dictator. 1. Roman law. An absolute ruler appointed in an emergency for a term of six months and subject to reappointment. “In special emergencies, particularly in times of grave crisis, either consul might appoint a dictator who exercised supreme authority, but not beyond six months, unless reappointed. This was, in effect, a temporary reversion to […]
rector (rek-t[schwa]r). 1. Eccles. law. The spiritual head and presiding officer of a parish. — Also termed parson. Cf. VICAR. impropriate rector. A lay rector as opposed to a clerical rector. rector sinecure (sI-nee-kyoor-ee). A rector who does not have the cure of souls. 2. Roman law. A governor or ruler. rector provinciae (pr[schwa]-vin-shee-ee). A
misdemeanor manslaughter. See MANSLAUGHTER. MISDEMEANOR-MANSLAUGHTER RULE misdemeanor-manslaughter rule. The doctrine that a death occurring during the commission of a misdemeanor (or sometimes a nondangerous felony) is involuntary manslaughter. • Many states and the Model Penal Code have abolished this rule. Cf. FELONY-MURDER RULE. [Cases: Homicide 620–652.] “Companion to the felony-murder rule is the so-called misdemeanor-manslaughter
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Evidence of the highest quality available, as measured by the nature of the case rather than the thing being offered as evidence. • The term is usu. applied to writings and recordings. If the original is available, it must be offered rather than a copy or oral rendition. Fed. R. Evid. 1002. — Also termed
National Reporter System. A series of lawbooks, published by the West Group, containing every published appellate decision of the federal and state courts in the United States. • For federal courts, the system includes the Supreme Court Reporter, Federal Reporter, Federal Claims Reporter, Federal Supplement, Federal Rules Decisions, Bankruptcy Reporter, Military Justice Reporter, and Veterans
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printed-matter doctrine. Patents. The rule that printed matter may not be patented unless it is a physical part of a patentable invention. • For example, the doctrine has been used to deny patents for systems of representing sheet music and for methods of compiling directories. But it cannot be used to deny a patent for
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preclusion order 〈美〉阻却令；阻止令 根据《联邦民事诉讼规则》〔Federal Rules of Civil Procedure〕，阻止不遵从法院披露令〔order for discovery〕的当事人提出或反对某些诉讼请求或答辩的命令。
financial statement. 1. A balance sheet, income statement, or annual report that summarizes an individual’s or organization’s financial condition on a specified date or for a specified period by reporting assets and liabilities. — Also termed financial report. Cf. FINANCING STATEMENT. certified financial statement. A financial statement examined and reported by an independent public or
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absurdity, n. The state or quality of being grossly unreasonable; esp., an interpretation that would lead to an unconscionable result, esp. one that the parties or (esp. for a statute) the drafters could not have intended and probably never considered. Cf. GOLDEN RULE.
stop-list. Antitrust. An illegal means by which manufacturers sometimes attempt to enforce price maintenance, by having suppliers agree among themselves not to supply any party who competes actively and breaks anticompetitive price “rules.”