J. D.: Abbreviation for juris doctor or doctor of jurisprudence and the formal name given to the university law degree in the United States. | Legal Definition of J. D.

Jactitation: A false boast designed to increase standing at the expense of another. | Legal Definition of Jactitation

Jald: Muslim law: flogging, a punishment for some crimes. | Legal Definition of Jald

Jay Walking: Violation of traffic regulations, particularly when crossing a street or road other than at an intersection, or failure to used designated pedestrian crosswalks or to obey pedestrian traffic signals. | Legal Definition of Jay Walking

Jetsam: Things intentionally thrown overboard a ship in order to save the ship, and which things thrown over then sink. | Legal Definition of Jetsam

Jihad: A tenet of Islamic law to adherents, with the reward of eternal life in Paradise, if they promote and exhort the word of Muhammad and the Koran to others, and not necessarily excluding the use of violence. | Legal Definition of Jihad

Joint and Several Liability: Liability of more than one person for which each person is liable to pay back the entire amount of a debt or damages. | Legal Definition of Joint and Several Liability

Joint Custody: A child custody Court decision that both parents share joint legal custody and joint physical custody. | Legal Definition of Joint Custody

Joint Tenancy: When two or more persons are equally owners of some property. | Legal Definition of Joint Tenancy

Joint Venture: A legal relationship among individuals or corporations to invest or apply other resources, for some common purpose. | Legal Definition of Joint Venture

Jones Act: A section of a 1920 American law which gave injured sailors, or their estate, the right to sue the employer if the injury or death resulted from the employer's negligence. | Legal Definition of Jones Act

Joyce Model of Joint Guardianship: A British Columbia model of joint guardianship in respect to children as between separated parents. | Legal Definition of Joyce Model of Joint Guardianship

Judex: A form of judge in early Roman law. | Legal Definition of Judex

Judgment: A decision given by a court of law. | Legal Definition of Judgment

Judgment Creditor: Any person entitled to enforce a judgment against another. | Legal Definition of Judgment Creditor

Judgment Debtor: A person against whom a judgment in money (eg. damages) has been obtained. | Legal Definition of Judgment Debtor

Judicial Branch : A branch of government; judges. | Legal Definition of Judicial Branch

Judicial Discretion: The power the law gives the Court or a judge to choose among two or more alternatives, each being lawful. | Legal Definition of Judicial Discretion

Judicial Immunity: Absolute immunity from civil liability for official decisions or acts. | Legal Definition of Judicial Immunity

Judicial Interim Release: Pre-trial release of an individual accused of a crime; bail. | Legal Definition of Judicial Interim Release

Judicial Lien: A lien obtained by judgment or other judicial proceeding. | Legal Definition of Judicial Lien

Judicial Notice: A doctrine which enables a judge to accept a fact without the need of a party to prove it through evidence. | Legal Definition of Judicial Notice

Judicial Proceeding: Procedurals and hearings before a court, or a tribunal or administrative board that performs a judicial function | Legal Definition of Judicial Proceeding

Judicial Review: A process where a court of law is asked to rule on the appropriateness of the decision of an administrative agency or tribunal. | Legal Definition of Judicial Review

Jura Regalia: Rights which belong to the Crown or to the Government. | Legal Definition of Jura Regalia

Jurat: The written certification by a judicial officer that a deponent or affiant recognizes and endorses all parts of an affidavit he or she proposes to sign, and confirms that an oath has been administered in this regard to the affiant. | Legal Definition of Jurat

Jure: Latin: by right, under legal authority. | Legal Definition of Jure

Jure Coronae: A right of the Crown. | Legal Definition of Jure Coronae

Jure Gestionis: The private or commercial acts of a state. | Legal Definition of Jure Gestionis

Jure Imperii: Latin: imperial authority. | Legal Definition of Jure Imperii

Juris Utriusque Doctor: Latin: a combined law degree, in both civil and canon law. | Legal Definition of Juris Utriusque Doctor

Jurisdiction: Legal authority to judge or to act in a given situation or case. | Legal Definition of Jurisdiction

Jurisprudence: Case law, or the legal decisions which have developed and which accompany statutes in applying the law against situations of fact. | Legal Definition of Jurisprudence

Juristic Reason: An explanation based upon law for the enrichment of one at the detriment of another. | Legal Definition of Juristic Reason

Juror: A member of a jury; a person who has taken an oath to serve on a jury. | Legal Definition of Juror

Jury: A group of citizens randomly selected from the general population and brought together to assist justice by deciding which version, in their opinion, constitutes 'the truth' given different evidence by opposing parties. | Legal Definition of Jury

Jury Nullification: The extraordinary power of a jury to issue a verdict contrary to the law as applied to the proven facts. | Legal Definition of Jury Nullification

Jury Secrecy Rule: A rule of law which prohibits the disclosure, by a member of a jury, of statements or opinions voiced during jury deliberations. | Legal Definition of Jury Secrecy Rule

Jury Tampering: To unlawfully disrupt the independence of a jury member with a view to influencing that juror otherwise than by the production of evidence in open court. | Legal Definition of Jury Tampering

Jus: Latin: the law or a legal right. | Legal Definition of Jus

Jus Ad Bellum: Latin: the legal authority to wage war. | Legal Definition of Jus Ad Bellum

Jus Cogens: Latin: peremptory law. | Legal Definition of Jus Cogens

Jus detractus: Latin: the right to deduct; an ancient right to a king upon the property of a foreigner who died within the king's territory, to a portion of the decedent's estate. | Legal Definition of Jus detractus

Jus Dispositivum: Law adopted by consent. | Legal Definition of Jus Dispositivum

Jus Ex Injuria Non Oritur: Latin: a legal right or entitlement cannot arise from an unlawful act or omission. | Legal Definition of Jus Ex Injuria Non Oritur

Jus Publicum: Latin: legal rights enjoyed by all citizens; more recently used in reference to the right of the public to access shorelines for fishing, boating, swimming, water skiing and other related purposes. | Legal Definition of Jus Publicum

Jus Spatiandi Et Manendi: Latin: the right to stray and remain. | Legal Definition of Jus Spatiandi Et Manendi

Just Cause: Employment law: misconduct of an employee, or some other event relevant to the employee, which justifies the immediate termination of the employment contract. | Legal Definition of Just Cause

Justice: A state of affairs in which conduct or action is both fair and right, given the circumstances. | Legal Definition of Justice

Justice of the Peace: A judicial officer with a limited role, usually in criminal law, to perform minor judicial tasks such as authorizing search warrants and approving criminal charges. | Legal Definition of Justice of the Peace

Justiciability: A necessary prerequisite of a matter put to a court of law for resolution; that an actual and substantial controversy be at hand. | Legal Definition of Justiciability

Justiciar: An obsolete judicial position of English nobility; that of chief justice of the realm. | Legal Definition of Justiciar

Justifiable Homicide: The blameless killing of another human being. | Legal Definition of Justifiable Homicide