1. A Quo – A reference to the previous court from where a case or matter originated.

Thus, the
term “court a quo” in appealed cases refers to a lower court whose decision is under review.

2. Acquittal – A judgment by a court that the accused is found not guilty of the crime imputed
to him and is, therefore, absolved from prosecution for that crime.

3. Act of State – A sovereign act of government which cannot be the subject of a suit or be
actionable in law.

4. Action in Personam – A suit directed against specific persons and which seeks personal
judgments.

5. Action in Rem – A suit directed against the thing or property or status of a person and
which seeks a judgment with respect thereto as against the whole world.

6. Actionable – A matter or action that creates a ground for a “cause of action” or a suit at law.

7. Actual Case or Controversy – A conflict involving opposite legal claims susceptible of

judicial resolution, one that is “definite and concrete, touching the legal relations of parties
having diverse legal interests,” constituting a real and substantial controversy admitting of
specific relief.

8. Adjudicate – The act of a judge in rendering judgment, or making a decision between two
opposed or competing claims, or upholding or denying a cause of action.

9. Admission – In the law of evidence, it refers to a statement, oral or written, made by a party
about the existence of a relevant fact which can be taken against him that is material in a
court proceeding.

10. Adverse Party – It usually refers to a party litigant in a case who would be adversely
affected by the court’s decision.

11. Affidavit – An ex parte statement in writing made under oath before a notary public or other
officer authorized to administer oaths, about facts which the affiant either knows of his own
personal knowledge or is aware of to the best of his knowledge.

12. Affidavit of Desistance – A sworn statement, executed by the complainant in a criminal or

administrative case, that he or she is discontinuing or disavowing his complaint for whatever
reason he or she may cite.

13. Affirmative Defense – An allegation of new matter which, while hypothetically admitting the
material allegations in the pleading of the claimant, would nevertheless prevent or bar
recovery by him.

14. Allegata et Probata – The Latin expression of a doctrine in criminal law which states that
what is alleged in the information or complaint must be proven during trial; otherwise, the
allegation cannot be used against the accused.

15. Amicus Curiae – A “friend of the court” whose legal learning or expertise is judicially sought
to advise on matters of which a judge may be doubtful or in need of special assistance.

16. Answer – The pleading in which a defendant sets forth his defenses against the complaint
which must be filed within 15 days after service of summons.

17. Appeal – The remedial procedure by which an aggrieved party elevates the decision of a
lower court to a higher court for review and reconsideration with a view to having it reversed
or modified.

18. Appearance – A judicial term to denote a party’s or a counsel’s voluntary submission to a

court’s jurisdiction.
19. Arraignment – A formal procedure in criminal prosecution “to afford an accused due
process” by means of informing him of the nature and cause of the accusation against him
before he is required to enter his plea of guilty or not guilty.

20. Burden of Evidence – The onus that a party must carry to overcome the weight of the
evidence which has tilted against him. Thus, it may shift back and forth during the course of
the trial depending on who is better able to sustain a prima facie case in his favor.

21. Burden of Proof – The duty of a party to present evidence on the facts in issue necessary
to establish his claim or defense by the amount of evidence required by law.

22. Capacity to Act – The power to do acts with legal effect, such as entering into contracts or
suing in court, usually associated with a person who is at least 18 years old.

23. Case at Bar – The case that is currently the subject of a particular trial or judicial
proceeding.

24. Case at Bench – The case being heard before an appellate court.

25. Chose in Action – The instrument evidencing the right to sue for money or property, such
as a promissory note. A legal claim or cause of action that can translate into a lawsuit.

26. Civil Action – A suit filed by one party against another for the enforcement or protection of
a right, or the prevention or redress of a wrong.

27. Civil Contempt – Contempt of court that is committed by a party who fails or neglects to do
something ordered by the court or a judge for the benefit of the opposing party.

28. Civil Liability – This term generally refers to the moneation of the claims arising out of a
criminal act which consists of restitution, reparation, and indemnification for consequential
damages.

29. Civil Obligation – An obligation that gives a right of action to compel performance, as
opposed to a natural obligation.

30. Class Suit – An action filed on behalf of many persons so numerous that it is impracticable
to join them all as parties, brought by a representative number of them who sue for the
benefit of all concerning a controversy that is one of common or general interest to them all.
It is also called a “representative suit.”

31. Clean Hands Doctrine – A legal principle grounded on equity which states that a
complainant or plaintiff seeking relief in the courts must not himself be guilty in the matter
subject of his claim.

32. Complaint – Generally, it is the pleading which alleges the plaintiff’s cause of action. In
criminal law, it refers to the sworn written statement charging a person with an offense.

