National Classics Week Packet National Classics Week Packet | Page 16

Law

The use of Latin in law was prominent in the Middle Ages when the Catholic Church was a dominant institution in Europe . The church used Latin as the official language for legal documents since it was outside of the vernacular , and it was also used in the education of lawyers and judges . When the American colonies were established , they adopted many of the legal practices and terminology of Britain , including the use of Latin and other practices inspired by the Romans . One of the most important contributions of Latin to American law is the concept of stare decisis , which means " to stand by decided cases ." This principle , which is the foundation of common law , holds that courts should follow the precedents set by previous cases . This ensures consistency and fairness in the legal system , and it also allows for the gradual development of the law over time .

Most terms for specific legal cases come directly from Latin . Habeas Corpus ( used to determine whether one ’ s detention is legal ), Pro Bono ( providing services for free for the sake of public good ), and ad hoc ( referring to instances where something is needed ; those well-versed in Roberts Rules of Order might be a little too familiar with “ ad hoc subcommittees ”) are all common Latin expressions used in daily legal practices .