Daubert test. A method that federal district courts use to determine whether expert testimony is admissible under Federal Rule of Evidence 702, which generally requires that expert testimony consist of scientific, technical, or other specialized knowledge that will assist the fact-finder in understanding the evidence or determining a fact in issue. • In its role […]
separate-but-equal doctrine. The now-defunct doctrine that African-Americans could be segregated if they were provided with equal opportunities and facilities in education, public transportation, and jobs. • This rule was established in Plessy v. Ferguson, 163 U.S. 537, 16 S.Ct. 1138 (1896), and overturned in Brown v. Board of Education, 347 U.S. 483, 74 S.Ct. 686
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Uniform Prudent Investor Act. A 1994 model statute that sets a standard for the acts of a trustee, adopts a prudent-investor standard, and prefers a modern portfolio approach to investing. • Under the Uniform Prudent Investor Act, the trustee is given significant power to delegate the selection of investments. The prudent-investor standard replaces the prudent-person
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Feist doctrine. Copyright. The rule that “sweat of the brow” will not support U.S. copyright protection in an unoriginal collection of facts. Feist Pubs. v. Rural Tel. Serv. Co., 499 U.S. 340, 111 S.Ct. 1282 (1991). Cf. SWEAT-OF-THE-BROW DOCTRINE. [Cases: Copyrights and Intellectual Property 12(2).]
scienter (sI-en-t[schwa]r or see-), n. [Latin “knowingly”] 1. A degree of knowledge that makes a person legally responsible for the consequences of his or her act or omission; the fact of an act’s having been done knowingly, esp. as a ground for civil damages or criminal punishment. See KNOWLEDGE; MENS REA . [Cases: Criminal Law
The branch of public law governing military discipline and other rules regarding service in the armed forces. • It is exercised both in peacetime and in war, is recognized by civil courts, and includes rules far broader than for the punishment of offenders. — Also termed military justice. — Sometimes loosely termed martial law. Cf.
The evidentiary rule that when a piece of evidence is not itself admissible, but is ad-missible if certain other facts make it relevant, the evidence becomes admissible on condition that counsel later introduce the connecting facts. • If counsel does not satisfy this condition, the opponent is entitled to have the conditionally admitted piece of
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Conformity Act or Statute 〈美〉《一致法》 1872年制定的一项联邦法律的名称，该法规定联邦地区法院的诉讼程序(衡平法和海事诉讼除外)应与当地州法院处理类似案件的诉讼程序相一致，或尽量一致。《联邦民事诉讼规则》〔Federal Rules of Civil Procedure〕在1938年生效后该法废止。
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right and wrong test 是非辨认能力测试 一种刑事责任能力测试。如行为人在实施行为时，因精神病而缺乏理智，以致不知道他所从事行为的性质和意义，或者即使知道但不了解他正在进行的行为是错误的，则行为人不应因其行为而被判决承担刑事责任。(→insanity; M’Naghten Rules)
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pleading n. (1)诉讼文件；诉状 诉讼当事人交替向法庭及对方提交的书面文件，以提出诉讼请求、陈述诉讼理由或进行答辩。旧时普通法诉讼中的诉状包括原告的起诉状〔declaration〕、被告的答辩状〔plea〕、原告的答辩状〔replication〕、被告的次轮答辩状〔rejoinder〕、原告的次轮答辩状〔surrejoinder〕、被告的三轮答辩状〔rebutter〕、原告的三轮答辩状〔surrebutter〕。衡平法诉讼中的诉状包括原告的起诉状〔bill of complaint〕、被告的各种答辩状〔demurrer, plea, answer or disclaimer〕或其混合形式、原告的答辩状〔replication〕等。目前在英国高等法院的诉讼程序中，起诉状、被告答辩状及原告答辩状分别称为statement of claim, statement of defence和reply，其后的诉状仍旧沿用普通法诉讼中的名称。在美国，普通法上严格的诉状体系已大大得到简化，其作用也已大大降低，对事实及争议点的限定通过披露程序〔discovery〕及审前会议〔pretrial conference〕完成。根据《联邦民事诉讼程序规则》〔Federal Rules of Civil Procedure〕，诉状包括起诉状〔complaint〕、答辩状〔answer〕、反诉答辩状〔reply to a counterclaim〕、交叉诉讼答辩状〔answer to a cross-claim〕、第三方起诉状〔third party complaint〕及第三方答辩状〔third party answer〕。在诉讼过程中提交或使用的申请书〔motions〕、律师辩论意见书〔briefs〕、宣誓书〔affidavits〕等属于广泛意义上的法庭文件〔court papers〕，而不属于诉状。 (2)诉答；诉答程序确定和缩小诉讼争点〔issues〕范围的程序，当事人在此阶段通过提交正式书状来阐明其各自的主张。 (3)诉答规则 规范和调整原告起诉和被告答辩的法律规则。 (4)撰写诉状的技巧；辩护术