LEGAL DOCTRINES
1. Stare Decisis: The doctrine that courts should follow precedents set by previous decisions.
2. Res Judicata: The principle that a matter that has been adjudicated by a competent court and may not be pursued further by the same parties.
3. Collateral Estoppel: Prevents a party from re-litigating an issue that has already been ruled on in a previous case.
4. Mens Rea: Refers to the mental state or intent of a person when committing a crime.
5. Actus Reus: Refers to the physical act of committing a crime.
6. Strict Liability: Holds a party responsible for their actions without the need to prove intent or negligence.
7. Vicarious Liability: Holds one party liable for the actions of another, typically an employer for the actions of an employee.
8. Sovereign Immunity: The doctrine that the government or its subdivisions, departments, and agencies cannot be sued without its consent.
9. Ex Post Facto Law: Laws that retroactively change the legal consequences of actions that were committed before the enactment of the law.
10. Due Process: Constitutional guarantee that a law shall not be unfair, arbitrary, or unreasonable and that legal proceedings will be fair and that one will be given notice and an opportunity to be heard.
11. Equal Protection: Constitutional guarantee that no person or group will be denied protection under the law that is enjoyed by similar persons or groups.
12. Double Jeopardy: The principle that a person cannot be tried twice for the same crime.
13. Fruit of the Poisonous Tree: Evidence obtained illegally cannot be used in court.
14. Habeas Corpus: The right to challenge unlawful detention or imprisonment.
15. Qualified Immunity: Shields government officials from being held personally liable for constitutional violations — like the right to be free from excessive police force — unless the official violated “clearly established” law.
16. Estoppel: Prevents a party from taking a position in a legal proceeding that is contrary to a position previously taken if it would harm the other party who relied on the original position.
17. Laches: The principle that a legal claim will not be enforced if there is a long delay in asserting it, and the delay has prejudiced the opposing party.
18. Necessity: A defense that claims a law was broken in order to prevent a greater harm.
19. Proximate Cause: The primary cause of an injury, which sets in motion a chain of events that leads to the damage.
20. Res Ipsa Loquitur: The principle that the occurrence of an accident implies negligence when the defendant had exclusive control over the cause of the injury and the injury would not ordinarily happen without negligence.
21. Caveat Emptor: “Let the buyer beware,” meaning that the buyer alone is responsible for checking the quality and suitability of goods before a purchase is made.
22. Bona Fide: In good faith; genuine.
23. Fiduciary Duty: A legal obligation of one party to act in the best interest of another.
