Taft-Hartley: The name of an American federal labor law which was passed in 1947, and which sought to equalize legal responsibilities of labor organizations and employers; ie. balance the Wagner Act, which, it was felt, may have gone to far in protecting union rights. See the complete Legal Definition of Taft-Hartley

Tamper: To interfere improperly or in violation of the law such as to tamper with a document. See the complete Legal Definition of Tamper

Tenancy By The Entireties: A form of common law co-ownership where, when real property was transferred to a husband and a wife, the property could not be seized or sold unless both spouses agreed or by ending the marriage. See the complete Legal Definition of Tenancy By The Entireties

Tenant: A person to whom a landlord grants temporary and exclusive use of land or a part of a building, usually in exchange for rent. See the complete Legal Definition of Tenant

Tenants In Common: Share a specified proportion of ownership rights in real property and upon the death of a tenant in common, that share is transferred to the estate of the deceased tenant. See the complete Legal Definition of Tenants In Common

Tender: An unconditional offer of a party to a contract to perform their part of the bargain. See the complete Legal Definition of Tender

Tenement: Property that could be subject to easements. See the complete Legal Definition of Tenement

Tenure: A right of holding or occupying land or a position for a certain amount of time. See the complete Legal Definition of Tenure

Testamentary Trust: A trust created by a will and which takes effect upon the death of the testator. See the complete Legal Definition of Testamentary Trust

Testator: The signatory of a valid will. See the complete Legal Definition of Testator

Testimony: The oral evidence of a witness in a judicial proceeding, such as a trial. See the complete Legal Definition of Testimony

Torrens Land Registration System: A land registration system invented by Robert Torrens and in which the government is the keeper of the master record of all land and their owners. See the complete Legal Definition of Torrens Land Registration System

Tort: The body of the law which allows an injured person to obtain compensation from the person who caused the injury. See the complete Legal Definition of Tort

Tort-Feasor: The person(s) who has committed a tort. See the complete Legal Definition of Tort-Feasor

Tracing: A process of identifying the substitute of an original asset claimed by the plaintiff. See the complete Legal Definition of Tracing

Transferee: A person who receives property being transferred (the person from whom the property is moving is the transferor). See the complete Legal Definition of Transferee

Transferor: The person from whom title or ownership to property moves; who effects the transfer; he/she who transfers title (eg. sells their home or other property); usually synonymous with vendor or seller. See the complete Legal Definition of Transferor

Treaty: A formal agreement between two states signed by official representatives of each state. See the complete Legal Definition of Treaty

Trespass: Unlawful interference with another’s person, property or rights. See the complete Legal Definition of Trespass

Trover: An old English and common law legal proceeding against a person who had found someone else’s property and has converted that property to their own purposes. See the complete Legal Definition of Trover

Trust: A legal obligation with respect to property given by a person (donor) to another (trustee) to the advantage of a beneficiary See the complete Legal Definition of Trust

Trustee: A person who holds property rights for the benefit of another. See the complete Legal Definition of Trustee

Trustee De Son Tort: A person who is not a regularly appointed trustee but because of interference with the trust can be held by a court as constructive trustee which entails liability for losses to the trust. See the complete Legal Definition of Trustee De Son Tort

Trademark: A word, name, logo or slogan used by a person selling goods or services to distinguish and identify their goods or services from those of another. See the complete Legal Definition of Trademark

Theft: To steal an item of property. See the complete Legal Definition of Theft

Trial: The resolution of a dispute by examination of evidence submitted by opposing litigants by a tribunal or Court of law, and determination of (1) guilt (in a criminal trial) or (2) of a civil dispute of fact or law. See the complete Legal Definition of Trial

Trial by Battle: An ancient dispute resolution method where those in dispute would fight one another until submission or death. See the complete Legal Definition of Trial by Battle

Trial by Ordeal: The trial of a criminal or civil action, in medieval England, by torture or drowning. See the complete Legal Definition of Trial by Ordeal

Tax Amnesty: An opportunity afforded to a tax payer to rectify errors or omissions in past tax years or returns. See the complete Legal Definition of Tax Amnesty

Tax Avoidance: To avoid taxes by arranging one's affairs so as not to incur tax. See the complete Legal Definition of Tax Avoidance

Tax Evasion: A prohibited or illegal act or omission which is designed to reduce a person’s tax liability. See the complete Legal Definition of Tax Evasion

Temporal Jurisdiction: Jurisdiction of a state or of a court of law over a legal action as it may be afected by the effects or passage of time. See the complete Legal Definition of Temporal Jurisdiction

Thin Skull Rule: An additional exposure in tort liability towards persons who are particularly vulnerable or more fragile than the norm, who may have inherent weaknesses or a pre-existing vulnerability or condition; the tort-feasor takes his victim as he finds them; he compensates for all damages he caused, even if damages are elevated compared to a norm because the plaintiff was thin skulled. See the complete Legal Definition of Thin Skull Rule

Treason: To aid or enlist with a state enemy or to attempt or conspire to harm the head of state, such as a king, queen or president. See the complete Legal Definition of Treason

Take From The Table: A term of parliamentary law and procedure that revives a motion that had been, previously tabled. See the complete Legal Definition of Take From The Table

