,OXFORD PAPERBACK REFERENCE
A Dictionary of
Law
, The most authoritative and up-to-date reference
books for both students and the general reader. A Dictionary of
Oxford ABCof Music Jewish Religion
Law
Accounting Kings and Queens of Britain
Paperback Allusions
Archaeology
Language Toolkit
Law
Reference Architecture
Art and Artists
Linguistics
Literary Quotations
Art Terms Literary Terms
Astronomy Local and Family History
Better Wordpower London Place-Names
Bible Mathematics
Biology Medical
British History Medicinal Drugs FIFTH EDITION
British Place-Names Modern Design*
Buddhism' Modern Slang Reissued with new covers
Business Music
Card Games Musical Terms
Catchphrases Musical Works
Celtic Mythology Nursing Edited by
Chemistry Ologies and Isms
Christian Art Philosophy ELIZABETH A. MARTIN
Christian Church Phrase and Fable
Chronology of English Physics
Literature' Plant Sciences
Classical Literature Plays'
Classical Myth and Religion' Pocket Fowler's Modern
Computing English Usage
Contemporary World History Political Quotations
Dance Politics
Dates Popes
Dynasties of the World Proverbs
Earth Sciences Psychology
Ecology Quotations
Economics Quotations by Subject
Encyclopedia Reverse Dictionary
Engineering' Rhyming Slang
English Etymology Saints
English Folklore Science
English Grammar Shakespeare
English Language Slang
English Literature Sociology
Euphemisms Statistics
Everyday Grammar Synonyms and Antonyms
Finance and Banking Twentieth-Century Art
First Names Weather
Food and Drink Weights, Measures, and Units
Food and Nutrition Word Histories
Foreign Words and Phrases World History
Geography World Mythology
Handbook of the World World Place-Names'
Humorous Quotations World Religions
Idioms Zoology
Internet
Islam 'forthcoming
Irish Literature
OXFORD
UNIVERSITY PRESS
, Preface
OXFORD
UNIVERSITY PRESS
This dictionary has been written by a distinguished team of academic
Great Clarendon Street, Oxford oxa sm-
and practising lawyers. It is intended primarily for those without a
Oxford University Press is a department ofthe University of Oxford.
It furthers the University's objective ofexcellence in research. scholarship, qualification in law who nevertheless require some legallmowledge
and education by publishing worldwide in in the course of their work: chartered surveyors and accountants, civil
Oxford New York servants and local-government officers, social workers and probation
Auckland Bangkok Buenos Aires Cape Town Chennai officers, as well as businessmen and legal secretaries are typical
Dar es Saiaam Delhi Hong Kong Istanbul Karachi Kolkata examples of those whose work often calls for a knowledge of the
Kuala Lumpur Madrid Melbourne Mexico City Mumbai Nairobi
Sao Pauio Shanghai Taipei Tokyo Toronto precise meaning (and spelling) of a legal term.
Oxford is a registered trade mark of Oxford University Press
Each article, therefore, begins with a clear definition of the entry
in the UK and in certain other countries word (or words) and, in most cases, is followed by a more detailed
© Market House Books Ltd
explanation or description of the concepts involved.
1983,1990,1994,1997,2002,2003 Written in concise English, without the unnecessary use of legal
The moral rights of the author have been asserted jargon, the book will also be of considerable value to members ofthe
Database right Oxford University Press (maker) public who come into contact with the law and lawyers - house
First published 1983 as A Concise Dictionary oflaw
buyers, motorists, and hire purchasers are among those who cannot
Second edition 1990 escape the effects of legislation or the unique prose style in which it
Third edition 1994 is usually expressed.
Reissued in new covers with corrections 1996 In the five years since the last edition of the dictionary was
Fourth edition 1997
Fifth edition 2002 published there have been radical changes in the English legal
Reissued with new covers 2003 system, most notably in the areas of civil procedure (resulting from
All rights reserved. No part of this pubiication may be reproduced, the Access to Justice Act 1999 and the Civil Procedure Rules - the so-
stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, called 'Woolf Reforms') and human rights law (brought about by the
without the prior permission in writing of Oxford University Press, Human Rights Act 1998). The new edition reflects these and many
or as expressly permitted by law, or under terms agreed with the appropriate
reprographics rights organization. Enquiries concerning reproduction
other changes. If any provisions of new legislation were not in force
outside the scope of the above should be sent to the Rights Department, at the time of publication, the entries to which they apply will
Oxford University Press, at the address above indicate the direction ofthe proposed changes.
You must not circulate this book in any other binding or cover An asterisk (*) placed before a word in a definition indicates that
and you must impose this same condition on any acquirer additional relevant information will be found under this article. Some
British Library Cataioguing in Publication Data entries simply refer the reader to another entry, indicating either that
Data available they are synonyms or abbreviations or that they are most
Library of Congress Cataioging in Publication Data conveniently explained, together with related terms, in one of the
Data available dictionary's longer articles. The use of the pronoun 'he' (rather than
ISBN0-19-860756-3 'he or she') in entries has been adopted to simplify the construction of
6 sentences; it does not imply that the subject matter relates exclusively
Typeset in Swift by Market House Books Ltd,
to males.
Printed in Great Britain by
Clays Ltd, St Ives pic
E.A.M.
