Simple English definitions for legal terms
Read a random definition: affirmative defense
A deep issue is a fundamental question that a court needs to answer to decide a point of law. It is the ultimate concrete question that needs to be addressed, and it is usually briefly phrased in separate sentences with facts interwoven to show precisely what problem needs to be resolved. It is different from a surface issue, which is a superficially stated issue phrased in a single sentence without many facts. A deep issue is the final question posed when one can no longer usefully ask the follow-up question, "And what does that turn on?"
Definition: A fundamental issue that needs to be decided by a court in ruling on a point of law. It is usually briefly phrased in separate sentences, with facts interwoven to show precisely what problem is to be addressed.
Example: In a case involving a car accident, a deep issue could be whether the defendant was negligent in driving the car. This is the ultimate question that the court needs to answer to decide the case.
This example illustrates the definition of a deep issue because it is the fundamental issue that needs to be decided by the court in order to resolve the case. It is a concrete question that the court needs to answer to decide the point of law.