Reverse Payment: A payment by a patent holder to an infringer in consideration of the infringer's cease and desist. See the complete Legal Definition of Reverse Payment

Ransom: Money paid to have a kidnapped person released. See the complete Legal Definition of Ransom

Rape: Sex with a woman, other than the perpetrator's wife, without her consent. See the complete Legal Definition of Rape

Real Property: A property interest in land. See the complete Legal Definition of Real Property

Rebuttable Presumption: A presumption of fact which can be defeated by persuasive evidence to the contrary. See the complete Legal Definition of Rebuttable Presumption

Redemption: Buying back. When a vendor later buys the property back. See the complete Legal Definition of Redemption

Relator: An informer; a person who has supplied the facts required for a criminal prosecution or a civil suit. See the complete Legal Definition of Relator

Remainder: A right to future enjoyment or ownership of real property. See the complete Legal Definition of Remainder

REMO: Abbreviation for reciprocal enforcement of maintenance orders, an international system of enforcement of support orders. See the complete Legal Definition of REMO

Rent: Money or other consideration paid by a tenant to a landlord in exchange for the exclusive use and enjoyment of land, a building or a part of a building. See the complete Legal Definition of Rent

Replevin: A legal action taken to reclaim goods which have been distrained. See the complete Legal Definition of Replevin

Rescind: To abrogate or cancel a contract putting the parties in the same position they would have been in had there been no contract. See the complete Legal Definition of Rescind

Res Gestae: Latin: things done. See the complete Legal Definition of Res Gestae

Res Ipsa Loquitur: Latin: the thing speaks for itself. See the complete Legal Definition of Res Ipsa Loquitur

Res Judicata: Latin: already subject to judicial determination. See the complete Legal Definition of Res Judicata

Respondent: The party that responds to a claim filed in court against them by a plaintiff. See the complete Legal Definition of Respondent

Restitutio In Integrum: Latin: restitution to the original position. See the complete Legal Definition of Restitutio In Integrum

Restitution: The return to a rightful owner of a thing wrongfully taken. See the complete Legal Definition of Restitution

Resulting Trust: A trust that is presumed by the court from certain situations. See the complete Legal Definition of Resulting Trust

Retainer: A contract between a lawyer and his (or her) client, wherein the lawyer agrees to represent and provide legal advice to the client, in exchange for money. See the complete Legal Definition of Retainer

Reversion: A future interest left in a transferor or his (or her) heirs. A reservation in a real property conveyance that the property reverts back to the original owner upon the occurrence of a certain event. See the complete Legal Definition of Reversion

Right of First Refusal: A right given to a person to be the first person allowed to purchase a certain object if it is ever offered for sale. See the complete Legal Definition of Right of First Refusal

Riparian Rights: Special rights of people who own land that runs into a river bank (a riparian owner is a person who owns land that runs into a river). See the complete Legal Definition of Riparian Rights

Rule Against Perpetuities: A common law rule that prevents suspending the transfer of property for more than 21 years or a lifetime plus 21 years. See the complete Legal Definition of Rule Against Perpetuities

Restrictive Covenant: A contract in which a party agrees to be limited in some regards as to future conduct. See the complete Legal Definition of Restrictive Covenant

Refugee: A person who is outside his state of origin or of residence, and cannot return for fear of human-rights related persecution. See the complete Legal Definition of Refugee

Reasonable Doubt: A threshold of proof in criminal cases in most modern criminal law systems which requires the trier of fact to be sure, not certain, of the accused's guilt, before convicting. See the complete Legal Definition of Reasonable Doubt

Rider: A written amendment as to the coverage of an existing life or health insurance policy. See the complete Legal Definition of Rider

Rota Court: Medieval Papal and Roman Catholic court. See the complete Legal Definition of Rota Court

Respondeat superior: Latin: let the principal answer. See the complete Legal Definition of Respondeat superior

Robbery: Theft under threat or use of force. See the complete Legal Definition of Robbery

Redact: Removing text or images from an original document. See the complete Legal Definition of Redact

Rout: A common law and public order criminal offence which has gone beyond an unlawful assembly in that some action has been taken towards either the crime intended or the disturbance of the peace. See the complete Legal Definition of Rout

Riot: Three or more persons who assemble and advance a purpose together, with the intent to use force if necessary, and raising alarm of a reasonable person(s). See the complete Legal Definition of Riot

Rescue: Taking and setting at liberty, against the law, either goods or imprisoned persons. See the complete Legal Definition of Rescue

Resolution: The formal decision of an organization. A motion which has obtained the necessary majority vote in favor. See the complete Legal Definition of Resolution

Reconciliation: The act of separated spouses returning to family cohabitation. See the complete Legal Definition of Reconciliation

Republic: A form of government where the law-makers and administrators are chosen by the people and not king or queen, or chosen thereby. See the complete Legal Definition of Republic

