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Most Popular Legal Definitions

sodomy

Synonymous with buggery and referring to unnatural sex acts, including copulation, either between two persons of the same sex or between a person and an animal.

matrimonial asset

An asset owned by one or both of two persons who are married to one another which, upon the application of one of the spouses to a court, is subject to division between 
them.

defendant

individual, company or organization that defends a legal action taken by a plaintiff and against which the court has been asked to order damages or specific corrective action redress some type of unlawful or improper action alleged by the plaintiff

covenant

written document in which signatories either commit themselves to do a certain thing, to not do a certain thing or in which they agree on a certain set of facts

equity

A branch of English law which developed hundreds of years ago when litigants would go to the King and complain of harsh or inflexible rules of common law which prevented justice from prevailing

civil law

1) A body of laws and legal concepts which come down from old Roman laws established by Emperor Justinian, and which differ from English common law, which is the framework of most state legal systems. In the United States only Louisiana (relying on the French Napoleonic Code) has a legal structure based on civil law. 2) Generic term for non-criminal law.

clear and convincing evidence

Evidence that proves a matter by the "preponderance of evidence" required in civil cases and beyond the "reasonable doubt" needed to convict in a criminal case.

national treatment

A tenet of international trade agreements whereby nations must afford imported goods the same treatment that they afford domestic or national products

vassal

an individual who submits to serve another usually for a return; a dependent; servant

arguendo

Latin meaning "for the sake of argument"