33. Conclusive Presumption – An assertion of a fact that is deemed to be true without the
need of further proof.

34. Confession and Avoidance – An answer or a pleading filed by a party who, while admitting
the allegations against him, either expressly or by implication, asserts matters or facts which
render the “confession” ineffective, excusable, inadmissible, or void.

35. Contempt of Court – It is a defiance of the authority, justice or dignity of the court – such
conduct as tends to bring the authority and administration of the law into disrespect or to
interfere with, or prejudice parties-litigants or their witnesses during litigation. It signifies not
only a willful disregard or disobedience to the court’s order but such conduct which tends to
 bring the authority of the court and the administration of law into disrepute or in some
manner to impede the administration of justice.

36. Costs of Suit – In law, they comprise the fees and indemnities in the course of judicial
proceedings, whether fixed or unalterable amounts previously determined by law or
regulations in force, including those amounts which are not subject to schedule.

37. Criminal Action – A proceeding in court by which the State prosecutes a person for an act
or omission punishable by law.

38. Criminal Contempt – Contempt of court that consists of conduct directed against the
authority and dignity of a court or a judge, as in unlawfully assailing or discrediting the
authority and dignity of a court or a judge or in doing a forbidden act.

39. Criminal Liability – The liability incurred by a person who commits a felony even if the
wrongful act done is different from what is intended; or when he performs an act which
would be an offense against persons or property, were it not for the inherent impossibility of
its accomplishment or on account of the employment of inadequate or ineffectual means.

40. Culpa Aquiliana – Civil liability arising from fault or negligence which usually results from
the commission of a tortious act or quasi-delict.

41. Culpa Contractual – Civil liability resulting from fault or negligence in the performance of a
contractual obligation.

42. Custodia Legis – A Latin phrase which means “in the custody of the law,” that is, in the
lawful and physical possession of a court or public officer in obedience to a judicial or
administrative order.

43. Decision – The adjudication or settlement of a controversy by a court of law. It goes into the
roots of the controversy, makes a searching examination of the facts and issues of the case,
applies the law and considers the evidence presented, and finally determines the rights of
the parties.

44. Dispositive Portion – That part of a court decision which contains the judgment or
resolution of the issues subject of the complaint or petition. It usually appears as the very
last paragraph in a decision as in “Petition is hereby dismissed for lack of merit.”

45. Disputable Presumption – An assertion of a fact which, unless contradicted and overcome
by other evidence, is deemed to be true. That a person is “innocent unless proven guilty” is
an example of a disputable presumption.

46. Dissenting Opinion – A separate opinion written by an appellate justice who differs from
the opinion of the majority in deciding a case.

47. Ex Parte – Without notice to the other party. A Latin term which means “from one side only,”
referring to the exclusion of one side in the presentation of testimony or evidence in a given
case or proceeding.

48. Excess of Jurisdiction – A term which signifies that while the court, board, or officer may
have jurisdiction over a case, the bounds for its lawful exercise have been transcended. It
thereby becomes a fit subject for a court injunction. A ground for a special civil action where
the respondent, being clothed with the power to determine the matter, oversteps his
authority as determined by law.

49. Execution – In judicial parlance, execution is the legal act which corresponds to the
enforcement of a judgment by the court.
50. Exhaustion of Administrative Remedies – A legal doctrine which requires that the
procedural or remedial steps in resolving claims in the forum having original jurisdiction must
first be exhausted before they are elevated or brought before another forum.

51. Fallo – A Spanish term which refers to the final judgment of the court as expressed in the
dispositive portion of its order or decision.

52. Final Judgment – A decision of the court that may no longer be appealed or elevated to a
higher court having become final and executory.

53. Final Order – A court order which disposes of the subject matter in its entirely or terminates
a particular proceeding or action, leaving nothing else to be done but to enforce by
execution what has been determined by the court, as opposed to an interlocutory order
which does not dispose of a case completely but leaves something more to be decided
upon.

54. Forum Shopping – An improper act of a party against whom an adverse judgment has
been rendered in one forum, of seeking another opinion in another forum other than by
appeal or the special civil action of certiorari, or the institution of two or more actual actions
or proceedings grounded on the same cause on the supposition the one or the other court
would make a favorable disposition.

55. Hearsay Rule – Only that testimony regarding facts which a witness knows of his own
personal knowledge, or that is derived from his own perception, may be admitted in
evidence. Note that this general rule admits of certain exceptions, such as dying declaration,
declaration against interest, and part of the res gestae.

56. Hierarchy of Courts – A rule of procedure which states that between two courts of
concurrent original jurisdiction, it is the lower court that should initially pass upon the issues
of a case.

57. Implead – To bring in a third party in a lawsuit, at the instance of either the plaintiff or the
defendant, for the determination of his liability to either the plaintiff or the defendant as the
case may be. The pleading for this purpose is called “impleader.”

