civil disobedience. A deliberate but nonviolent act of lawbreaking to call attention to a particular law or set of laws believed by the actor to be of questionable legitimacy or morality. “Social protest and even civil disobedience serve the law’s need for growth. Ideally, reform would come according to reason and justice without self-help and […]
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feudalism (fyood-[schwa]l-iz-[schwa]m). 1. A landholding system, particularly applying to medieval Europe, in which all are bound by their status in a hierarchy of reciprocal obligations of service and defense. • The lord was obligated to give the vassal (1) some land, (2) protection, and (3) justice. The lord guaranteed the quiet occupation of the land
child-support-enforcement agency. Family law. A governmental agency that helps custodial parents collect child support. • Under Title IV(D) of the Social Security Act (42 USCA § 654), states are required to establish child-support-enforcement agencies to collect support for obligee parents. Although the agencies are governed by a set of federal standards, each state has its
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moral turpitude. 1. Conduct that is contrary to justice, honesty, or morality. • In the area of legal ethics, offenses involving moral turpitude — such as fraud or breach of trust — traditionally make a person unfit to practice law. — Also termed moral depravity. 2. Military law. Any conduct for which the applicable punishment
masking, n. In critical legal studies, the act or an instance of concealing something’s true nature (being a crit, Max contends that the legal system is merely an elaborate masking of social injustices). — mask, vb.
jury nullification. A jury’s knowing and deliberate rejection of the evidence or refusal to apply the law either because the jury wants to send a message about some social issue that is larger than the case itself or because the result dictated by law is contrary to the jury’s sense of justice, morality, or fairness.
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