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E

Legal definitions for terms and concepts beginning with E
Easement
A legal right to the access over or use of another's land or waterway. - (see definition)
Ecclesiastical law
Synonymous to canon law. - (see definition)
Eggshell Skull Doctrine
A tort-feasor or a wrongdoer takes his victim as he finds him. - (see definition)
Eighth Amendment
US constitutional amendment that prohibits excessive bail, ...excessive fines (and) cruel and unusual punishment.... - (see definition)
Ejusdem or Eiusdem Generis
Of the same kind or nature. - (see definition)
Emancipation
Term used to describe the act of freeing a person who was under the legal authority of another (such as a child before the age of majority) from that control (such as child reaching the age of majority). - (see definition)
Embargo
This is an act of international military aggression where an order is made prohibiting ships or goods from leaving a certain port, city or territory and may be enforced by military threat of destroying any vehicle that attempts to break it or by trade penalties. - (see definition)
Embezzle
The illegal transfer of money or property that, although possessed legally by the embezzler, is diverted to the embezzler personally by his or her fraudulent action. - (see definition)
Embracery
Improper influence on a juror. - (see definition)
Eminent domain
USA: The legal power to expropriate private land for the sake of public necessity. - (see definition)
Emolument
A legal word which refers to all wages, benefits or other benefit received as compensation for holding some office or employment. - (see definition)
Emphyteusis
Civil law: a long-term (many years or in perpetuity) rental of land or buildings including the exclusive enjoyment of all product of that land and the exercise of all property rights typically reserved for the property owner such as mortgaging the property for the term of the emphyteusis or permitting a right of way. - (see definition)
Emptio or emtio
Latin for 'purchase' or the contract in which something is bought. - (see definition)
Enactment
A law or a statute; a document which is published as an enforceable set of written rules is said to be enacted. - (see definition)
Endorsement
something written on the back of a document. An alternate spelling, in some English jurisdictions, is 'indorsement'. - (see definition)
Endowment
The transfer of money or property (usually as a gift) to a public organization for a specific purpose, such as medical research or scholarships. - (see definition)
Enduring or Continuing Power of Attorney
A POA that continues even if and after a donor becomes incapacitated. - (see definition)
Entrapment
The inducement, by law enforcement officers or their agents, of another person to commit a crime for the purposes of bringing charges for the commission of that artificially-provoked crime. - (see definition)
Equity
A branch of English law which developed hundreds of years ago when litigants would go to the King and complain of harsh or inflexible rules of common law which prevented justice from prevailing. - (see definition)
Escheat
Where property is returned to the government upon the death of the owner, because there is nobody to inherit the property - (see definition)
Escrow
When the performance of something is outstanding and a third party holds onto money or a written document (such as shares or a deed) until a certain condition is met between the two contracting parties. - (see definition)
Estate law
A term used by the law to decribe that part of the law which regulates wills, probate and other subjects related to the distribution of a deceased person’s estate. - (see definition)
Estoppel
A rule of law that when person A, by act or words, gives person B reason to believe a certain set of facts upon which person B takes action, person A cannot later, to his (or her) benefit, deny those facts or say that his (or her) earlier act was improper. - (see definition)
Euthanasia
The putting to death, by painless method, of a terminally-ill or severely debilitated person through the omission (intentionally withholding a life-saving medical procedure, also known as 'passive euthanasia') or commission of an act ('active euthanasia'). - (see definition)
Evidence
Proof of fact(s) presented at a trial. - (see definition)
Ex aequo et bono
Latin for 'in justice and fairness'. - (see definition)
Examination for Discovery
An oral examination under oath. - (see definition)
Examination-in-chief
The questioning of your own witness under oath. - (see definition)
Exculpate
Something that excuses or justifies a wrong action. - (see definition)
Executive Branch
The executive branch is the administrative arm of government (and thus also called the 'administration' or the 'administrative branch of government'); the one with the most employees as it operates, implements and enforces all the laws created by the legislative branch, and as interpreted, from time to time, by the judiciary. - (see definition)
Executor
A person specifically appointed by a testator to administer the will ensuring that final wishes are respected (i.e. that the will is properly executed). - (see definition)
Executor De Son Tort
A person who meddles with the estate of a deceased person. - (see definition)
Executor's Year
The year from date of death generally granted to the executor to collect and disburse the testator's assets. - (see definition)
Exhibit
A document or object shown to the court as evidence in a trial. - (see definition)
Ex parte
Latin: for one party only. - (see definition)
Ex patriate
A person who has abandoned his or her country of origin and citizenship and has become a subject or citizen of another country. - (see definition)
Ex post facto
Latin: after the fact. - (see definition)
Expropriation
Canada: the forced sale of land to a public authority. Synonymous to the USA doctrine of 'eminent domain'. - (see definition)
Express trust
A trust which is clearly created by the settlor, usually in the form of a document (eg. a will), although they can be oral. - (see definition)
Expunge
To physically erase; to white or strike out. - (see definition)
Ex rel
An abbreviation of 'ex relatione', Latin for 'on the relation of.' - (see definition)
Extortion
Forcing a person to give up property in a thing through the use of violence, fear or under pretense of authority. - (see definition)
Extradition
The arrest and delivery of a fugitive wanted for a crime committed in another country, usually under the terms of a extradition treaty. - (see definition)
Ex turpi causa non oritur actio
Latin: 'Of an illegal cause there can be no lawsuit.' - (see definition)

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Unless otherwise noted, this article was written by Lloyd Duhaime, Barrister, Solicitor, Attorney and Lawyer (and Notary Public!). It is not intended to be legal advice and you would be foolhardy to rely on it in respect to any specific situation you or an acquaintance may be facing. In addition, the law changes rapidly and sometimes with little notice so from time to time, an article may not be up to date. Therefore, this is merely legal information designed to educate the reader. If you have a real situation, this information will serve as a good springboard to get legal advice from a lawyer.

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