composition, n. 1. An agreement between a debtor and two or more creditors for the adjustment or discharge of an obligation for some lesser amount; an agreement among the debtor and two or more creditors that the debtor will pay the creditors less than their full claims in full satisfaction of their claims. • The […]
marine-rescue doctrine. The rule that when a person on a ship goes overboard, the ship must use all reasonable means to retrieve the person from the water if the person can be seen, and, if the person cannot be seen, must search for the person as long as it is reasonably possible that the person
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A bill passed by both houses of the legislature and signed by their presiding officers. See ENROLL(2); ENROLLED-BILL RULE. [Cases: Statutes 37. C.J.S. Statutes §§ 56–58.]
adjective law (aj-ik-tiv). The body of rules governing procedure and practice; PROCEDURAL LAW. — Also termed adjectival law. [Cases: Action 1. C.J.S. Actions §§ 2–9, 11, 17, 21, 32–33, 36.] “The body of law in a State consists of two parts, substantive and adjective law. The former prescribes those rules of civil conduct which declare
coram nobis 〈拉〉本法院纠错令状 该词的本义是「在我们自己面前」。在英格兰古法中，指在王座法庭纠正已判决案件存在事实上的错误的令状，与要求王座法庭以外的其他法庭(尤其指民诉法庭〔Court of Common Pleas〕)纠正错误的令状〔coram vobis〕相对。后也指要求纠正本法院所作判决存在的事实上的错误的令状。所指事实上的错误通常指在诉讼中未提出某事实，但被告对此并不存在疏忽，而是由于存在欺诈、胁迫或其他可免责的错误，如果在诉讼中该事实得到确认，法庭就不会作出此判决。也称作「writ of error coram nobis」或「writ of coram nobis」。美国《联邦民事诉讼规则》〔Federal Rules of Civil Procedure〕已废除了此种令状。
suppression of evidence 〈美〉 (1)排除证据 指在庭审中法官对非法取得的证据裁决予以排除。 (→exclusionary rule; motion to suppress) (2)隐匿证据 指在刑事诉讼中拒绝提供证据或拒绝作证的行为。如果公诉方故意隐匿对被告人有利且不为被告人所知晓的重要证据，则构成违反正当程序〔due process〕。但在认定公诉方的行为是否构成隐匿证据时，则须依案件的具体情况来判断，如果该证据无证明价值〔probative value〕，或仅是补充证据〔cumulative evidence〕,或被告方与公诉方有同样的机会可取得该证据，则公诉方无义务向被告方披露该证据。
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corpus delicti 〈拉〉犯罪事实 指犯罪的客观外在事实，如被谋杀者的尸体、被焚燬的房屋。其引申意义指证明犯罪确已发生并符合某一犯罪构成全部要件的证据，包含犯罪行为〔act〕与行为应受刑法追究〔criminal agency of the act〕(即非意外事件)两方面。犯罪事实是追究犯罪的基础。若检察机关对犯罪的指控仅依据被告人的口供，而未提供犯罪的事实证据，则指控不能成立。这是英美法上一条重要的原则：犯罪事实原则〔corpus delicti rule〕。
An unfunded compensation arrangement, frequently offered to executives, that defers compensation and the recognition of its accompanying taxable income to a later date. • It is termed “nonqualified” because it does not qualify for favorable tax treatment under IRC (26 USCA) § 401(a). The plan avoids the restrictions on qualified plans, esp. the limits on
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ita lex scripta est (I-t[schwa] leks skrip-t[schwa] est). [Latin] So the law is written. • This expression means that the law must be obeyed despite the apparent rigor of its application. The idea is that we must be content with the law as it stands, without inquiring into its reasons. — Sometimes shortened to ita
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