Legal Definitions - durante bene placito

durante bene placito is a Latin legal phrase that translates to "during good pleasure" or "at the pleasure of."

It describes a situation where a person holds a position, office, or privilege only for as long as the grantor (the person or entity who bestowed it) wishes them to. This means the grantor can terminate the arrangement at any time, without needing to provide a specific reason or demonstrate cause, simply because they are no longer "pleased" with the arrangement or the individual's tenure.

Here are some examples to illustrate this concept:

• Government Appointments: Imagine a newly elected President appointing a special advisor to lead a task force on economic policy. This advisor's position is typically held durante bene placito of the President. If the President decides to change the direction of the task force, or simply loses confidence in the advisor, they can remove the advisor from their role at any time, without needing to provide a formal reason or go through a lengthy dismissal process. The advisor serves solely at the President's discretion.

• High-Level Corporate Roles: Consider a CEO hiring a Chief of Staff. In some corporate structures, especially for roles that require a high degree of trust and alignment with the CEO's personal vision, the Chief of Staff's employment might be structured durante bene placito of the CEO. This means the CEO could terminate the Chief of Staff's employment if their working relationship sours, or if the CEO decides to restructure their office, even if the Chief of Staff has not committed any specific misconduct. The continuation of the role depends entirely on the CEO's ongoing satisfaction.

• Temporary Licenses or Privileges: A city council might grant a temporary permit for a community group to use a public park for a series of weekend events. This permit could be issued durante bene placito of the council. If the council receives numerous complaints, or decides the park needs to be used for a different municipal purpose, they could revoke the permit at any point, even mid-series, without needing to prove a violation of the permit terms, simply because it is no longer "their good pleasure" for the events to continue.