superinfeudation. Hist. The granting of one or more feuds out of a feudal estate. — Also termed superfeudation. Cf. SUBINFEUDATION. “Whatever may be the proper view of its origin and legal nature, the best mode of vividly picturing to ourselves the feudal organisation is to begin with the basis, to consider the relation of the […]
altercation. A vehement dispute; a noisy argument. “altercation. The traditional view is that this word refers to ‘a noisy brawl or dispute,’ not rising to the seriousness of physical violence…. But in AmE, the word now often denotes some type of scuffling or fighting, especially in police jargon.” Bryan A. Garner, A Dictionary of Modern
Bracton. The common title of one of the earliest books of English law, De Legibus et Consuetudinibus Angliae (ca. 1250). • Henry of Bratton (also known as Bracton), a judge of the Court of King’s Bench and of Assize, is credited with writing the work, though he may have merely revised an earlier version. “Bracton’s
anomalous-jurisdiction rule ([schwa]-nom-[schwa]-l[schwa]s). The principle that a court of appeals has provisional jurisdiction to review the denial of a motion to intervene in a case, and if the court of appeals finds that the denial was correct, then its jurisdiction disappears — and it must dismiss the appeal for want of jurisdiction — because an
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predominant-purpose test. An assessment of whether Article 2 of the UCC applies to an exchange, conducted by considering whether the exchange’s chief aspect, viewed in light of all the circumstances, is the sale of goods. • If goods account for most of the exchange’s value, it is probably a sale; if services account for most
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electronic agent. Any electronic or automated means, such as a computer program, that can independently initiate or respond to an action or message without a human’s review.
voidable, adj. Valid until annulled; esp., (of a contract) capable of being affirmed or rejected at the option of one of the parties. • This term describes a valid act that may be voided rather than an invalid act that may be ratified. — Also termed avoidable. [Cases: Contracts 98, 136. C.J.S. Contracts §§ 137,
parody. Intellectual property. A transformative use of a well-known work for purposes of satirizing, ridiculing, critiquing, or commenting on the original work, as opposed to merely alluding to the original to draw attention to the later work. • In constitutional law, a parody is protected as free speech. In copyright law, a work must meet
offer of performance. Contracts. One party’s reasonable assurance to the other, through words or conduct, of a present ability to fulfill contractual obligations. • When performances are to be exchanged simultaneously, each party is entitled to refuse to proceed with the exchange until the other party makes an appropriate offer of performance. Cf. TENDER(1). [Cases:
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secret seven 〈美〉七个秘密机关 1978年《公共事业法》〔Common Cause〕确定的47个联邦机构中最严重违反《联邦阳光法》〔Federal Sunshine Law〕的七个机构。《联邦阳光法》规定所有联邦机构的会议必须向公众公开。这些机构是：１进出口银行〔Export-Import Bank〕;２国家劳资关系委员会〔National Labor Relations Board〕；３职业安全与健康复审委员会〔Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission〕;４美国假释委员会〔United States Parole Commission〕;５联邦储备委员会〔Federal Reserve Board〕;６商品期货交易委员会〔Commodity Futures Trading Commission〕和７联邦住宅贷款银行委员会〔Federal Home Loan Bank Board〕。