Latin for Lawyers

CASE

CASE [L. casus / a fall; an accident or occurence (from cadere / to fall)] A set of circumstances or facts. Conditions requiring investigation, e.g., by the police. A suit or action in law or in equity. The case at bar is the action before the court at a given time. A judicial decision which enunciates a new principle of law or which is so well reasoned or written as to prompt notice by scholars and lawyers is called a landmark case or a leading case . See CASUS CAS FORTUIT [L. cas, casus / occasion, event + fortuitus / accidental, unplanned] A fortuitous and unexpected event. An event or accident caused by a force which is unforeseen and irresistible. CASTIGATE [L. castigare / to punish, chastise] To punish, criticize, reprove. To subject to punishment. CASUALTY [L. casus ] A serious or fatal injury. A person in military service who is injured or killed in battle or who is captured or missing in action. Generally, any victim of an accident. Also, the accident itself, such as a loss through fire, hurricane or earthquake. CASUS [L. cadere / to fall] A case, a set of circumstances, a condition. A set of facts requiring study or investigation. A suit or action in a court of law or equity. Anything requiring care or attention. Used by lawyers in many ways, generally to refer to a mat ter at issue or in litigation; e.g., case in point, case in controversy, case of first impression , etc. See CASE CASUS BELLI An event of war. CASUS MAJOR An important event. A catastrophe. An unusual event. CASUS OMISSUS [L. casus + omittere / to omit, leave out] A litigation which arises because a statute has failed to cover a particular issue which must then be decided by the courts. An issue or set of circum stances which is not covered by (inadvertently omitted from) a statute and is therefore left to be interpreted and decided under common law principles by the court.

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