Legal Definitions - ne relessa pas

Ne relessa pas is a legal term derived from Law French, meaning "did not release." In a legal dispute, this term represents a plaintiff's formal response to a defendant's claim that the plaintiff previously freed them from a particular legal obligation or liability. Essentially, when a defendant asserts that a "release" (a waiver or forgiveness of a claim) occurred, the plaintiff's "ne relessa pas" is a direct denial, affirming that no such release was granted, and therefore, the defendant remains responsible.

Here are a few examples to illustrate this concept:

• Contractual Dispute: Imagine a freelance graphic designer (the plaintiff) sues a client (the defendant) for unpaid fees for a website design project. The client argues that after several revisions and delays, the designer verbally agreed to "release" them from the final payment as a gesture of goodwill to resolve the dispute. The designer's formal legal response, asserting that they never actually waived their right to the final payment, would be a plea of ne relessa pas. They maintain that no valid release occurred, and the client still owes the money.

• Personal Injury Claim: Consider a situation where a pedestrian (the plaintiff) sues a driver (the defendant) for injuries sustained in a car accident. The driver's defense includes a document they claim the pedestrian signed at the scene, which supposedly released the driver from all future liability. If the pedestrian denies signing such a document, or asserts it was signed under duress or without understanding its implications, their legal counter-argument to the driver's "release" defense would be ne relessa pas. They are stating that they did not validly release the driver from responsibility for their injuries.

• Debt Collection: Suppose a small business (the plaintiff) is attempting to collect an outstanding debt from a former customer (the defendant). The customer claims that a representative of the small business, during a phone call, explicitly told them the debt was forgiven due to their long-standing loyalty. The small business's legal team, if they have no record or intention of forgiving the debt, would respond with ne relessa pas. They would argue that no authorized release of the debt occurred, and therefore, the customer is still obligated to pay.