Legal Definitions - non juridicus

The Latin term non juridicus refers to a day or period when official legal proceedings cannot be conducted, or when courts are not in session. Essentially, it describes a time when the judicial system is not operating for its primary functions, such as holding hearings, accepting filings, or issuing rulings.

Here are a few examples to illustrate this concept:

• National Holidays: Imagine a lawyer needing to file a critical document, like an appeal, with a strict deadline. If that deadline falls on a national holiday, such as Christmas Day, the court will be closed. On such a day, the court is considered non juridicus, meaning the lawyer cannot officially submit the document until the next business day when the court reopens. The legal system recognizes these days as non-operational for judicial purposes.

• Emergency Closures: Consider a situation where a severe winter storm or a widespread power outage forces a courthouse to close unexpectedly for several days. During this period, no trials can proceed, no new cases can be filed, and no judicial orders can be issued. These days, due to the unforeseen circumstances, are deemed non juridicus because the court is physically unable to perform its functions, effectively pausing all official legal activity.

• Specific Statutory Limitations: In some jurisdictions, certain legal actions might be explicitly prohibited on particular days by law, even if the court is otherwise open. For instance, a local statute might declare that warrants for certain minor offenses cannot be issued on election days to avoid interference with voting. In this specific context, election day would be considered non juridicus for that particular type of legal action, even if other court functions might still be active.