Gera Tools

Legal Latin Terms Reference

Common Latin legal terms with plain-English definitions

Searchable glossary of Latin legal terms and maxims used in common and civil law, with plain-English definitions and area-of-law tags. Covers actus reus, habeas corpus, prima facie, stare decisis and more.

Latin pervades legal language because both the civil-law tradition (descended from Roman law) and English common law preserved Latin terms and maxims for centuries. Understanding them is essential when reading judgments, statutes and pleadings. This tool is a searchable glossary: filter by keyword or by area of law to find the plain-English meaning of common terms.

How it works

Each entry pairs a Latin term or maxim with a concise modern definition and an area-of-law tag (criminal, procedure, contract, tort, evidence, constitutional or general). The search matches both the Latin and the English meaning, so you can look up mens rea directly or search “guilty mind” and find it. The area filter narrows the list — for example selecting “Criminal” surfaces actus reus, mens rea and nolo contendere, while “Procedure” surfaces ex parte, res judicata and subpoena.

Tips, examples and notes

  • Many maxims describe live doctrine: stare decisis is the rule of binding precedent, audi alteram partem and nemo judex in causa sua are the two pillars of natural justice, and res ipsa loquitur lets negligence be inferred from the accident itself.
  • A ratio decidendi is the binding reason for a decision; obiter dictum is a non-binding aside — distinguishing them is central to case-law analysis.
  • Terms are conventionally italicised in writing. This glossary is for general reference and is not legal advice; meanings can vary by jurisdiction.