Real Estate: Same as real property; land and rights attached to land. See the complete Legal Definition of Real Estate

Remanet: Latin: an action that has been put over, deferred to a later time. See the complete Legal Definition of Remanet

Rule of Law: That individuals, persons and government shall submit to, obey and be regulated by law, and not arbitrary action by an individual or a group of individuals. See the complete Legal Definition of Rule of Law

Roman Law: Form and content of law that was developed by the Romans during their 1,000 year empire starting in 500 BC; form in that it was written, and with content that sought to publish a comprehensive code of private law thus addressed a predictable structure for its people and the economy. See the complete Legal Definition of Roman Law

Reddendum: Latin: that part of a lease which sets out the amount of rent and when it is payable. See the complete Legal Definition of Reddendum

Recusation: An application made to a judge that he/she not hear a particular case because of a real or perceived conflict of interest; that the judge recuse himself (abstain) from the case. See the complete Legal Definition of Recusation

Rooming House: Rented residential premises where an individual shares a kitchen and bathroom with others. See the complete Legal Definition of Rooming House

Residential Tenancy: The lease of residential premises for residential purposes. See the complete Legal Definition of Residential Tenancy

Release: A with prejudice concession made by a party to give up all claims in regards to an alleged tort or contract. See the complete Legal Definition of Release

Receipt: A document which acknowledges the delivery of a thing or the payment of money. See the complete Legal Definition of Receipt

Republication: The validation of a previously invalid will by express reference to it in a subsequent will or codicil. See the complete Legal Definition of Republication

Reciprocity: A term of international treaties by which two or more states agree to extend to the other's citizens specified legal rights on the same standing as its own citizens. See the complete Legal Definition of Reciprocity

Reasonable Man: An esoteric concept of expected response or behavior from which liability for negligence is weighed. See the complete Legal Definition of Reasonable Man

Real Obligation: A legal obligation associated with real property. See the complete Legal Definition of Real Obligation

Retraxit: Latin: a withdrawal of a legal action. See the complete Legal Definition of Retraxit

Ratione Personae: Latin: by reason of his person. See the complete Legal Definition of Ratione Personae

Ratio Decidendi: Latin: reasons for a decision. See the complete Legal Definition of Ratio Decidendi

Reasons: The legal rationale behind a court's judgment, expressed verbally or in writing. See the complete Legal Definition of Reasons

Rule of Lenity: A rule of construction of statutes: that criminal statute ambiguities are resolved in favor of the defendant or accused. See the complete Legal Definition of Rule of Lenity

Red test: See the complete Legal Definition of Red test

Restorative Justice: A response to a legal dispute which strives to acknowledge the needs of all involved. See the complete Legal Definition of Restorative Justice

Reversionary Interest: Any interest, vested or contingent, the enjoyment of which is postponed. See the complete Legal Definition of Reversionary Interest

Racketeering: The interfering with trade or commerce by violence or threats. See the complete Legal Definition of Racketeering

Rules of Court: Rules of procedure and conduct during the sitting of a court of law uniformly applicable to litigants and their lawyers, and governing the hearings of claims and motions, and defences or responses thereto. See the complete Legal Definition of Rules of Court

Rapina: Latin: to take away forcefully. See the complete Legal Definition of Rapina

Ridda: Muslim law: the rejection of the religion of Islam by a Muslim. See the complete Legal Definition of Ridda

Rukun: Muslim law: the essential requirements for marriage. See the complete Legal Definition of Rukun

Remedy: Remedial judicial action to right a wrong or to prevent a infrigement upon a legal right. See the complete Legal Definition of Remedy

Rebus Sic Stantibus: Latin: changed circumstances. See the complete Legal Definition of Rebus Sic Stantibus

Rule in Shelley's Case: A mostly abolished rule in estate law to the effect that if a life estate was created but the remainderman was the heirs of that person, the life estate collapsed and the entire estate vested in that person. See the complete Legal Definition of Rule in Shelley's Case

Rule in Aerocide: A Canadian legal principle applicable in employment law which holds an employer to the reasons for a dismissal expressed at the time of dismissal, and prohibiting the attempt to later advance other reasons. See the complete Legal Definition of Rule in Aerocide

Rule in Foss v Harbottle: A rule of corporations law: shareholders have no separate cause of action in law for any wrongs which may have been inflicted upon a corporation. See the complete Legal Definition of Rule in Foss v Harbottle

Racial Pollution: A prohibition of sexual relations with persons outside of defined races. See the complete Legal Definition of Racial Pollution

Recommendation: Advice or counsel which although presented as such, the recipient is free to take or leave, or which may be binding in the context. See the complete Legal Definition of Recommendation

Racial Profiling: Targeting of individual members of a particular racial group, on the basis of the supposed propensity of the entire group. See the complete Legal Definition of Racial Profiling

Refoulement: The return of an alleged refugee to his state of origin. See the complete Legal Definition of Refoulement