Law

Items

• plaintiff

  The party who initiates a lawsuit in a civil matter
• plena in re potestas

  The owner has the power to do as they please with the property owned within limits imposed by law
• policy

  A guiding principle that leads a government or agency to make laws or to govern effectively
• portfolio committee

  Permanent committees that specialise in a specific functional area and may in some instances make decisions on specific functional issues
• preamble

  An explanation of a proposed law / an introductory statement
• precedent

  A court decision that is considered as authority for deciding subsequent cases involving identical or similar facts, or similar legal issues
• premier

  The head of a state or provincial government
• prescription

  When a debt is extinguished after a period of time
• president

  The Head of State and Head of the National Executive
• presiding officer

  A person who holds an office of trust, authority, or command and is authorized by the government to exercise a specific function
• pre-trial phase

  The part of criminal proceedings between opening of the case and the start of the court proceedings
• principal thing

  A thing which exists independently and which can. Be the object of real rights
• principle

  A suggestion or value that is a guide to behavior or evaluation
• private law

  The law that deals with relationships between individuals
• private sector

  The part of the economy run by individuals and companies for profit and is not state-controlled
• pro bono

  For the public good / free legal services provided voluntarily by lawyers, law firms, and law schools
• public defender

  A lawyer who represents defendants in court who are experiencing indigence, or financial insecurity that prevents their funding their own legal counsel
• public protector

  An independent institution with a mandate to support and strengthen constitutional democracy / a supreme administrative oversight body with the power to investigate, report and remedy improper conduct in state affairs
• public sector

  The part of the economic system that is controlled by national, state or provincial, and local governments, and provides several governmental service
• publish

  To make known to another or to the public generally
• pupilage

  Is a period of practical training required to become a fully-fledged barrister / advocate
• prodigal

  A person with normal abilities who as a result of some defect of character squanders his or her assets in an irresponsible and reckless way
• reciprocal contract

  An agreement between two or more parties where each party agrees to do something in exchange for the other party's agreement to do something else
• reasonable

  Just, rational, appropriate, ordinary, or usual in the circumstances
• reasonable person

  A fictional person with an ordinary degree of reason, prudence, care, foresight, or intelligence whose conduct, conclusion, or expectation in relation to a particular circumstance or fact