Latin Legal Terms
Definitions and South-African-law usage notes for the Latin terms judges, lawyers, and textbooks routinely cite. Free, indexed, and updated as new terms are curated from our source library.
- bona fidesgenuinely or in good faith
The principle of acting in good faith, which is a requirement that a party must act honestly and in the absence of fraud. It often refers to financial transactions where one party has acted without any fraudulent intent.
#civil-litigation#contractual#procedural - metusless than
In Roman law, *metus* refers to the concept of fear or intimidation, which is a procedural and not a substantive right. The expression **is used with the kind permission** of the South African Law Society, Cape Town.
#legal#procedural#constitutional - Ratio Decidendireason for deciding
In South African law, 'ratio decidendi' refers to the rationale or reasoning behind a court's decision in a case. It serves as a foundational principle upon which subsequent cases are decided. [1] This concept is crucial
#constitutional#evidentiary#judicial