2001
A Dictionary of
Law
, The most authoritative and up-to-date reference
books for both students and the general reader. A Dictionary of
Oxford ABCof Music Jewish Religion
Law
Accounting Kings and Queens of Britain
Paperback Allusions
Archaeology
Language Toolkit
Law
Reference Architecture
Art and Artists
Linguistics
Literary Quotations
Art Terms Literary Terms
Astronomy Local and Family History
Better Wordpower London Place-Names
Bible Mathematics
Biology Medical
British History Medicinal Drugs FIFTH EDITION
British Place-Names Modern Design*
Buddhism' Modern Slang Reissued with new covers
Business Music
Card Games Musical Terms
Catchphrases Musical Works
Celtic Mythology Nursing Edited by
Chemistry Ologies and Isms
Christian Art Philosophy ELIZABETH A. MARTIN
Christian Church Phrase and Fable
Chronology of English Physics
Literature' Plant Sciences
Classical Literature Plays'
Classical Myth and Religion' Pocket Fowler's Modern
Computing English Usage
Contemporary World History Political Quotations
Dance Politics
Dates Popes
Dynasties of the World Proverbs
Earth Sciences Psychology
Ecology Quotations
Economics Quotations by Subject
Encyclopedia Reverse Dictionary
Engineering' Rhyming Slang
English Etymology Saints
English Folklore Science
English Grammar Shakespeare
English Language Slang
English Literature Sociology
Euphemisms Statistics
Everyday Grammar Synonyms and Antonyms
Finance and Banking Twentieth-Century Art
First Names Weather
Food and Drink Weights, Measures, and Units
Food and Nutrition Word Histories
Foreign Words and Phrases World History
Geography World Mythology
Handbook of the World World Place-Names'
Humorous Quotations World Religions
Idioms Zoology
Internet
Islam 'forthcoming
Irish Literature
OXFORD
UNIVERSITY PRESS
, Preface
OXFORD
UNIVERSITY PRESS
This dictionary has been written by a distinguished team of academic
Great Clarendon Street, Oxford oxa sm-
and practising lawyers. It is intended primarily for those without a
Oxford University Press is a department ofthe University of Oxford.
It furthers the University's objective ofexcellence in research. scholarship, qualification in law who nevertheless require some legallmowledge
and education by publishing worldwide in in the course of their work: chartered surveyors and accountants, civil
Oxford New York servants and local-government officers, social workers and probation
Auckland Bangkok Buenos Aires Cape Town Chennai officers, as well as businessmen and legal secretaries are typical
Dar es Saiaam Delhi Hong Kong Istanbul Karachi Kolkata examples of those whose work often calls for a knowledge of the
Kuala Lumpur Madrid Melbourne Mexico City Mumbai Nairobi
Sao Pauio Shanghai Taipei Tokyo Toronto precise meaning (and spelling) of a legal term.
Oxford is a registered trade mark of Oxford University Press
Each article, therefore, begins with a clear definition of the entry
in the UK and in certain other countries word (or words) and, in most cases, is followed by a more detailed
© Market House Books Ltd
explanation or description of the concepts involved.
1983,1990,1994,1997,2002,2003 Written in concise English, without the unnecessary use of legal
The moral rights of the author have been asserted jargon, the book will also be of considerable value to members ofthe
Database right Oxford University Press (maker) public who come into contact with the law and lawyers - house
First published 1983 as A Concise Dictionary oflaw
buyers, motorists, and hire purchasers are among those who cannot
Second edition 1990 escape the effects of legislation or the unique prose style in which it
Third edition 1994 is usually expressed.
Reissued in new covers with corrections 1996 In the five years since the last edition of the dictionary was
Fourth edition 1997
Fifth edition 2002 published there have been radical changes in the English legal
Reissued with new covers 2003 system, most notably in the areas of civil procedure (resulting from
All rights reserved. No part of this pubiication may be reproduced, the Access to Justice Act 1999 and the Civil Procedure Rules - the so-
stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, called 'Woolf Reforms') and human rights law (brought about by the
without the prior permission in writing of Oxford University Press, Human Rights Act 1998). The new edition reflects these and many
or as expressly permitted by law, or under terms agreed with the appropriate
reprographics rights organization. Enquiries concerning reproduction
other changes. If any provisions of new legislation were not in force
outside the scope of the above should be sent to the Rights Department, at the time of publication, the entries to which they apply will
Oxford University Press, at the address above indicate the direction ofthe proposed changes.
You must not circulate this book in any other binding or cover An asterisk (*) placed before a word in a definition indicates that
and you must impose this same condition on any acquirer additional relevant information will be found under this article. Some
British Library Cataioguing in Publication Data entries simply refer the reader to another entry, indicating either that
Data available they are synonyms or abbreviations or that they are most
Library of Congress Cataioging in Publication Data conveniently explained, together with related terms, in one of the
Data available dictionary's longer articles. The use of the pronoun 'he' (rather than
ISBN0-19-860756-3 'he or she') in entries has been adopted to simplify the construction of
6 sentences; it does not imply that the subject matter relates exclusively
Typeset in Swift by Market House Books Ltd,
to males.
Printed in Great Britain by
Clays Ltd, St Ives pic
E.A.M.
2001
