Latin for Lawyers

ORDINANCE

ORDINANCE [L. ordinare / to put in order] A law or regulation adopted by a legislative body or government agency. A rule or regulation established by a municipal authority; a local law. ORDINANDI LEX [L. ordinare / to put in order + lex / the fixed word, law] Adjectival law. Rules of procedure, as contrasted to substantive law. The Fed eral Rules of Civil Procedure are a kind of ordinandi lex . ORDINARY [L. ordo / an order; ordinare / to arrange, set in place] Usual, customary. Familiar, everyday. The conduct usually expected of peo ple acting in a reasonable way. Ordinary care , for example, is the degree of care prevailing in a particular place for a particular business or activity. The ordinary course of business is the manner in which a particular business gen erally conducts its affairs, especially the method in which it pays its bills or handles its commercial transactions and transfers. Ordinary income is the income derived as compensation for labor performed or as interest or divi dends, but not including income derived from the sale or exchange of capital assets ( capital gains ). ORE TENUS [L. os , oris / mouth + tenus / as far as, to a certain point (by means of)] By word of mouth, orally. The testimony of a witness at trial is presented ore tenus . See ORAL ORGANIC LAW [L. organum / a tool or instrument] The constitution or underlying system of laws of a nation or state. In England, the organic law is the common law. In the United States, it is the Constitution as interpreted by the Supreme Court. ORIGINAL [L. orior, oriri / to rise, spring from; to be born] First to exist. Newly born or created. The source of variations and copies. The document first identified, signed and executed. Only an original work is enti tled to copyright protection. There can be only one valid original will . The doctrine of original intent is a theory held by conservative interpreters of the Constitution which looks only to the literal wording of the Constitution and frowns upon judicial extension or enlargement of that wording. ORIGINATION CLAUSE [L. oriri , originis / the source or beginning + claudo, claudere, clausus / to close] The Revenue Clause of the Constitution, which provides that all revenue bills shall originate in the House of Representatives. Article I, Section 7.

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