Download Legal Terms and Concepts: Class Actions, Amicus Curiae, Mootness, and More and more Quizzes Political Science in PDF only on Docsity! TERM 1 class action suit DEFINITION 1 In law, a class action or a representative action is a form of lawsuit in which a large group of people collectively bring a claim to court and/or in which a class of defendants is being sued. TERM 2 amicus curiae DEFINITION 2 An amicus curiae is someone, not a party to a case, who volunteers to offer information to assist a court in deciding a matter before it. TERM 3 mootness DEFINITION 3 In American law, a matter is moot if further legal proceedings with regard to it can have no effect, or events have placed it beyond the reach of the law. TERM 4 state courts DEFINITION 4 Two English-speaking federations use the phrase "state court" to describe courts operated by their constituent states: TERM 5 sovereign immunity DEFINITION 5 Sovereign immunity, or crown immunity, is a legal doctrine by which the sovereign or state cannot commit a legal wrong and is immune from civil suit or criminal prosecution. TERM 6 statutes of limitations DEFINITION 6 A statute of limitations is an enactment in a common law legal system that sets the maximum time after an event that legal proceedings based on that event may be initiated. TERM 7 appellate courts DEFINITION 7 An appellate court, commonly called an appeals court or court of appeals or appeal court (British English), is any court of law that is empowered to hear an appeal of a trial court or other lower tribunal. TERM 8 arbitration DEFINITION 8 Arbitration, a form of alternative dispute resolution, is a legal technique for the resolution of disputes outside the courts, where the parties to a dispute refer it to one or more persons (the "arbitrators", "arbiters" or "arbitral tribunal"), by whose decision (the "award") they agree to be bound. TERM 9 mediation DEFINITION 9 Mediation, as used in law, is a form of alternative dispute resolution, a way of resolving disputes between two or more parties. TERM 10 substantive law DEFINITION 10 Substantive law is the statutory or written law that defines criminal acts.
