Latin for Lawyers

DILITIONES IN LEGE SONT ODIOSAE

DILITIONES IN LEGE SONT ODIOSAE Delays are hateful to the law. The law dislikes delays. DILIGENCE [L. diligentia / carefulness, accuracy (from diligere / to choose, to prize)] Dedication to duty as defined in a contract or other relationship recognized and enforced by the law. Care; attentiveness. Due diligence is the care expected of a reasonable person under the prevailing circumstances; reason able efforts. The term is used most often to describe the standard of profes sional care expected of business executives, lawyers and accountants in the examination and evaluation of risks in a proposed business transaction. Also, the process followed by a law firm or accounting firm in examining and reporting on the integrity of the information and data supplied by the other side in a proposed acquisition or other business transaction. DILUTION [L. diluere / to wash away, dissolve] A lessening or diminution.In corporate law, the action of a corporation in reducing the unit value of its shares by issuing new shares of the same class at a lower price than those outstanding, or in reducing the voting power of out standing shares. In trademark law, the doctrine which protects a strong trade mark against use of the mark by another, even though that use may be noncompetitive. DILUVION [L. diluere / to wash away] Soil and other matter washed away from the edge of a body of water over time or through a storm or flood. See ACCRETION; ALLUVIUM; DERELICTION DIMINUTION [L. de + minuere / to chop up, cut into pieces, make smaller] A lessening or decrease in number or value. A record which is inaccurate or incomplete when it is sent from a lower court to an appellate court. Diminu tion in value is a measure of damages computed by subtracting the value of a property or right after a damage or loss has occurred to it from its value before the loss. DIRECT [L. dirigo, dirigere / to arrange, direct] Stemming without hindrence from a source. Running in a straight line from start to finish without deviation, or from person to person without interrup tion (as from parent to offspring). Unaffected by an intervening agency or interruption. A direct examination is the first examination of a witness at trial by the party who calls him.

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