Answer to Legal Definition

Interrogations – Written questions put to a party by a counterparty, to which the party must respond in writing under oath. Interrogations are part of the discovery in a trial. In criminal proceedings, the accused`s testimony pleads guilty to “guilty” or “not guilty” in response to the indictment. See also nolo contendere. The response informs the plaintiff of the issues that the defendant will raise during the proceedings and allows the plaintiff to prepare a case appropriately. In most jurisdictions, the response must be filed within twenty days of receipt of the subpoena and complaint, although local regulations and practices may dictate different filing deadlines. Habeas Corpus – A memoir often used to bring a prisoner to justice to determine the lawfulness of his detention. A prisoner who wants to argue that there is no sufficient reason to be detained would file a writ of arrest in habeas corpus. It can also be used to bring a person into custody to court, to testify or to be prosecuted. The legal system, which originated in England and is now used in the United States, is based on the articulation of legal principles in a historical sequence of court decisions. The principles of the common law may be amended by legislation.

n. in law, a written statement filed by a defendant to respond to a complaint in a lawsuit filed and served on that defendant. A response usually responds to any claim contained in the complaint by denying or admitting it, or by partially admitting and partially rejecting it. The response may also include “affirmative defenses,” including allegations that contradict the complaint or contain legal theories (such as “impure hands,” “contributory negligence,” or “anticipated injury”) aimed at derailing claims in the complaint. Sometimes the answer comes in the form of a “general denial” that denies everything. The response must be typed, follow certain rules of pleading provided for by law and court, and be submitted to the court and served on the defendant within a certain legal period (e.g. 20 or 30 days after service of the complaint). If the complaint is verified as perjuryable, the response must also be verified. There is a fairly high filing fee for each defendant who submits a response. In short, when a complaint is served, a lawyer should be consulted as soon as possible to avoid a default judgment. During controversial debates, distraction, colloquially referred to as “changing the subject,” has been widely observed and often seen as a failure to answer a question.

[3] All financial interests of the debtor at the time of bankruptcy. The estate technically becomes the temporary rightful owner of all the debtor`s assets. A court decision in a previous case with facts and legal issues similar to a legal dispute currently being heard by a court. Judges “generally follow precedents,” that is, they apply the principles established in previous cases to rule on new cases that have similar facts and raise similar legal issues. A judge will disregard precedents if a party can prove that the previous case was tried incorrectly or that it differed significantly from the current case in some way. Advocacy – The first phase of a lawsuit begins with oral argument, in which the plaintiff is asked to file a written complaint and the defense to file its written “response” to that complaint. The defense may also file a counterclaim to prove how they were also harmed by the plaintiff and what damages they are seeking. A form of discovery consisting of written questions that must be answered in writing and under oath. The Study of Law and the Structure of the Legal System The Glossary of Legal Terms defines more than 100 of the most common legal terms in easy-to-understand language. The terms are listed in alphabetical order and can be best accessed by selecting a letter here: Regarding Civil Actions in “Justice” and not in “Law”.

In English legal history, courts could order the payment of damages and could not afford any other remedy (see Damages). A separate “justice” court might ask someone to do something or stop doing something (e.g., injunction). In U.S. jurisprudence, federal courts have both legal and just power, but the distinction is still important. For example, a jury trial is usually available in “legal cases,” but not in “equity cases.” .