Legal Definitions - acta publica

Acta publica is a Latin term that refers to matters that are either generally known to the public or officially recorded by public authorities.

It encompasses things of widespread public knowledge and concern, as well as official transactions or documents created and maintained by public officers or government bodies.

• Example 1: When a local government passes a new zoning ordinance, the official record of that vote and the text of the ordinance itself become acta publica. These documents are filed with the city clerk and are available for any citizen to review, reflecting a matter transacted before public officers and of general public concern regarding land use.

• Example 2: A birth certificate issued by a state's vital records office is an example of acta publica. It is an official document created by a public officer, recording a significant life event. While personal, the fact of its official creation and maintenance by a government agency makes it a public act or record, accessible under specific legal conditions, and serves as a matter of official public record.

• Example 3: The minutes from a public school board meeting, detailing decisions made about school policies, budgets, or curriculum changes, constitute acta publica. These minutes are official records of transactions conducted by public officers (the school board members) in a public forum, and they are made available to the community because they concern matters of general public interest and knowledge regarding local education.