Legal Terminology and Maxims

1	Ab initio	From the beginning
2	Ad hoc	Not intended to be able to be adapted to other purposes
3	Ad idem	To the same thing
4	Ad infinitum	To infinity
5	Ad valorem	According to value
6	Alter ego	A second identity living within a person
7	Amicus curiae	Friend of the court
8	Audi alteram partem	Hear the other side
9	Bona fide	In good faith
10	De facto	In fact
11	De jure	In law
12	De novo	A new
13	Dehors	Outside of
14	Ex gratia	As a matter of grace or favor
15	Ex officio	By virtue of an office
16	Ex parte	Expression used to signify something done or said by a person not in presence of his opponent
17	Fait accompli	An accomplished fact
18	actus reus	Guilty act
19	In personam	Against the person
20	In rem	Act done or directed with reference to no specific person or with reference to all whom it might concern
21	Inter alia	Among other things
22	Inter vivos	Between living persons
23	Intestate	Deemed to die intestate in respect of property of which they haven’t made a testamentary disposition capable of taking effect
24	Intra vires	Within the powers
25	Ipso facto	By the mere fact
26	Ipso jure	By the law itself
27	Lis pendens	A pending suit
28	Locus standi	Signifies a right to be heard
29	Mens rea	A guilty mind
30	Mesne profits	Intermediate profits, the profits which a person in wrongful possession of 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 person in wrongful possession.
31	Modus operandi	Mode of operating
32	Mutatis mutandis	With the necessary changes in points of detail, with such change as may be necessary
33	Obiter dictum	An opinion of law not necessary to the decision – expression by the judge on a question immaterial to the ratio decidendi and unnecessary for deciding the particular case. Not binding on any court, but maybe considered an opinion of high authority.
34	Pendente lite	During litigation
35	Quid pro quo	The giving of one thing of value for another thing of value – one for the other  - thing given as compensation
36	Ratio decidendi	Reasons for deciding; grounds of decision
37	Res integra	An untouched matter; a point without precedent; a case of novel impression
38	Res judicata	A case or suit already decided
39	Rule nisi	A rule to show cause why a party shouldn’t do a certain act, or why the object of the rule shouldn’t be enforced
40	Sine die	Without day
41	Sine qua non	An indispensable requisite
42	Stare decisis	To stand by things decided, to abide by precedents where the same points come again in litigation
43	Status quo	Existing condition
44	Sub judice	Before a judge or court; pending decision of a competent court
45	Ultra vires	Beyond one’s powers