civil union. Family law. A marriage-like relationship, often between members of the same sex, recognized by civil authorities within a jurisdiction. • Vermont was the first state to recognize civil unions. In December 1999, the Vermont Supreme Court ruled that denying gay couples the benefits of marriage amounted to unconstitutional discrimination. Baker v. State, 744 […]
petition, n. 1. A formal written request presented to a court or other official body. certiorari petition. A petition seeking discretionary review from an appellate court. See CERTIORARI. debtor’s petition. See voluntary petition. involuntary petition. A petition filed in a bankruptcy court by a creditor seeking to declare a debtor bankrupt. • This type of
grade n. (1)(道路的)坡度；斜坡 (2)(学校的)年级 (3)等级 按一定标准对产品等评定的等级。在刑法中「grades of crime」指犯罪的等级，如一级、二级或三级谋杀罪〔first， second or, third degree murder〕。 v. (4)把(路面等)筑平 (5)评定等级
Drago doctrine. The principle asserted by Luis Drago, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Argentine Republic, in a December 29, 1902 letter to the Argentine Minister in Washington, in which Drago, in response to the forcible coercion of Venezuela’s unpaid loans by Great Britain and others, argued that no public debt should be collected from
insurance company. A corporation or association that issues insurance policies. [Cases: Insurance 1003. C.J.S. Insurance § 32.] captive insurance company. A company that insures the liabilities of its owner. • The insured is usu. the sole shareholder and the only customer of the company. — Also termed captive insurer. [Cases: Insurance 1192.] mixed insurance company.
ALWD Citation Manual. A guide to American legal citation written and edited by legal-writing professionals affiliated with the Association of Legal Writing Directors. • First published in 2000 as an alternative to the Blu-ebook, it contains one citation system for all legal documents and does not distinguish between citations in law-journal footnotes and those in
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reformatory n. 〈美〉管教所；教养院 1870年辛辛那提州召开的首届全国监狱大会〔First National Prison Congress〕讨论设置的刑罚执行机构。1877年于纽约州〔New York〕建立第一所管教所——纽约州立管教所〔N.Y. State Reformatory〕，管教所是一种特殊的监狱形式，监禁16-30岁且犯罪性质不严重的年轻人，通过适当的教育、矫正、道德感化等手段改造罪犯。19世纪末以来，管教所在美国迅速推广，并成为对监狱制度改革的一项贡献。(→house of correction; reform school)
shall, vb. 1. Has a duty to; more broadly, is required to (the requester shall send notice) (notice shall be sent). • This is the mandatory sense that drafters typically intend and that courts typically uphold. [Cases: Statutes 227. C.J.S. Statutes §§ 362–369.] 2. Should (as often interpreted by courts) (all claimants shall request mediation).
A system of weighted preferential voting that adds up the ranked preferences — “1” for a first choice, “2” for a second choice, and so forth — so that the most-preferred candidate wins by having the lowest total. See preferential voting; weighted vote under VOTE(1).
distringas 〈拉〉 (1)财产扣押令 指令郡长〔sheriff〕扣押某人的财产以迫使其履行一定义务的令状，如扣押刑事被告人的财产以迫使其到王座法庭〔King’s Bench〕就起诉书〔indictment or information〕作答辩；扣押陪审员的财产以迫使其出庭履行陪审员的义务(该种令状称distringas juratores)；在返还动产之诉〔detinue〕中，distringas是一种特别的执行令，通过反覆扣押被告的动产来迫使其向原告交付财产。英国1852年的《普通法诉讼程序法》〔Common Law Procedure Act〕已废除了这些令状。在衡平法诉讼中，扣押法人〔a corporation aggregate〕的财产以迫使其到庭应诉的第一道令状〔first process〕也称为distringas。 (2)(英格兰古法)临时限制股票转让令 应有关利害关系人的请求，衡平法院〔Court of Chancery〕签发的临时限制英格兰银行〔Bank of England〕或其他公开公司〔public company〕转让其股票的命令。该程序的目的旨在阻止欺诈性交易，但它只是一项临时性救济措施，其效力仅持续至请求签发限制转让令者有机会陈述其主张之前，因此，请求者应尽快起诉以求获得禁止令〔restraining order〕或禁制令〔injunction〕。