Simple English definitions for legal terms
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Term: LITERAE MORTUAE
Definition: Literae mortuae is a Latin term that refers to words in a legal document that have no meaning or purpose. They are often referred to as "dead letters" because they do not contribute to the overall meaning of the document. Think of them as filler words that are included in a statute or law, but do not have any real significance.
Definition: Literae mortuae (pronounced lit-uh-ree mor-choo-ee) is a Latin term that refers to dead letters or filler words in a statute.
Examples: An example of literae mortuae would be words like "the," "and," or "of" in a legal document. These words don't add any significant meaning to the document, but they are necessary for the sentence to make sense grammatically.
Another example would be the phrase "herein provided" in a statute. This phrase is often used to refer to a specific section of the statute, but it doesn't add any new information to the document.
Explanation: Literae mortuae are words that are necessary for a sentence to make sense grammatically, but they don't add any significant meaning to the document. These words are often used in legal documents, such as statutes, to clarify the meaning of the text. However, they can also make the document longer and more difficult to read. Understanding the concept of literae mortuae can help readers identify which words are essential to the meaning of a document and which words can be ignored.