List of Philippine legal terms#academic

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{{Use Philippine English|date=April 2023}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2020}}

{{For|many Latin language terms not included here also but which are used in Philippine courts, such as viz.|list of Latin legal terms}}

{{hatnote|Government acronyms are, for the most part, not listed here unless related to the judiciary. For others, see the {{format linkr|list_of_Philippine_government_and_military_acronyms}}.}}

{{Compact ToC|short1|refs=yes|align=left|name=no|sep=·}}

{{Incomplete list|date=June 2020}}

Owing to the unique history of the Philippines, its legal system is an equally unique blend of civil law (Spanish law), common law (American law), and, especially in Mindanao, Shariah law. Below is a list of Philippine legal terms:

class="wikitable sortable" ! Term ! Literal translation ! From !class="unsortable"|Definition and use

style=white-space:nowrap|{{anchor|A}}{{anchor|administrative case}}{{Anchor|A.C.}} A.C., administrative case |{{small|N/A}} |English |A case brought under administrative law in the form of a quasi-judicial proceeding by an agency of a non-judicial branch of government, or, the Office of the Court Administrator. Normally, such cases are internal disciplinary matters—court cases criminal and civil can be brought alongside them if warranted.

{{anchor|academic}} academic |{{small|N/A}} |English |Moot—changed circumstances have rendered the case of intellectual interest only; no ruling will have a practical effect on the law or jurisprudence.

{{anchor|Act}} Act |{{small|N/A}} |English |When on its own, as in "Act No. 3326", a law passed by the defunct colonial-era Philippine Legislature.

{{anchor|A.M.}} A.M. |{{small|N/A}} |English |"Administrative matters" before the Supreme Court of the Philippines.

{{anchor|arguendo}} arguendo |asserting |Latin |"For the sake of argument", as in, "Even {{lang|la|arguendo}} that R.A. 10175 applies, this case still should be dismissed due to a lapsed prescriptive period."

{{anchor|arresto mayor}} arresto mayor |major detention |Spanish |See {{format link|Revised Penal Code#Penalties}}.

{{anchor|arresto menor}} arresto menor |minor detention |Spanish |See {{format link|Revised Penal Code#Penalties}}.

{{anchor|B}}{{anchor|B.P.}}B.P. |nationwide law |Tagalog |Abbreviation for {{lang|tl|Batas Pambansa}}, the name for laws passed by the defunct unicameral Batasang Pambansa.

{{anchor|C}}{{anchor|C.A.}}C.A. |{{small|N/A}} |English |Abbreviation for either Commonwealth Act and Court of Appeals, depending on context.

{{anchor|D}}{{anchor|destierro}}destierro |exile |Spanish |See {{format link|Revised Penal Code#Penalties}}.

{{anchor|E}}{{anchor|eCourt}} eCourt |{{small|N/A}} |English |An electronic database of cases at the lower levels of the judiciary. eCourt was seldom used before the COVID-19 pandemic.{{cite news|work=GMA News Online|last=Nicole-Anne C. Lagrimas|url=https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/nation/737373/raffle-of-newly-filed-cases-in-ecq-areas-resumes-through-videoconferencing/story/|title=Raffle of newly-filed cases in ECQ areas resumes through videoconferencing|date=2020-05-08|access-date=2020-06-25}} Includes "eFiling", a way to submit pleadings and other court documents electronically.{{Cite book|title=Philippine Development Plan 2017-2022|url=http://pdp.neda.gov.ph/pdp-2017-2022-chapters/|publisher=National Economic and Development Authority|chapter=06. Pursuing Swift and Fair Administration of Justice|chapter-url=http://pdp.neda.gov.ph/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Chapter-06.pdf|year=2017|page=90|access-date=2020-06-25}}

{{anchor|E.O.}}E.O. |{{small|N/A}} |English |Abbreviation for Executive Order.

{{anchor|estafa}}estafa |scam, fraud, racket | Spanish | Fraud

{{anchor|expediente}}expediente |file, dossier |Spanish |As special rules apply to the release of the {{lang|es|rollo}}, the office of each member of the Supreme Court is allowed to take a copy of the {{lang|es|rollo}}. This is the {{lang|es|expediente}}.

