Simple English definitions for legal terms
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Term: ac etiam
Definition: Ac etiam is a Latin phrase used in common-law pleading. It means "and also." In common-law cases, a fictitious claim had to be alleged to give the court jurisdiction. Ac etiam directed the court to the real cause of action. It introduced a genuine claim in a pleading. The officers of the king's bench used a clause of ac etiam to add a bill of debt to the usual complaint of trespass to remedy this inconvenience. The complaint of trespass gave cognizance to the court, and that of debt authorized the arrest.