58. In Pari Materia – A Latin term which means “on the same topic.”

59. In Re – Latin for “in the matter of.” It usually precedes the title of a case which is in rem or
quasi in rem, e.g., probate of a will, application for a writ of habeas corpus, a petition for
guardianship.

60. Indirect Contempt – Any improper conduct tending, directly or indirectly, to impede,
obstruct, or degrade the administration of justice not otherwise punishable by direct
contempt. Note that it includes disobedience of or resistance to a lawful writ, process, order,
or judgment of a court, or failure to obey a subpoena duly served.

61. Ipso Facto – A Latin term which means “by that very fact.”

62. Ipso Jure – A Latin term which means “by the law itself.”

63. Judgment – An adjudication by the court that the accused is guilty or is not guilty of the
offense charged, and the imposition of the proper penalty and civil liability provided for by
law on the accused. It is usually the dispositive portion of a decision, but may be used
interchangeably with the term decision itself.

64. Judgment on the Merits – A decision of the court which amounts to a legal declaration of
the respective rights and duties of the parties, based upon the disclosed facts.
65. Judicial Notice – Issues of fact which do not require proof in a judicial proceeding because
they are of public knowledge, capable of unquestionable demonstration, or ought to be
known to judges because of their judicial functions.

66. Judicial Review – The underlying power of the courts to scrutinize the acts of the Executive
and Legislative branches of government, as well as administrative agencies exercising
quasi-judicial authority on questions of law and jurisdiction, as well as their exercise of
discretion.

67. Juridical Capacity – The fitness to be the subject of legal relations. It is inherent in every
natural person and is lost only through death. It is to be distinguished from “capacity to act,”
which is the power to do acts with legal effect.

68. Jurisdiction – The power or authority of a court to hear and decide a given case.

69. Justiciable Controversy – A definite and concrete dispute touching on the legal relations of
parties having adverse legal interests which may be resolved by a court through the
application of a law.

70. Justiciable Issue – A matter that falls within the jurisdiction of the courts over which they
can exercise judicial power to the exclusion of either the Executive or Legislative branch of
government.

71. Law of the Case Doctrine – A term applied to an established rule that when an appellate
court decides a question and remands the case to the lower court for further proceedings,
the question there as settled becomes the law of the case upon subsequent appeal.

72. Lex Loci – A Latin term which means “the law of the place,” usually referring to the place
where the court sits.

73. Lis Mota – The legal point or issue involved in a dispute that a court is called upon to
resolve, the matter having been commenced and brought before it.

74. Majority Decision – A decision arrived at by a majority of the members of an appellate

court, or any of its divisions, which is considered as a decision of the whole court. It is, thus,
the controlling opinion of the entire court.

75. Mandamus – A special civil action brought by an aggrieved party against a tribunal,
corporation, board, officer or person unlawfully neglecting the performance of an act which
the law specifically requires as a duty to be performed resulting from an office, trust, or
station. It also covers situations of unlawfully excluding another from the use and enjoyment
of a right or office to which such other is entitled, and there is no other plain, speedy, and
adequate remedy in the ordinary course of law for the purpose of commanding the
respondent to do the act required to be done to protect the rights of the petitioner, and to
pay the damages sustained by the petitioner by reason of the wrongful act of the
respondent.

76. Mittimus – The final process for carrying into effect the decision of an appellate court, and
the transmittal thereof to the court of origin that is predicated upon the finality of the
judgment.

77. Motion – An application for relief other than by a pleading. It must be in writing except those
made in open court or in the course of a hearing or trial. It shall state the relief sought to be
obtained and the grounds upon which it is based.

78. Motu Proprio – A Latin term which means taking action or using one’s initiative without
prodding from anyone. Note the spelling ofproprio – it is not “propio.”

79. Mutatis Mutandis – A Latin term which means “essentially the same except for minor
details.”
80. Negative Defense – A specific denial by the defendant of the material fact or facts alleged
in the pleading of the claimant essential to his cause or causes of action.

81. Negative Pregnant – A denial in a pleading which, in fact, can be interpreted as an

affirmation or admission of a substantial fact that is at the heart of the issue involved.

82. Notatu Dignum – A Latin term which refers to the presumption of regularity in the
performance of a judge’s functions, hence, bias, prejudice, and even undue interest cannot
be presumed, especially when weighed against a judge’s sacred obligation under his oath of
office to administer justice without respect to any person and do equal right to the poor and
the rich.

83. Nunc Pro Tunc – A Latin term for “now for then,” thus a judgment or order nunc pro tunc
means that it is to be given retroactive effect.

84. Obiter Dictum – A Latin term which refers to an averment, assertion, or observation stated
as an aside or a “by the way,” or said in passing by a court that is not necessary in deciding
the issues before the court.

85. Pendente Lite – A Latin term which translates into “while litigation is pending.”

86. Per Curiam – A decision of a collegiate court acting unanimously and anonymously, usually
with no dissent. The ponente or writer of such decisions is usually not identified.