{{anchor|F}}{{anchor|fallo}}fallo{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9kHxFAegYEsC&q=fallo+philippine+law&pg=PA361|title=Philippine Law Dictionary|publisher=Rex Bookstore Inc.|year=1988|isbn=9789712349119|edition=3rd}} |style="padding:0px;min-width:100%;"| {|class="wikitable" style="border-top-width:0px;border-left-width:0px;border-right-width:0px;border-bottom-width:0px;min-width:100%;margin:0 0"

style="border-top-width:0px;border-left-width:0px;border-right-width:0px"|verdict

style="border-top-width:0px;border-left-width:0px;border-right-width:0px;border-bottom-width:0px"|failure {{small|(non-legal translation)}}

|Spanish

|The dispositive portion of a Court's ruling, coming at the very end of the ruling. Cf. conclusion. This word has the same meaning in the modern Spanish judicial system.{{cite web|website=fundéu RAE|publisher=Real Academia Española|url=https://www.fundeu.es/recomendacion/condenafallosentenciaveredicto/|title=Sentencia, fallo, condena y veredicto no son sinónimos|date=February 4, 2011 |language=es-ES}}

|-

|{{anchor|fiscal}} fiscal

|prosecutor

|Spanish

|A prosecutor, either at the city or provincial level, or nationwide Department of Justice level. Cf. procurator fiscal.

|-

|{{anchor|G}}{{anchor|G.R.}}G.R.

|{{small|N/A}}

|English

|Abbreviation for General Register. See {{format link|Case citation#Philippines}}.

|-

|{{anchor|H}}{{anchor|I}}{{anchor|IBP}} IBP

|{{small|N/A}}

|English

|Integrated Bar of the Philippines{{cite web|url=http://www.ibp.ph/about.html|website=Integrated Bar of the Philippines|access-date=2020-06-25|title=About|quote=The Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) is the official organization of all Philippine lawyers.}}

|-

|{{anchor|information}} information

|{{small|N/A}}

|English

|An indictment.{{Cite web|last=Buan|first=Lian|date=2017-08-06|title=Indicted? Charged? A guide to court jargon|url=http://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/iq/177811-court-jargon-explainer|access-date=2020-06-19|website=Rappler|language=en}} In the United States, which originated the term, there are grand juries, and indictments are more common, while an information is a rare type of criminal action brought in the absence of a grand jury.{{Cite web|last1=Molo|first1=Steven|last2=Lamken|first2=Jeffrey|year=2018|title=What's the Difference Between a Criminal Indictment, a Criminal Information, and a Criminal Complaint?|url=http://www.mololamken.com/news-knowledge-29.html|access-date=2020-06-19|website=MoloLamken LLP}} However, the Philippines has no grand juries (and, indeed, no juries of any kind), so "information" is essentially synonymous with "indictment".{{Cite journal|last=Behan|first=Christopher W.|date=May 2003|title=Don't Tug on Superman's Cape: In Defense of Convening Authority Selection and Appointment of Court-Martial Panel Members|url=https://law.siu.edu/_common/documents/publications/behan/authority.pdf|journal=Military Law Review|language=en|location=Rochester|volume=176|pages=235}}

|-

|{{anchor|intervenor-oppositor}} intervenor-oppositor

|{{small|N/A}}

|English

|An intervenor who opposes the case of the petitioner.{{Cite court|litigants=Falcis III v. Civil Registrar-General|court=Supreme Court of the Philippines|date=October 30, 2019|pinpoint=G.R. No. 217910}} Sometimes shortened to just "oppositor".{{Cite web |url=http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2007/nov/22/yehey/top_stories/20071122top5.html |work=The Manila Times|last=Canlas|first=Jomar|title=Pasig court ruling: Justice Ong 'a natural-born Filipino citizen' |access-date=2007-12-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071124124105/http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2007/nov/22/yehey/top_stories/20071122top5.html |archive-date=2007-11-24 |date=2007-11-22|url-status=dead }} Cf. petitioner-in-intervention.

