1. The division of liability so that one party (usu. a defendant) must pay only part (usu. half) of another party’s (usu. the plaintiff’s) loss. • Rusticum judicium originated in 17th century maritime law as a means of efficiently resolving collision cases in which both ships were at fault. In maritime law, damages were equally divided. — Also termed rusticum jus. Cf. comparative negligence under NEGLIGENCE.
2. Rare. Rough justice; a rustic tribunal. • This is a literal translation of the term, used colloquially rather than accurately. — Sometimes misspelled rusticum judicum.
