Actual cause is a necessary element for both liability in civil cases and a guilty verdict under much of criminal law. In both civil and criminal cases, actual cause is determined by the but-for cause test; however, some jurisdictions also...
criminal procedure
actual innocence
Actual innocence refers to a failure of proof defense arguing that the prosecution failed to prove all relevant elements of a charged crime beyond a reasonable doubt.
Unlike affirmative defenses, which all argue the...
actus reus
Actus reus refers to the act or omission that comprise the physical elements of a crime as required by statute. Actus reus includes only a voluntary affirmative act, or an omission (failure to act), causing a criminally proscribed result.
...ad litem
The Latin translation of ad litem is "for the suit."
Examples:
A guardian ad litem is a guardian (usually a lawyer) appointed by the court to manage the affairs of the ward as they relate to a proceeding or particular...adjourn
Adjourn is the final closing of a meeting, such as a convention, or other official gathering.
In a legal sense, to adjourn means to suspend court proceedings to another time or place, or to end them. It is different from...
adjudicate
To adjudicate means to make a formal judgment or decision regarding a problem or disputed matter.
See also: Adjudication.
[Last updated in June of 2022 by the Wex Definitions Team]
adjudication
Adjudication refers to the legal process of resolving a dispute or deciding a case. When a claim is brought, courts identify the rights of the parties at that particular moment by analyzing what were, in law, the rights and wrongs of their actions when...
adjudicative fact
An adjudicative fact is a fact that is either legally operative or even so important as to be controlling on some question of law. Adjudicative facts are those which concern the parties to some dispute and are helpful in determining the...
administer
Administer means to carry out a task or give something to someone. Administer appears in a variety of contexts in the legal field. For example:
A trustee administers the assets of an estate by dispersing, selling, or managing the...administrative forfeiture
Administrative forfeiture is an in rem (against the property) action that allows the property to be forfeited to the United States without filing a case in federal court. The administrative forfeiture process occurs before the agency seizes...