|-

|{{anchor|J}}{{anchor|JBC}} JBC

|{{small|N/A}}

|English

|Judicial and Bar Council

|-

|{{anchor|judge-at-large}}{{anchor|judges-at-large}}judge-at-large

|{{small|N/A}}

|English

|A judge without a permanent {{lang|es|sala}}. Under R.A. 11459, such judges have all the rights of regular RTC judges, and the same salaries. They are also chosen by the President upon the advice of the JBC as other RTC judges are.{{Cite web|last=Acosta|first=Persida|date=2020-02-18|title=What are judges-at-large?|url=https://www.manilatimes.net/2020/02/18/legal-advice/dearpao/what-are-judges-at-large/688024/|access-date=2020-06-21|website=The Manila Times|language=en-US}}

|-

|{{anchor|K}}{{anchor|L}}{{anchor|M}}{{anchor|MeTC}} MCTC

|{{small|N/A}}

|English

|Municipal Circuit Trial Courts, a Municipal Trial Court that covers more than one municipality{{cite news|last=Atencia|first=Romulo P.|date=2016-04-21|access-date=2020-06-25|url=http://www.catanduanestribune.com/article/3Y34|work=Catanduanes Tribune|title=The hierarchy of courts}}

|-

|{{anchor|MeTC}} MeTC{{Cite web |date=2018-01-10 |title=Quality Manual: The Judiciary (JUD-QMS-QM-001) |url=http://sc.judiciary.gov.ph/files/transparency/manual.pdf |access-date=2020-06-25 |publisher=Supreme Court of the Philippines |page=8}} (Published date from [http://sc.judiciary.gov.ph/files/transparency/17-11-18-SC.pdf])

|{{small|N/A}}

|English

|Metropolitan Trial Courts, a type of civil court below Regional Trial Courts

|-

|{{anchor|MTC}} MTC

|{{small|N/A}}

|English

|Municipal Trial Courts, a type of civil court below Regional Trial Courts

|-

|{{anchor|MTCC}} MTCC

|{{small|N/A}}

|English

|Municipal Trial Courts in Cities, a type of civil court below Regional Trial Courts

|-

|{{anchor|N}}{{anchor|O}}{{anchor|OCA}} OCA

|{{small|N/A}}

|English

|Office of the Court Administrator

|-

|{{anchor|P}}{{anchor|petitioner}}petitioner

|{{small|N/A}}

|English

|A plaintiff.

|-

|{{anchor|petitioner-in-intervention}} petitioner-in-intervention

|{{small|N/A}}

|English

|An intervenor who supports the case of the petitioner. Cf. intervenor-oppositor.

|-

|{{anchor|ponencia}} ponencia

|report

|Spanish

|The Court's majority opinion.

|-

|{{anchor|ponente}} ponente

|speaker [at a meeting]

|Spanish

|The writer of the Court's majority opinion. Mostly used in the context of the Supreme Court, but can be used at the Regional Trial Court level.

|-

|{{anchor|prefatory statement}} prefatory statement

|{{small|N/A}}

|English

|A statement which summarizes a legal document, similar to an abstract.

|-

|{{anchor|prisión correccional}} prisión correccional

|corrective imprisonment

|Spanish

|See {{format link|Revised Penal Code#Penalties}}.

|-

|{{anchor|prisión mayor}} prisión mayor

|major imprisonment

|Spanish

|See {{format link|Revised Penal Code#Penalties}}.

|-

|{{anchor|Q}}{{anchor|quasi-judicial agency}} quasi-judicial agency

|{{small|N/A}}

|English

|An agency of the executive branch that exercises some judicial functions and before which a minimum of due process is required.{{Cite web|last=Umali|first=Toni|date=2015-04-26|title=Due process in administrative proceedings|url=https://businessmirror.com.ph/2015/04/26/due-process-in-administrative-proceedings/|access-date=2020-07-04|website=BusinessMirror|language=en-US}}