Transcript: An official direct and verbatim written record of what was said, as in a court of law or other judicial proceedings, or even private conversations. See the complete Legal Definition of Transcript

Tyranny: A form of government other than a monarchy in which the formal written constitution is not adhered to and is broken by force of arms by a single person who then undertakes to rule as a monarch and primarily in his personal interests. See the complete Legal Definition of Tyranny

Torture: The intentional infliction of pain or suffering on an animal or a person and as for the latter, even if for the purpose of obtaining information such as a confession or the names of accomplices, or as a punishment for crime. See the complete Legal Definition of Torture

Trade Fixtures: Fixtures created during the course of a commercial lease and which revert to the tenant at the end of the lease if removable without damage. See the complete Legal Definition of Trade Fixtures

Terminal Year: A portion of a calendar year from and including January 1 to a person's date of death. See the complete Legal Definition of Terminal Year

Tidal Waters: Bodies of water within a state's territorial waters and that are subject to the ebb and flow of ordinary tides, whether navigable or not, and usually excluding harbors or lakes. See the complete Legal Definition of Tidal Waters

Trite Law: A principle of law so notorious and entrenched that it is commonly known and rarely disputed. See the complete Legal Definition of Trite Law

Tonnage: The carrying capacity of a ship measured in tons. See the complete Legal Definition of Tonnage

Tontine: An arrangement very similar to joint tenancy, between several people whereby they all, initially, share the profits from some investment but once only one of the initial investors survives, said investment accruing fully to the last survivor. See the complete Legal Definition of Tontine

Towage: The assistance given by one vessel to accelerate the progress of another. See the complete Legal Definition of Towage

Theocracy: A form of government which defers not to civil development of law, but to an interpretation of the will of a God as set out in religious scripture and authorities. See the complete Legal Definition of Theocracy

Torah: A primary source of Jewish law including the Old Testament of the Bible and subsequent interpretations thereof. See the complete Legal Definition of Torah

Tenancy: A contract by which the owner of real property (the landlord), grants exclusive possession of that real property to another person (tenant), in exchange for the tenant's periodic payment of some sum of money (rent). See the complete Legal Definition of Tenancy

Tenendum: Latin: to be held. In law, that part of a contract in which an interest in real property is created that sets out the extent or limitations of that interest. See the complete Legal Definition of Tenendum

Tax: A payment to a public authority, required by statute, for a public purpose. See the complete Legal Definition of Tax

Time-Bar Clause: A clause in a contract which sets a strict deadline within which either party may bring a dispute to either a court or to arbitration. See the complete Legal Definition of Time-Bar Clause

Terrorism: Violence against civilians intended to intimidate a population or a government from taking or abstaining from an act. See the complete Legal Definition of Terrorism

Testamentary Capacity: The legal ability to sign a will. See the complete Legal Definition of Testamentary Capacity

Traffic Ticket: A written notice to a driver of a suspected violation of traffic law, and specifics thereof. See the complete Legal Definition of Traffic Ticket

Trade Secret: Unique and discreet commercial information. See the complete Legal Definition of Trade Secret

Time of the Essence: A contractual term requiring performance within a specified time. See the complete Legal Definition of Time of the Essence

Third Party: A person who is not privy to a contract or a party in a lawsuit. See the complete Legal Definition of Third Party

Third Party Claim: A claim made by a defendant within existing legal proceedings seeking to enjoin a person not party to the original action, to enforce a related duty. See the complete Legal Definition of Third Party Claim

Trade Libel: Defamatory statements made in regards to the quality of a business' product(s) or services. See the complete Legal Definition of Trade Libel

Trade Union: A defined group of employees formed for the purposes of representing those employees with the employer as to the terms of a collective contract of employment. See the complete Legal Definition of Trade Union

Trafficking: The selling or involvement in commercial activity of something for which commercial activity is unlawful See the complete Legal Definition of Trafficking

Truancy: The willful and unjustified absence of a child from school. See the complete Legal Definition of Truancy

Trinoda Necessitas: Latin: three necessities owed all common law landowners to the kingdom. See the complete Legal Definition of Trinoda Necessitas

Talaq: Muslim law: The right given to a Muslim man to divorce his wife by mere unequivocal statement. See the complete Legal Definition of Talaq

Ta'azir: Muslim law: discretionary and corrective punishments for minor crimes. See the complete Legal Definition of Ta'azir

Traverse: To deny an allegation or the validity of an office or of some other official act. See the complete Legal Definition of Traverse

Transmutation: The conversion of a separate property asset into marital property intentionally or by virtue of words and actions during marriage. See the complete Legal Definition of Transmutation

Toxicologist: An expert in the science of toxicology, the study of the adverse effects of chemical, physical or biological agents. See the complete Legal Definition of Toxicologist

Take-Down Lights: Bright police cruise lights directed at a person while shadowing the cruiser occupants. See the complete Legal Definition of Take-Down Lights

Transit In Rem Judicatam: The cause of action is changed into matter of record, which is of a higher nature, and the inferior remedy is merged in the higher. See the complete Legal Definition of Transit In Rem Judicatam

Triage: To sort or choose, especially as a process used to determine the urgency or need for emergency care based on a preliminary assessment or observation. See the complete Legal Definition of Triage