Legal Definitions - perimere causam

perimere causam

This is a historical Latin legal phrase that literally translates to "to put an end to the cause." In legal practice, it refers to an action, defense, or ruling that completely and definitively terminates a legal case or claim, preventing it from proceeding further. It signifies a decisive conclusion to the dispute, often because a fundamental legal barrier has been raised or a final resolution reached.

Here are some examples:

• Statute of Limitations: Imagine a situation where a person wants to sue a company for a product defect, but they wait five years to file the lawsuit. If the law in that jurisdiction sets a three-year deadline (a statute of limitations) for such claims, the company can raise this as a defense. If the court agrees that the deadline has passed, this defense would perimere causam, meaning the lawsuit is definitively ended because it was filed too late, and the court will not hear the merits of the case.
• Res Judicata (Claim Preclusion): Consider a scenario where a tenant sues their landlord for a specific issue, like a leaky roof, and the court rules in favor of the landlord after a full trial. If the tenant later tries to file a new lawsuit against the same landlord for the exact same leaky roof issue, the landlord can invoke the defense of res judicata. This defense would perimere causam for the second lawsuit, as the legal system generally prevents parties from relitigating issues that have already been decided by a court.
• Comprehensive Settlement Agreement: Two businesses are embroiled in a complex dispute over a contract. After months of negotiation and mediation, they reach a detailed settlement agreement that resolves all outstanding issues and includes a mutual release of claims. Once this agreement is signed by both parties and, if required, approved by the court, it effectively perimere causam. The settlement definitively ends the legal "cause" or dispute between them, preventing either party from pursuing further litigation on those specific contractual matters.