Legal Definitions - advisare

In legal terms, advisement refers to the period of careful thought, deliberation, or consideration that a court, judge, jury, or other legal body undertakes before making a decision or issuing a ruling. When a matter is "taken under advisement," it means that it is being thoroughly reviewed and weighed, and a decision will not be rendered immediately.

The verb form, advisare, means to engage in this process of consulting, deliberating, or considering a legal matter.

Here are some examples illustrating these terms:

• After a lengthy hearing where attorneys presented complex arguments about the admissibility of certain evidence, the trial judge stated, "I will take the motion to exclude these documents under advisement and provide my ruling tomorrow morning."

  Explanation: This demonstrates the judge needing time to carefully consider the legal precedents and arguments presented by both sides before making an informed decision, rather than ruling on the spot.

• Following closing arguments in a high-stakes corporate dispute, the jury began its advisement, meticulously reviewing the voluminous evidence and witness testimonies to determine liability and damages.

  Explanation: Here, the jury's process of discussing the facts, weighing the credibility of witnesses, and applying the legal instructions to reach a unanimous verdict is a clear example of advisement.

• A state legislative committee held several public hearings on a controversial bill proposing significant changes to property tax laws. After receiving extensive feedback from citizens and experts, the committee decided to hold the bill under advisement for several weeks to further refine its provisions before bringing it to a vote.

  Explanation: This illustrates a legislative body taking time to deliberate and consider various perspectives and potential impacts before finalizing a significant policy, which is a form of advisement.