Law · Legal Information · Justice
 

B

Legal definitions for terms and concepts beginning with B
Expand All
Collapse All
Backing Sheet
A back cover page to a legal document designed to show, when folded, what the legal document is and who it is from.Expanded Legal Definition of Backing Sheet
Bad Faith
Intent to deceive. A person who intentionally tries to deceive or mislead another in order to gain some advantage.Expanded Legal Definition of Bad Faith
Bail
The pledge of cash or property to secure the release of a thing or person which would otherwise be held in custody.Expanded Legal Definition of Bail
Bailee
The person who receives property through a contract of bailment, from the bailor, and who may be committed to certain duties of care towards the property while it remains in his or her possession.Expanded Legal Definition of Bailee
Bailment
The transfer of possession of something (by the bailor) to another person (called the bailee) for some temporary purpose (eg. repair or storage) after which the property is either returned to the bailor or otherwise disposed of in accordance with the contract of bailment.Expanded Legal Definition of Bailment
Bailor
The person who temporarily transfers possession of property to another, the bailee, under a contract of bailment.Expanded Legal Definition of Bailor
Bait and Switch
To lure a customer by advertising, at a very attractive price, a reputable product and then to denigrate it in favour of another product offered at a higher price.Expanded Legal Definition of Bait and Switch
Balance of Probabilities
Burden of proof in civil trials.Expanded Legal Definition of Balance of Probabilities
Bank
A corporation empowered to deal with cash, domestic and foreign, and to receive the deposits of money and to loan those monies to third-parties.Expanded Legal Definition of Bank
Banker
An individual who is engaged in the business of banking.Expanded Legal Definition of Banker
Bankrupt
A person who has legally declared bankruptcy.Expanded Legal Definition of Bankrupt
Bankruptcy
The formal condition of an insolvent person being declared bankrupt under law.Expanded Legal Definition of Bankruptcy
Bare Trust
A trust that is or has become passive for the trustee because all the duties the settlor may have imposed upon the trustee have been performed or any conditions or terms have come to fruition.Expanded Legal Definition of Bare Trust
Bare Trustee
The trustee of a bare trust; a trust that has been reduced to holding the trust property at the absolute disposal and benefit of the beneficiaries.Expanded Legal Definition of Bare Trustee
Barrator
A person who, on more than one occasion, incites litigation or spreads false rumours.Expanded Legal Definition of Barrator
Barratry
An intentional wrongful act committed by the crew or master of a ship to the prejudice of the owner or the charterer.Expanded Legal Definition of Barratry
Barrister
A lawyer that restricts his or her practice to the court room; a litigation specialist.Expanded Legal Definition of Barrister
Bastard
An illegitimate child, born in a relationship between two persons that are not married (ie. not in wedlock) or who are not married at the time of the child’s birth. Expanded Legal Definition of Bastard
Battered Woman Syndrome
A species of self-defence to manslaughter or murder in which expert evidence is led to demonstrate that a female defendant in an abusive relationship comes to believe that to save herself she must kill her husband first.Expanded Legal Definition of Battered Woman Syndrome
Battery
Offensive and intentional contact, direct or indirect, which causes injury.Expanded Legal Definition of Battery
Battle of the Forms
Two persons intending to contract but tendering differing form contracts rendering the conclusion as to the terms of the contract, or a determination as to whether there was a contract, difficult.Expanded Legal Definition of Battle of the Forms
Bawdy House
A brothel; an establishment of ill repute - within which occur acts of prostitution or lewd sex.Expanded Legal Definition of Bawdy House
Bench
A judge in court session.Expanded Legal Definition of Bench
Beneficiary
The person for whom a trust has been created.Expanded Legal Definition of Beneficiary
Bequeath or Bequests
Gift of personal property or chattels by will.Expanded Legal Definition of Bequeath or Bequests
Bereavement Leave
Authorized leave from work, paid or unpaid, for the purposes of attending to the funeral of a family member.Expanded Legal Definition of Bereavement Leave
Berne Convention
An international copyright treaty called the Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works signed at Berne, Switzerland in 1886 (amended several times and as late as 1971) and to which now subscribe 77 nations including all major trading countries including China, with the notable exception of Russia. It is based on the principle of national treatment. Expanded Legal Definition of Berne Convention
Bicycle
A muscle-propelled two-wheeled vehicle.Expanded Legal Definition of Bicycle
Bigamy
Being married to more than one person at the same time; a criminal offence in most jurisdictions. Expanded Legal Definition of Bigamy
Bill
A proposed statute, not yet approved.Expanded Legal Definition of Bill
Bill of Attainder
Conviction and sentence to death directly by statute, as opposed to resulting from trial.Expanded Legal Definition of Bill of Attainder
Bill of Exchange
A written order from one person (the payor) to another, signed by the person giving it, requiring the person to whom it is addressed to pay on demand or at some fixed future date, a certain sum of money, to either the person identified as payee or to any person presenting the bill of exchange.Expanded Legal Definition of Bill of Exchange
