239. Law

See also 103. CRIME ; 185. GOVERNMENT

allograph

a signature of a proxy, one who is not party to the transaction at hand. — allographic , adj .

angary

the right of a nation at war to destroy the property of a neutral, subject to indemnification.

anomie, anomy, anomia

a state or condition of individuals or society characterized by an absence or breakdown of social and legal norms and values, as in the case of an uprooted people. — anomic , adj .

antinomia, antinomy

a real or apparent contradiction in a statute. — antinomic, antinomian , adj .

antinomianism

the theological doctrine maintaining that Christians are freed from both moral and civil law by God’s gift of grace. — antinomian, antinomist , n .

asseveration

the solemn affirmation of the truth of a statement. — asseverator , n . — asseverative , adj .

avowtry

the crime of adultery.

barratry

the offense of frequently exciting or stirring up suits and quarrels between others. — barrator , n . — barratrous , adj .

battery

an intentional act that, directly or indirectly, causes harmful contact with another’s person.

caveat

a legal notice to beware; a notice placed on file until the caveator can be heard. — caveator , n . — caveatee , n .

civilist

a person who studies civil law.

compurgation

formerly, in common law, acquittal on the basis of endorsement by the friends or neighbors of the accused. Also called trial by wager of law. — compurgator , n . — compurgatory , adj .

compurgator

one who testifies to the innocence of an accused person.

constructionist

a person who puts a particular interpretation on provisions of the U.S. Constitution, especially those provisions dealing with the rights of individuals and states.

coverture

the status of a married woman.

criminalism

an act or action having the character of a crime. Also criminality . — criminal , n ., adj .

culpability

1. the condition of blameworthiness, criminality, censurability.

2. Obsolete, guilt. — culpable , adj .

delinquency

a condition of guilt; failure to do that which the law or other obligation requires. See also 160. FINANCE . — delinquent , adj .

dicealolgy

Obsolete, a delineation of jurisdiction.

dikephobia

an abnormal fear or dislike of justice.

disherison

Archaic . 1. the act of disinheriting.

2. the condition of being disinherited.

Draconianism

any unreasonable harshness or severity in laws. — Draconian, Draconic , adj .

easement

the right one landowner has been granted over the land of another, as the right of access to water, right of way, etc., at no charge.

feudist

1. a specialist in law relating to the feudal system.

2. a person who holds or Iets land under the provisions of the feudal system.

fiduciary

a person to whom property or power is entrusted for the benefit of another. — fiducial, fiduciary , adj .

jurisprudence

1. law as a science or philosophy.

2. a system of laws or a particular branch of law. — jurisprudent , adj .

Justinianist

an expert on the codification and revision of Roman laws ordered by the 6th-century Byzantine emperor Justinian. — Justinian code , n .

legalese

language typical of lawyers, laws, legal forms, etc., characterized by archaic usage, prolixity, redundancy and extreme thoroughness.

legalism

a strict and usually literal adherence to the law. — legalistic , adj .

legist

a person who is skilled or well versed in law.

litigiomania

a compulsion for involving oneself in legal disputes.

nomism

the practice of religious legalism, especially the basing of standards of good actions upon the moral law.

nomocracy

a system of government based on a legal code.

nomography

1. the art of drafting laws.

2. a treatise on the drawing up of laws. — nomographer , n . — nomographic , adj .

nomology

the science of law. — nomologist , n . — nomological , adj .

nonage

the state of being under the age required by law to enter into certain responsibilities or obligations, as marrying, entering into contracts, etc. See also 81. CHURCH ; 331. PROPERTY and OWNERSHIP .

pandect, pandects

a legal code or complete body or system of laws.

pandectist

1. the writer of a complete code of the laws of a country.

2. the writer of a complete digest of materials on a subject.

pettifogger

1. a lawyer whose practice is of a small or petty character; a lawyer of little importance.

2. a shyster lawyer. — pettifoggery , n .

postremogeniture

the rights or legal status of the last child bom in a family. Also called ultimogeniture . Cf. primogeniture .

primogeniture

the rights or legal status of the first born in a family. Cf. postremogeniture .

publicist

an expert in public or international law.

revisionism

the advocacy of revision, especially in relation to court decisions. — revisionist , n . — revisionary , adj .

squatterism

1. the state or practice of being a squatter, or one who settles on government land, thereby establishing ownership.

2. the state or practice of settling in vacant or abandoned property, either for shelter or in an attempt to establish ownership. — squatter , n .

symbolaeography

the drawing up of legal documents. — symbolaeographer , n .

ultimogeniture

postremogeniture.

vassalage

1. the condition of land tenure of a vassal.

2. the fief or lands held.