non compos mentis 〈拉〉精神不健全(之人)；精神失常(之人) 泛指任何智能不全或有缺陷的精神状态。据认为可分为四类：１先天性与永久性的痴呆〔ideota〕；２因疾病、悲伤等意外事件而全部丧失记忆力与理解力；３间歇性的精神错乱〔lunatic〕，即时而具有理解力时而丧失理解力的精神错乱者在发病时的状态；４因不良行为——如酗酒——而暂时丧失记忆力与理解力。该类精神不健全不得作为免责理由。 (→non sanae memoriae; insanity; idiocy; drunkenness; mental incapacity; mental incompetency)
A power of attorney that remains in effect during the grantor’s incompetency. • Such instruments commonly allow an agent to make healthcare decisions for a patient who has become incompetent. [Cases: Principal and Agent 51.]
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incompetence, n. 1. The state or fact of being unable or unqualified to do something (the dispute was over her alleged incompetence as a legal assistant). 2. INCOMPETENCY (the court held that the affidavit was inadmissible because of the affiant’s incompetence).
advance directive. 1. A document that takes effect upon one’s incompetency and designates a surrogate deci-sion-maker for healthcare matters. • The Uniform Health-Care Decision Act (1993) states that the power of attorney for healthcare must be in writing and signed by the principal. Unless otherwise stated, the authority is effective only upon a determination that
disability n. (1)无能力；无资格 指在法律上缺乏实施行为或享有某些利益的能力，诸如无能力提起诉讼、缔结婚姻或转让财产。导致当事人无能力的原因可能是不足法定年龄、精神缺陷或被追究刑事责任等。与其相对应的概念是豁免〔immunity〕。它可以分为一般无能力〔general disability〕与特殊无能力〔special disability〕，前者指缺乏从事所有行为的能力，精神病人或未成年人即为殊例，其不能缔约或转让财产。在古代，罪犯不能就其自己的权利提起诉讼。后者是指缺乏从事特定行为的能力或暂时无能力，例如某人无权签订某一种类的合同。它也可以分为本人无能力〔personal disability〕与绝对无能力〔absolute disability〕，后一种情况除使当事人本人无能力外，尚及于其后代或继承人，例如，在以前，某人若构成叛国罪或其他重罪，则其继承人不得主张继承非限嗣继承地产。 (2)残疾；伤残 在有关劳工赔偿法上，伤残是由以下两个条件综合构成的：１实际上无法从事僱佣工作并由此而失去工资；２身体受到损害。基于社会保障利益之目的，该词在制定法上的定义则须符合三个条件：１发生医学上可确定的肉体或精神损害，该损害将导致死亡或在很长时期或不确定期间内持续存在；２缺乏从事任何可获得实质性收入的僱佣工作的能力；３该无能力系由前述损害所致。 (→capacity; civil disabilities; incapacity; incompetency)
incapacity n. 无能力；能力欠缺 指法律能力、身体能力或智慧能力〔legal, physical, or intellectual capacity〕等方面不充分，缺乏为某事或处理某事的能力、权力的状态，具体所指应依语境而定。其含义与「capacity」一词相反，与「disability」一词相同。 (→incompetency; mental incapacity; physical incapacity)
incapacity to sue 无起诉资格；无诉讼能力 用以指由于未成年〔infancy〕、无行为能力〔incompetency〕、未经授权〔lack of authority〕等原因致使原告提起的诉讼不能成立。