Legal Definitions - sum

In legal contexts, "sum" primarily refers to a specific quantity or amount of money. Less commonly, especially in historical English law, it can also denote a legal summary, abstract, or a comprehensive collection of legal principles or treatises.

The term "sum" has two primary meanings in a legal context:

• A Quantity of Money: This is the most common usage, referring to a specific amount or total quantity of money.
• A Legal Summary or Compendium (English Law): In a historical context, particularly within English law, "sum" can also refer to a comprehensive collection, summary, or abstract of legal principles, statutes, or cases, often compiled into a treatise or book.

Here are some examples illustrating these meanings:

• Example 1 (Quantity of Money): "After a lengthy negotiation, the two parties agreed to a settlement where the defendant would pay a sum of $75,000 to the plaintiff to resolve the dispute out of court."

  Explanation: In this scenario, "sum" clearly denotes a specific amount of money ($75,000) that is being paid as part of a legal agreement or resolution.

• Example 2 (Quantity of Money): "The jury awarded the victim a significant sum in damages to cover medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering resulting from the accident."

  Explanation: Here, "sum" refers to the total monetary amount that the court or jury has ordered one party to pay another as compensation for harm or loss.

• Example 3 (Legal Summary/Compendium - English Law): "Medieval English legal scholars often compiled a 'sum' of existing common law judgments and statutes, organizing them systematically to create a comprehensive reference for legal practitioners and students."

  Explanation: This example illustrates the historical English law meaning, where a "sum" was a structured collection or summary of legal knowledge, akin to a legal textbook or encyclopedia of its time.