Legal Definitions - conjunct

The term conjunct describes a person who has such a close personal or familial relationship with someone involved in a legal case that they are legally prevented from serving in a role that requires strict impartiality, such as a judge or a witness. This disqualification is put in place to prevent any potential bias or conflict of interest from influencing the legal proceedings.

• Example 1: Imagine a civil lawsuit where a company is being sued for breach of contract. If the presiding judge's sibling happens to be the CEO of that defendant company, the judge would be considered conjunct to the defendant. Due to this close family relationship, the judge would be disqualified from hearing the case to ensure there is no appearance of bias or actual partiality in their rulings.

• Example 2: In a probate case concerning the validity of a will, a person who is a direct beneficiary of that will might be deemed conjunct if asked to testify as an independent witness about the deceased's mental capacity when the will was signed. Their personal financial interest in the will's outcome creates a potential conflict, making their testimony as an impartial witness problematic.