• {{Cite court|court=Supreme Court of the Philippines|date=February 27, 1940|litigants=Ang Tibay and National Workers Brotherhood v. The Court of Industrial Relations and National Labor Union, Inc.|url=https://www.lawphil.net/judjuris/juri1940/feb1940/gr_l-46496_1940.html|pinpoint=G.R. No. L-46496}} Cf. administrative case.

|-

|{{anchor|quo warranto}} quo warranto

|by what authority

|Latin

|See {{format link|Quo warranto#Philippines|italicizepage=y}}.

|-

|{{anchor|R}}{{anchor|R.A.}}R.A.

|{{small|N/A}}

|English

|Abbreviation for Republic Act.

|-

|{{anchor|raffle}} raffle

|{{small|Original meaning:}}{{br}}a type of lottery

|English

|The system by which cases are assigned to judges in multi-{{lang|es|sala}} courts. As of 1974, "[n]o case may be assigned to any branch without being raffled."{{Cite court|court=Supreme Court of the Philippines|date=September 23, 1974|litigants=Circular No. 7|url=https://lawphil.net/courts/supreme/cn/cn_7_1974.html}} As of 2013, raffles can be conducted electronically via "eCourt".{{cite news|title=PHL Supreme Court goes 'paperless' with eCourt system|work=GMA News Online|last=Merueñas|first=Mark|date=2013-06-14|access-date=2020-06-25|quote=Assigning of cases or "docketing" as well as raffling of cases to judges are all done electronically through the eCourt.|url=https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/scitech/technology/312891/phl-supreme-court-goes-paperless-with-ecourt-system/story/}} The gambling-related word "raffle" comes from the sources of randomness required by the Supreme Court: preferably a roulette wheel is to be used, but if that's not available, a bingo or jueteng tambiolo is permissible.{{Cite act|type=A.M.|index=03-8-02-SC|date=February 15, 2004|article=3(d)|article-type=Section|legislature=Supreme Court of the Philippines|title=Guidelines on the selection and designation of executive judges and defining their powers, prerogatives and duties|pages=5|url=https://oca.judiciary.gov.ph/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/A.-M.-No.-03-8-02-SC.pdf}}

|-

|{{anchor|reclusión perpetua}} reclusión perpetua

|perpetual seclusion

|Spanish

|See {{format link|Revised Penal Code#Penalties}}.

|-

|{{anchor|reclusión temporal}} reclusión temporal

|temporary seclusion

|Spanish

|See {{format link|Revised Penal Code#Penalties}}.

|-

|{{anchor|respondent}} respondent

|{{small|N/A}}

|English

|A defendant.

|-

|{{anchor|rollo}} {{lang|es|rollo}}

|{{small|Original meaning:}}{{br}}a set of documents rolled up for easier archival and transit, or a scroll

|Spanish

|Short for {{lang|es|rollo de casación}} (cassation archive) or {{lang|es|rollo de apelación}} (appeal archive),{{ cite court|court={{ill|Tribunal Superior de Justicia de Aragón|es}}|pinpoint=Recurso de casación núm. 31/16}} [https://www.reicaz.es/pagina.php?tipo=archivo&url=20160921-c201631 PDF] the {{lang|es|rollo}} is the complete archive of a particular case, including documents received from a lower court and anything submitted regarding the case, directly to any Philippine court, though most often used in relation to the higher courts. The term has its origin in the {{lang|es|Real Audiencia de Manila}}, and is still used in the modern Supreme Court of Spain ({{lang|es|Tribunal Supremo}}) and Spanish judicial system.{{cite web | url=https://www.expansion.com/diccionario-juridico/rollo.html | title=Rollo }} Cf. {{lang|es|expediente}}.

|-

|{{anchor|RTC}} RTC

|{{small|N/A}}

|English

|Abbreviation for Regional Trial Court.

