debet currere, ut currere solebat - Water runs and ought to run.
Arbitrium est judicium - An award is a judgment.
Arbor dum crescit; lignum cum crescere nescit - A tree while it grows, wood when it
cannot grow.
Argumentum ab auctoritate fortissimum est in lege - An argument drawn from authority is
the strongest in law.
Argumentum ab impossibilii plurimum valet in lege - An argument from impossibility is
very strong in law.
Argumentum ad hominem - An argument directed a the person.
Argumentum ad ignoratiam - An argument based upon ignorance (i.e. of one's
adversary).
Arma in armatos sumere jura sinunt - The laws permit the taking up of arms against the
armed.
Assentio mentium - The meeting of minds, i.e. mutual assent.
Assignatus utitur jure auctoris - An assignee is clothed with rights of his assignor.
Audi alteram partem - Hear the other side.
Aula regis - The King's Court.

ab initio : from the beginning. locus : signifies a right to be heard.

standi

ad hoc : for particular purpose, mens rea : a guilty mind.

 pertaining to or for the
purpose of, this case only.
ad : in the meantime
interim
amicus : friend of the court; one
curiae who voluntarily or on
invitation of the court, and
not on the instructions of
any party, helps the court
in any judicial
proceedings.
audi : hear the other side. Both
alteram sides should be heard
before a decision is arrived
at.
caveat : let the purchaser beware. nexus
emptor A maxim implying that the
buyer must be cautious, as
the risk is his and not that
of the seller.
cestui que : a beneficiary under a trust, non
trust the person for whose obstante
benefit a trust is created.
de facto : in fact : an expression
indicating the actual state
of circumstances
independently of any
question of right or title.
de jure : in law : independent of
what obtains in fact.
dehors : outside of : unconnected
with, unrelated to;
de novo : anew.
mesne : intermediate profits, the profits which
profits a person in wrongful possession of the
property actually received or might
with ordinary diligence have received
therefrom together with interest on
such profits excluding the profits due
to improvement made by the person in
wrongful possession.
modus : mode of operating; the way in which a
operandi thing, cause etc. operates.
mutatis : with the necessary changes in points
mutandis of detail, with such change as may be
necessary.
: bond, link or connection.
: "notwithstanding clause." A legislative
device which is usually employed to
give overriding effect to certain
provisions over some contrary
provision that may be found either in
the same enactment, or some other
enactment, that is to say, to avoid the
operation and defect of all contrary
provisions.
obiter : an opinion of law not necessary to the
dictum decision. An expression of opinion
(formed) by a judge on a question
immaterial to the ratio decidendi, and
unnecessary for the decision of the
particular case. It is no way binding on
any court, but may receive attention
as being an opinion of high authority.
pendente : during litigation.
lite
per : through carelessness, through
 incuriam inadvertence. A decision of the court is
not binding precedent if given per
incuriam, that is, without the court's
attention having been drawn to the
relevant authorities, or statutes.

ejusdem : of the same kind or nature. pro tanto : to that extent, for so much, for as
generis Where a list of specific much as may be.
items is followed by
general concluding clause,
this is deemed to be
limited to things of the
same kind as those
specified.

ex gratia : as a matter of grace or quid pro : the giving of one thing of value for
favour. quo another thing of value; one for the
other; thing given as compensation.

ex officio : by virtue of an office. ratio : reasons for deciding, the grounds of

decidendi decision.

ex parte : expression used to signify res : an untouched matter; a point without

something done or said by integra a precedent; a case of novel
one person not in the impression.
presence of his opponent.

fait : an accomplished act. res : a case or suit already decided.

accompli judicata

in limine : at the outset. rule nisi : a rule to show cause why a party
should not do a certain act, or why the
object of the rule should not be
enforced.

in pari : upon the same matter or rule : when, having heard counsels, court
materia subject absolute directs the performance of that act
forthwith.

in : against the person; an act sine die : without day.

personam or proceeding done or
directed against or with
reference to a specific
person.

in rem : an act/proceeding done or sine qua : an indispensable requisite.

directed with reference to non
no specific person or with
reference to all whom it
might concern.

inter alia : amongst other things. stare : to stand by things decided; to abide by
decisis precedents where the same points
come again in litigation.

inter : between living persons status : existing condition.

vivos quo

intestate : a person is deemed to die sub judice : before a judge or court, pending
intestate in respect of decision of a competent count.
property of which he or
 she has not made a
testamentary disposition
("will") capable of taking
effect.

intra vires : within the powers; within ultra vires : beyond one's powers.
the authority given by law.

ipse dixit : he himself said it; there is

no other authority for it.

ipso facto : by the mere fact,

automatically

ipso jure : by the law itself; by the

mere operation of law.

lis : a pending suit.

pendens