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Simple English definitions for legal terms
scintilla juris
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A quick definition of scintilla juris:
Scintilla juris is a fancy Latin term that means "a spark of right." It used to refer to a small piece of law or right that was left behind to allow for future legal actions. This was important in the law of uses, where it allowed for contingent uses to be executed. However, this concept was abolished in 1860.
A more thorough explanation:
Scintilla Juris
Scintilla Juris is a legal term that means "a spark of right." It refers to a small piece of law or right that is still valid even if the larger part is not.
For example, if a person sells a piece of land but forgets to transfer the mineral rights, the buyer may still have a scintilla juris to those rights. This means that even though the seller did not explicitly transfer the mineral rights, the buyer may still have a claim to them.
Another example is in the law of uses. If a person transfers land to someone else but wants to retain the right to use it for a specific purpose, they may still have a scintilla juris to that right. This means that even though they no longer own the land, they still have a small piece of the right to use it for their specific purpose.
These examples illustrate how a scintilla juris can be a small but important piece of law or right that is still valid even if the larger part is not.