Legal Terms Beginning with O
Oath
A religious or solemn affirmation to tell the truth or to take a certain action. - (see expanded definition at duhaime.org)
Obiter dictum
Latin: an observation by a judge on a matter not specifically before the court or not necessary in determining the issue before the court; a side opinion which does not form part of the judgment for the purposes of stare decisis - (see expanded definition at duhaime.org)
Obligee
The person who is to receive the benefit of someone elses obligation; that someone else being the promisee. Some countries refer to the recipient of family support as an obligee. - (see expanded definition at duhaime.org)
Obligor
A person who is contractually or legally, committed or obliged, to providing something to another person; the recipient of the benefit being called the promisor. - (see expanded definition at duhaime.org)
Obscenity
An elusive concept used in the context of criminal law to describe a publication which is illegal because it is morally corruptive. - (see expanded definition at duhaime.org)
Obstructing justice
An act which tends to impede or thwart the administration of justice. - (see expanded definition at duhaime.org)
Offense
A crime; any act which contravenes the criminal law of the state in which it occurs. Spelled offence in Commonwealth countries. - (see expanded definition at duhaime.org)
Offer
A explicit proposal to contract which, if accepted, completes the contract and binds both the person that made the offer and the person accepting the offer to the terms of the contract. - (see expanded definition at duhaime.org)
Ombudsman
A person whose occupation consists of investigating customer complaints against his or her employer. Many governments have ombudsmen who will investigate citizen complaints against government services. - (see expanded definition at duhaime.org)
Omnibus bill
A draft law before a legislature which contains more than one substantive matter, or several minor matters which have been combined into one bill, ostensibly for the sake of convenience. - (see expanded definition at duhaime.org)
Onus
Latin: the burden. It is usually used in the context of evidence. - (see expanded definition at duhaime.org)
Open-ended agreement
An agreement or contract which does not have an ending date but which will continue for as long as certain conditions, identified in the agreement, exist. - (see expanded definition at duhaime.org)
Order
A formal written direction given by a member of the judiciary; a court decision without reasons. - (see expanded definition at duhaime.org)
Ordinance
An executive decision of a government which has not been subjected to a legislative assembly (contrary to a statute). It is often detailed and not, as would be a statute, of general wording or application. - (see expanded definition at duhaime.org)
Orphan
A person who has lost one or both of his or her natural parents. - (see expanded definition at duhaime.org)
Out-of-court settlement
An agreement between two litigants to settle a matter privately before the Court has rendered its decision. - (see expanded definition at duhaime.org)
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