87. Plain Meaning Rule – A principle of statutory construction which states that “where the
words of a statute are clear, plain and free from ambiguity, it must be given its literal
meaning and applied without attempted interpretation.”

88. Pleadings – The written statements of the respective claims and defenses of the parties
submitted to the court for appropriate judgment.

89. Ponente – A Spanish term which refers to the writer of a court’s majority decision.

90. Precedent – In law, a decision of the Supreme Court that will serve as a rule or example to
follow for courts to follow in deciding cases where the facts or circumstances in such cases
are similar or identical.

91. Prejudicial Question – One that arises in a case the resolution of which is a logical
antecedent of the issue involved in another case, and the cognizance of which pertains to
another tribunal. It generally comes into play in a situation where a civil action and a criminal
action are both pending and there exists in the former an issue that must be preemptively
resolved before the criminal action may proceed.

92. Prima Facie – A Latin term signifying “at first view,” referring generally to a situation or
condition which – on its face – appears to be factual but may, in fact, not be.

93. Pro Bono – A Latin term which means “for the public good.” It usually refers to a lawyer’s
services which are extended for free, usually for a good cause or for an indigent litigant.

94. Pro Hac Vice – A Latin term which means “for this one time only” in limiting an action or
decision to the instant matter only, i.e., not meant to be a precedent or determinative of a
future disposition of a similar case or problem.

95. Pro Se – A Latin term which denotes “on his own behalf.” It is usually used in connection
with the representation of one’s self in a court of law without the assistance of an attorney.

96. Question of Fact – This refers to a disputed legal issue whose truth or falsity is a subject of
inquiry. Its resolution depends on the court’s evaluation of the available evidence obtaining
in a given situation. It revolves around the credibility of witnesses and the existence of
 relevant factual circumstances which have a bearing on the probability or improbability of
the legal issue or situation which is the subject of the controversy.

97. Question of Law – A contentious legal issue whose resolution hinges on the proper
application or interpretation of a constitutional or statutory provision. A question of law exists
when the doubt or controversy concerns the correct application of law or jurisprudence to a
certain set of facts, or when the issue does not call for an examination of the probative value
of the evidence presented, the truth or falsehood of the facts being admitted.

98. Ratio Decidendi – A Latin term which refers to the underlying reason or principle which
justifies a court decision. In other words, it is the reasoning why the decision is so.

99. Ratio Legis – A Latin term which means “the reason of the law,” e.g., jaywalking is
prohibited to protect pedestrians from traffic accidents, or smoking is banned in enclosed
spaces to prevent second-hand lung cancer. In statutory construction, it refers to the “spirit
of the law” rather than to its literal interpretation.

100. Recusal – A term which refers to the process in which a judge may inhibit or disqualify
himself from hearing a case where his objectivity or impartiality may be called into question
because of self-interest, bias or prejudice,on the objection of either party or on his own
volition. It is also called “recusation.”

101. Rejoinder – The answer of the defendant to the complainant’s reply.

102. Res Ipsa Loquitur – A Latin term which translates into “the thing speaks for itself,” that
is, requiring no proof or further demonstration of the fact of its occurrence or existence.

103. Rollo – The records of a case filed in a folder for their preservation while in the custody
of the clerk of court.

104. Ruling – A judicial or administrative interpretation or resolution of an issue in a case

arising out of a statute, order, regulation, ordinance, or other transaction which is embodied
in the dispositive portion of a decision or judgment of the court.

105. Separate Opinion – Another written opinion by an appellate justice – which is either for
or against a court’s majority decision – explaining his own position which may be in
concurrence with the results only or in direct opposition to the conclusions reached by the
majority. A justice of the Supreme Court, for example, may decide to write a separate
opinion if he supports the result only but not the reasoning behind the decision.

106. Shari’a – Body of ordinances and regulations governing Muslims which are principally
found in the Koran and the Hadith.

107. Sin Perjuicio Judgment – A judgment without a statement of the facts in support of its
conclusion to be later supplemented by the final judgment. Its validity is questionable.

108. Stare Decisis – A Latin expression of a legal principle which says that once a question
of law has been examined and decided, it should be deemed settled and closed to further
argument. Put another way, it means “from settled precedents, there must be no departure.”
Consequently, cases already settled are meant to serve as precedents for like cases where
the facts and the law involved are similar.

109. Subjudice – A legal principle expressed in Latin which means that a certain matter is
under judicial or court consideration whose result or consequence is still undetermined and,
therefore, may not be an appropriate subject to comment on publicly as to its possible
outcome. Any such comment may subject the commentator to contempt of court.

110. Traverse – A form of pleading which amounts to a denial of a factual matter alleged in
the opposing party’s pleading.