DEFINITION OF TERMS (P1)

One of the very important thing that you must know about studying law is to be familiar or if possible to memorize the definition of several legal terms. Here are some of them...

ABATEMENT – is the diminution or decrease in the amount of tax imposed. It refers to the act of eliminating or nullifying; of lessening or moderating.

ABDUCTION – is meant the taking away of a woman from her house or the place where she may be for the purpose of carrying her to another place with intent to marry or corrupt her.

ABSOLUTE PARDON – is one extended without any strings attached.

ABSOLUTORY CAUSES – are those where the act committed is a crime but for reasons of public policy and sentiment there is no penalty imposed.

ACCESSORIES – are those who, having knowledge of the commission of the crime, and without having participated therein, either as principals or accomplices, take part subsequent to its commission in any of the following manners:
1. By profiting themselves or assisting the offender to profit by the effects of the crime;
2. By concealing or destroying the body of the crime or the effects or instruments thereof, in order to prevent its discovery;
3. By harboring, concealing, or assisting in the escape of the principal of the crime, provided the accessory acts with abuse of his public functions or whenever the author of the crime is guilty of treason, parricide, murder, or an attempt to take the life of the Chief Executive, or is known to be habitually guilty of some other crime.

ACCIDENT – is something that happens outside the sway of our will, and although it comes about through some act of our will, lies beyond the bounds of humanly foreseeable consequences.

ACCIDENT – pertains to an unforeseen event in which no fault or negligence attaches to the defendant. It is a fortuitous circumstance, event or happening; an event happening without any human agency, or if happening wholly or partly through human agency, an event which under the circumstances is unusual or unexpected by the person to whom it happens.

ACCIDENTAL HOMICIDE – is the death of a person brought about by a lawful act performed with proper care and skill, and without homicidal intent.

ACCOMPLICES – are the persons who, not being included in Article 17, cooperate in the execution of the offense by previous or simultaneous acts.

ACTUAL CASE OR CONTROVERSY – involves a conflict of legal rights, an assertion of opposite legal claims susceptible of judicial resolution.

ACTUAL DISTRAINT OF PERSONAL PROPERTY – the physical taking of the taxpayer’s personal property to answer for his tax deficiency

ADJECTIVE OR PROCEDURAL LAW – provides the method of enforcing and protecting such rights, duties and obligations as are created by substantive law

ADOPTION – is defined as the process of making a child, whether related or not to the adopter, possess in general, the rights accorded to a legitimate child.