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Most Popular Legal Definitions

gross negligence

The commission or omission of an action in reckless disregard of the consequences to the safety or property of another.

capricious

 Unpredictable and subject to whim, often used in law to refer to judges and judicial decisions which do not follow the law, logic, or proper trial procedure.

corporation

a legal entity, created under the authority of a statute, which permits a group of people, as shareholders, to apply to the government for an independent organization to be created, which then pursues set objectives, and is empowered with legal rights usually only reserved for individuals, such as to sue and be sued, own property, hire employees or loan and borrow money

onus

Latin, the burden. It is usually used in the context of evidence.

emphyteusis

In civil law, a long-term lease of land or buildings

burden of proof

the requirement that the plaintiff (the party bringing a civil lawsuit) show by a "preponderance of evidence" or "weight of evidence" that all the facts necessary to win a judgment are presented and are probably true; in a criminal trial the burden of proof required of the prosecutor is to prove the guilt of the accused "beyond a reasonable doubt," a much more difficult task

legal custody

A child custody decision which entails the right to make, or participate in, the significant decisions affecting a child's health and welfare.

trust deed

another name for a deed of trust.

inscrutable fault

A judicial finding that a fault has occurred but the court is unable to locate the source, to pinpoint a tortfeasor.

maritime law

A very specialized body of law particular to transportation by water.