|-

|{{anchor|S}}{{anchor|sala}}sala

|courtroom

|Spanish

|Courtroom, though used only to refer to a specific branch of a Regional Trial Court, and not to refer to higher courts, unlike in Spain, where sala remains in use for all courts (e.g. in the set phrase {{lang|es|la sala acuerda}}{{cite court|litigants=Auto, Recurso de casación № 59/2018|url=https://www.poderjudicial.es/search/AN/openDocument/e0b4a4969c75fa8c/20190304|court=Supreme Court of Spain, {{lang|es|Sala de lo Contencioso–Administrativo}}|pinpoint=p. 11}}—{{literally}} the chamber agrees, or to describe a division of the Spanish Supreme Court, e.g. {{lang|es|la tercera Sala}}—"Branch №3".) An acting judge serving in a temporary or acting capacity is said to be without a sala.{{Cite court|litigants=Garcia v. Macaraig, Jr.|court=Supreme Court of the Philippines|pinpoint=A.C. No. 198-J|date=May 31, 1971|quote=Respondent was, like every lawyer who gets his first appointment to the bench, eager to assume his judicial duties and rid himself of the stigma of being ’a judge without a sala’, but forces and circumstances beyond his control prevented him from discharging his judicial duties.}} Some RTC branches have only a single sala. Also cf. judges-at-large.

|-

|{{anchor|SC}}SC

|{{small|N/A}}

|English

|Supreme Court of the Philippines

|-

|{{anchor|SCC}} SCC

|style=white-space:nowrap;font-size:smaller|See {{Format linkr|sharīʿah#Etymology|italicizepage=y}}

|Arabic

|Sharia Circuit Court

|-

|{{anchor|SDC}} SDC

|style=white-space:nowrap;font-size:smaller|See {{Format linkr|sharīʿah#Etymology|italicizepage=y}}

|Arabic

|Sharia District Court

|-

|{{anchor|T}}{{anchor|TRO}} TRO

|{{small|N/A}}

|English

|A temporary restraining order.{{Cite act|type=Administrative Circular|index=20-95|date=September 12, 1995|article=|legislature=Supreme Court of the Philippines|title=Re: Special Rules for Temporary Restraining Orders and Preliminary Injunctions|url=https://www.chanrobles.com/admincircular20-95.htm}}

|-

|{{anchor|TSN}} TSN

|{{small|N/A}}

|English

|Transcript of stenographic notes.{{Cite court|litigants=Yaranon v. Rulloda|court=Supreme Court of the Philippines, Third Division|pinpoint=A.M. No. P-94-1045|date=March 21, 1995|url=https://www.chanrobles.com/cralaw/1995marchdecisions.php?id=202|quote=TSN, 7 September 1994, pp. 2 & 4; TSN, 14 September 1994, pp. 1-2 & 5; Folder No. 3, Transcript of Stenographic Notes in A.M. No. P-94-1045.}} A court stenographer first takes down their notes in their preferred form of shorthand, e.g. Gregg shorthand, then produces a longhand transcript from it called a TSN.{{Cite act|type=OCA Circular|index=12-2019|date=January 29, 2019|article=|legislature=Office of the Court Administrator|title=Exemption of Court Stenographers from Attendance to Court Hearings and Directive to Finish the Pending Transcript of Stenographic Notes Within A Month Prior to Effectivity Date of their Retirement|url=https://oca.judiciary.gov.ph/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/OCA-Circular-No.-12-2019.pdf}}

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|{{anchor|U}}{{anchor|V}}{{anchor|W}}{{anchor|X}}{{anchor|Y}}{{anchor|Z}}{{anchor|UDK}} UDK

|{{small|N/A}}

|English

|An undocketed case, undocketed because, for example, the docket fee has not yet been paid.{{cite web|title=The Internal Rules of the Supreme Court|publisher=Supreme Court of the Philippines|id=A.M. No. 10-4-20-SC|url=https://lawphil.net/courts/supreme/am/am_10-4-20-sc_2010.html|date=4 May 2010}} Undocketed cases are still numbered, and may be ruled on at the discretion of the court, for example, Fletcher v. Bureau of Corrections has no G.R. number, but is instead cited as UDK-14071.{{cite court|litigants=Fletcher v. BOC|date=July 17, 2009|url=https://lawphil.net/judjuris/juri2009/jul2009/udk_14071_2009.html|court=Supreme Court of the Philippines, First Division}}

|}