Legal Definitions - sine die

Sine die is a Latin term that translates to "without day." In legal and parliamentary contexts, it refers to the act of adjourning or ending a meeting, session, or proceeding without setting a specific date for it to resume. When a body adjourns sine die, it means it is dismissed indefinitely, with no fixed date for reconvening.

• Example 1: Legislative Adjournment

  After completing all its scheduled business for the year, a state legislature might vote to adjourn sine die. This signifies the official conclusion of that particular legislative session, and the lawmakers will not reconvene until the next scheduled annual session, or unless a special session is specifically called.

• Example 2: Judicial Postponement

  In a complex civil lawsuit, if a critical piece of evidence is unexpectedly delayed or a key expert witness becomes unavailable for an extended, unknown period, a judge might decide to postpone the trial sine die. This means the court case is put on hold indefinitely, and a new trial date will only be set once the necessary evidence or witness becomes available, or other circumstances change.

• Example 3: Committee Conclusion

  A special corporate committee formed to investigate a specific internal issue completes its investigation and submits its final report to the board of directors. Once their mandate is fulfilled, the committee members might formally vote to adjourn sine die, indicating that their work is finished and they have no plans to meet again unless specifically instructed by the board for a new purpose.