General English, Legal Language, Legal writing and Interpretation of statutes

Maharshi Dayanand Saraswati University · LL.B. Semester 1 · LL.B/105

Unit I

A. Vocabulary: Use of legal phrases and terms. · B. Pairs of words. · C. One-word substitution. · List of Legal terms: · Abet Abstain Accomplice Act of God Actionable Accused Adjournment Adjudication Admission Affidavit Amendment Appeal Acquittal Articles Assent Attested Attornment Averment Bail Bailment Citation Clause Coercion Code Cognizable Confession Compromise Consent Conspiracy Contempt Contingent Contraband Conviction Convention Corporate Custody Damages Decree Defamation Defense Escheat Estoppel Eviction Executive Ex-parte Finding Floating charge Forma Pauperis Franchise Fraud Frustration Good faith Guardian Habeas Corpus Hearsay Homicide Hypothecation Illegal Indemnity Inheritance Bench Bill Bill of attainder Bill of rights Blockade Bonafide By-laws Capital Punishment Charge Chattel Justiciable Legislation Legitimacy Liability Liberty License Lien Liquidation Maintenance Mala-fide Malfeasance Minor Misfeasance Mortgage Murder Negligence Negotiable Instruments Neutrality Non-feasance Notification Novation Nuisance Oath Obscene Offender Order Ordinance Over-rule De-facto De Jure Deposit Detention Discretion Distress Earnest Money Enact Enforceable Equality Partition Perjury Petition Plaintiff Pledge Preamble Pre-emption Prescription Presumption Privilege Privity Prize Process Promissory Note Proof Proposal Prosecution Proviso Ratify Receiver Redemption Reference Regulation Remand Remedy Rent Repeal Res Judicata Respondent In Limine Insanity Institute Insurance Interstate Issue Judgment Judicial Jurisdiction Justice Restitution Rule Ruling Schedule Section Settlement Sovereignty Specific Performance Stamp duty Status quo Statute Stay of execution Succession Summons Surety Tenant Testator Testatrix Title Tort Trade Mark Treason Treaty Trespass Trial Tribunal Ultra Vires Undue Influence Usage Valid Verdict Vested Violate Vis-major Void Voidable Wager Waiver Warrant Warranty Will Writ Wrong

Unit II

A. Latin maxims: Meaning and use in sentences. · B. Comprehension of legal texts. · C. Précis writing. · LIST OF LATIN MAXIMS: · 1. Ab initio (from the beginning) · 2. Actiopersonalismoritur cum persona (Personal actions die with the death of person). · 3. Actus Curaeneminemgravabit (an act of the court shall prejudice no one). · 4. Actus non facitreum nisi mens sit rea (the act itself does not constitute guilt unless done with a guilty intent). · 5. Actus reus (wrongful act). · 6. Ad interim (in the meantime) · 7. Ad litem (for the suit). · 8. Ad valorum (according to the value). · 9. Alibi (Plea of being elsewhere) · 10. Amicus curaie (friend of the court) · 11. Animus (Intention) · 12. Audi alterem partem (hear the other side). · 13. Caveat emptor (let the buyer beware). · 14. Consensus ad idem (agreement by two persons upon the same thing in the same sense). · 15. Damnum sine injuria (damage without injury). · 16. De facto (in fact). · 17. De jure (in law). · 18. De minimis non curatlex (the law takes no account of trifling matters). · 19. Decree nisi (a decree which takes effect after a specified period). · 20. Delegatus non potestdelegare (a delegated power cannot be further delegated). · 21. Doli incapax (incapable in malice). · 22. Donatio mortis causa (gift by a person on the death bed). · 23. Ejusdem generis (of the same category). · 24. Eminent domain (a right of a government to take private property for public use by virtue of the superior dominion of the sovereign power over all lands within its jurisdiction). · 25. Ex-officio (by virtue of an office). · 26. Ex-parte (not in the presence of the opposite party). · 27. Ex-post-facto (by subsequent act). · 28. Factum valet (the fact which cannot be altered). · 29. Fait accompli (an accomplished fact). · 30. Ignorantialegisneminemexcuset (ignorance of law is no excuse). · 31. In parimateria (in an analogous case, cause or position). · 32. Injuria sine damno (injury without damage) · 33. Interest republicaeut sit finislitium (it is in the interest of the republic that there should be an end of law suit). · 34. Intra-vires (within the powers) · 35. Jus tertii (The right of a third party) · 36. Lis pendens (pending suit) · 37. Mens rea (a guilty mind) · 38. Mesne profits (the profits received bya person on wrongful possession). · 39. Nemo det quod non habet (no one gives what they do not have). · 40. Nemo det bis vexari pro et idem causa (no man be twice vexed for the same cause). · 41. Nemo in propria causa judex essedebet (no one ought to be a judge in his own case) · 42. Nolle prosequi (to be unwilling to prosecute). · 43. Obiter dicta (an opinion of law not necessary to the decision) · 44. Onus probandi (the burden of proof) · 45. Pacta sunt servanda (pact must be respected) · 46. Pendente lite (during litigation) · 47. Per Capita (per head) · 48. Per incuriam (through inadvertence or carelessness). · 49. Per stripes (by stocks) · 50. Plenum dominium (full stocks) · 51. Pro bono publico (for the public good) · 52. Ratio decidendi (grounds for decision, principles of the case). · 53. Res geste (connected facts forming the part of the same transaction). · 54. Res ipsa loquitur (the thing speaks for itself) · 55. Res judicata (a matter already adjudicated upon). · 56. Res nullius (an ownerless thing) · 57. Rule nisi (a rule or order upon condition that is to become absolute when cause is shown to the contrary). · 58. Status quo (existing position) · 59. Sub judice (in course of adjudication). · 60. Sui juris (one's own right). · 61. Suo motu (of one‘s own accord) · 62. Ubi jus ibiremedium (where there is a right, there is a remedy). · 63. Ultra vires (beyond the powers of). · 64. Volenti non fit injuria (Risk taken voluntarily is not actionable)

Unit III

A. Writing of legal drafts, letters and applications · B. Essay writing on topics of legal interest · C. Translation from Hindi to English and English to Hindi

Unit IV

A. Meaning of interpretation, its distinction from constructions. · B. Intention of legislation. · C. Cardinal principles of interpretation, Literal or Grammatical interpretation, Golden rule, mischief rule, harmonious construction. · D. Internal Aids to interpretation: Long title, Preamble, Headings, Marginal Notes, Non obstante clause, Punctuation, Proviso · E. External Aids to interpretation: Parliamentary History; legislative debate, Reports of Committees and Commission, Statement of Objects and Reasons, Historical facts and surrounding circumstance, Dictionary

Unit V

A. Maxims of interpretation: Ejusdem Generis, Noscitur a Sociis, Ex visceribus, Utres magis valeat quampereat, Statute in parimateria. · B. Operation of statutes. · C. Expiry and repeal of Statutes. · D. Mandatory provisions. · E. Use of Statutes. · F. Construction of Fiscal Statutes. · G. Interpretation of Penal Statutes. · H. Interpretation of Constitution. · I. Doctrine of colourable legislation, doctrine of pith and substance and doctrine of eclipse, etc. · Note: Except in a question relating to translation from English to Hindi; answers to Questions asked in unit 1, 2 & 3 are to be given in English.