Bill of Lading
A document that a transport company possesses acknowledging that it has received goods, and serves as title for the purpose of transportation.Expanded Legal Definition of Bill of Lading
Binder
A formal statement or written certification of an insurance policy.Expanded Legal Definition of Binder
Bird's Nest Custody
A form of access or custody where the children stay in the former family residence and it is the parents who rotate in and out separately and on a negotiated schedule.Expanded Legal Definition of Bird's Nest Custody
Black Code
Statutes passed by pro-slavery, Southern states of the USA before and after the Civil War, to limit the civil rights of slaves or freed slaves. All black codes were eventually repealed.Expanded Legal Definition of Black Code
Black Letter Law
A principle of law so notorious and entrenched that it is commonly known and rarely disputed.Expanded Legal Definition of Black Letter Law
Blasphemy
The scurrilous, deriding or intemperate expression of dissent or criticism of God or a state's oficial religion.Expanded Legal Definition of Blasphemy
Blind Trust
A trust in which a settlor reserves the right to terminate the trust but to assert no other power over the trust, which is administered without any other measure of control over the trust's administration.Expanded Legal Definition of Blind Trust
Blue-Pencil Severance
Striking out an offending part of a legal document, such as a contract or a statute.Expanded Legal Definition of Blue-Pencil Severance
Blue Sky Law
An American law term that refers to government controls, through statutes, of the sale of securities to the public. Expanded Legal Definition of Blue Sky Law
Blockbusting
Attempt to manipulate sale prices of real property by making representations as to crime rate or ethnic ratios.Expanded Legal Definition of Blockbusting
Boarding House
Residential premises where both shelter and food are provided.Expanded Legal Definition of Boarding House
Bona Vacantia
Property that belongs to no person, and which may be claimed by a finder.Expanded Legal Definition of Bona Vacantia
Bond
A written guarantee in regards to the fulfillment of a legal obligation.Expanded Legal Definition of Bond
Born Alive
A child born and independently breathing or with a heart beat.Expanded Legal Definition of Born Alive
Born Out of Wedlock
Born of parents who were not married at the time of birth.Expanded Legal Definition of Born Out of Wedlock
Bottomry
An obsolete bond contract by which a ship owner or master borrowed money in a far-off port of call, for the repair of a ship in exchange for which, he would repay the loan on safe arrival at the ship's destination, for which the ship stood as collateral but where the lender assumed the risk of the loss of the ship en route.Expanded Legal Definition of Bottomry
Breach of Contract
A failure of a party to a contract to perform his or her obligations as agreed to within the contract.Expanded Legal Definition of Breach of Contract
Breach Of Trust
Any act or omission on the part of the trustee which is inconsistent with the terms of the trust agreement or the law of trusts.Expanded Legal Definition of Breach Of Trust
Break and Enter
A burglary; to break and enter onto another's premises, land or real property with the intent to there commit a crime, most typically theftExpanded Legal Definition of Break and Enter
Breathalyzer
A device which records alcohol impairment.Expanded Legal Definition of Breathalyzer
Brehon
Judges in ancient and medieval Ireland.Expanded Legal Definition of Brehon
Bribery
A secret payment to a public officer in exchange for preferential treatment.Expanded Legal Definition of Bribery
Browne v Dunn, The Rule in
Rule of evidence named after the British case in which it was first established; that if you intend on later impeaching a witness with contradictory evidence, that evidence ought to be put to the witness.Expanded Legal Definition of Browne v Dunn, The Rule in
Buggery
Synonymous with sodomy and referring to 'unnatural' sex acts, including copulation, either between two persons of the same sex or between a person and an animal (the latter act also known as 'bestiality').Expanded Legal Definition of Buggery
Builders' Lien
A statutory charge against real property by those who have contributed material or manpower to its improvement.Expanded Legal Definition of Builders' Lien
Building Code
A North American legal term for the local or municipal regulation which regulates the construction of new, or renovation of existing buildings.Expanded Legal Definition of Building Code
Burden of Proof
A rule of evidence that makes a person prove a certain thing or the contrary will be assumed by the court.Expanded Legal Definition of Burden of Proof
Burglary
Breaking and entering a residence for the intention of committing a crime or while lawfully within, commit a crime and to thereafter break out.Expanded Legal Definition of Burglary
But For
A test in tort law linking the tort and the damages (aka causation), which are stated as: but for the defendant's negligence, the plaintiff would not have been injured.Expanded Legal Definition of But For
By-Law
A municipal, local or corporate rule or regulation.Expanded Legal Definition of By-Law
Click on plus sign to view definition

Are we missing anything? If you think there is a term that should be included, please send us the suggestion

  • Dictionary
  • Resources
  • LawMag

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.

top