DAMODARAM SANJIVAYYA NATIONAL LAW UNIVERSITY, VISHAKHAPATNAM

SYLLABUS

LEGAL LANGUAGE AND LEGAL WRITING

A. LATIN TERMINOLOGY:

Ad hoc, Ad interim, Animo attestandi, Alibi, Ad valorem, Ambiguitas – patent, Ambiguitas –

latents, Amicus Curiae, Animus possidenti, Bona Fide(s), Corpus juris civilis, Caveat emptor,
De facto, De jure, Detenu, En masse, Ex officio, Ex-cathedra, Ex-parte, Ex-gratia, En-route, Ens
legis, Ex post facto, Factum valent, In pari delicto, In pari material, In lieu of, In perhsonam, In
rem, Inter se, Impasse, In situ, Inter alia, In toto, Ipso facto, Intra vires, Jure Divino, Jus in rem,
Jus ad rem, Jus tertii, Jus in re aliena, Jus in re propria, Jus gentium, Jus natural, Laissez faire,
Legalis homo, Lex loci, Locus standi, Magnum bonum, Magnum opus, Mala fides, Modus
operandi, Mutatis and mutandis, Note bene, Novus homo, Onus probandi, Obiter dictum,
Prima facie, Quid pro quo, Res integra, Res nullius, Sine qua non, Socius criminis, Sans, Status
quo, Suo motu, Ultra vires, Vox populi vox dei.

B. LATIN MAXIMS:
a. Actus dei nemini facit injuriam
b. Actus non facit reum nisimens sit rea
c. Actus personalis moritur cum persona
d. Audi alteram partem
e. Communis error facit jus
f. Damnum sine injuria
g. Delegates non potest delegare
h. Ex turpi causa non oritur action
i. Falsus in uno falius in omnibus
j. Generalia specialibus non derogant
k. Ignorantia facit excusat ignorantia juris non excusat
l. Injuria sine damno
m. Nemo dat quod non habet
n. Novus actus interveniens or nova causa interveniens
o. Noscitur a sociis
p. Par in partem imperium non habet
q. Qui facit per alium facit per se
r. Respondeat superior
s. Res ipsa loquitor
t. Res non potest peccare
u. Ubi jus ibi idem remedium
v. Vigilantibuset non domientibus, jura subveniunt
w. Volenti non fit injura
C. LEGAL TERMS
1. Abandonment, accessory, accomplice, acquittal, act of god, act of state, Actus reus, ad
idem, adjournment, adverse witness, affidavit, alibi, alien, Alimony, almensa et thorn,

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 amicus curiae, amnesty, annuity, antecedent debt, Appeal, appurtenant, arbitration,
attachment, averment.
2. Bail, bailment, banishment, Bankruptcy, battery, bench, bigamy, burden of proof.
3. Capital punishment, Case law, caveat, Circumstantial evidence, cognizable offence,
cohabitation, Common law, compromise, consanguinity, corroboration, crime.
4. Deposition, Dictum, dissolution, divorce, documentary evidence, domicile, due care,
Dying declaration.
D. FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES OF LEGAL WRITING - CONCISION, CLARITY AND
COGENCY
a. Simplicity of structure
b. Title
c. Heading
d. Use of italics
e. Numbers
f. Definition of terms
g. Contractions
h. Use of first person
i. Ellipses & alterations
j. Citations, references and foot notes
E. Civil laws : Suit - Parties to the suit - Plaintiff and Defendant – Plaint - Cause of
action – Jurisdiction: Territorial, Pecuniary and Subject-Matter - Evidence :
Oral and Documentary - Judgment - Decree - Execution - Attachment – Sale -
Arrest - Interlocutory Applications.
F. Criminal laws : Offence and its connotation - Wrongs against society and
individuals - Economic Offences - Cognizable and Non-cognizable offences –
Prosecution – Cognizance - Registration of cases - FIR - Arrest and Preventive
Detention – Evidence – Bail – Remand - Custody (Judicial and Police) - Trial -
Acquittal - Conviction - Sentence - Imprisonment - Fine - Probation of Offenders
– Appeal - Suspension of sentence - juvenile offenders.
G. Legal Writing: Pleadings – Plaint - Written Statement – Affidavit –Sale -
Agreement of Sale - Power of Attorney - Legal Notice.
H. Search of Legal Material - Identification of actual problem - Provisions of law
applicable to the matter - Search of decided cases or commentaries of renowned
authors - Art of using digests - Identification of decided cases, their analysis
and application.

REFERENCE BOOKS:-

1. B.M. Gandhi, Legal Language, Legal Writing and General English, Eastern Book
Company, Lucknow
2. S.C. Tripathi, Legal Language, Legal Writing and General English, Central Law, Delhi
3. Glanville William, Learning the Law: Universal Law Pub. New Delhi

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 4. Michale M. Aspray, Plain Language for Lawyers, Universal Law Pub. New Delhi
5. S.N. Mishra – Legal Language and Legal Rights.
6. Bhatnagar R.P. and R. Bhargava – Law and Language.
7. Gamer, Bryan – A Dictionary of Modern Legal Usage.
8. Ishtiaq Abidi - Law and Language,
9. R. P. Bhatnagar and Rajual Bhargava - Law and Language. MC Macmillan
10. Avhad S. E. - Draftsman
11. Mac Cormik - Legal Reasoning and Legal Theory.
12. Paul Rylance - Legal Writing and Drafting.
13. Dr. Sen Amit - Legal Language, Legal Writing, and
14. Legal Drafting, Karnal Law House, Calcutta
15. Tandon M. P. - Legal Language and Legal Writing
16. Sen Dr. Amit, legal language, legal writing and legal drafting, Kamal Law House,
Calcutta.

CASES:

1. Sarbati Devi v. Usha Devi. AIR 1984 SC 346 (Succession and Nomination)
2. R. D. Saxena v. Balaram Prasad Sharma, AIR 2000 SC 2912 (Advocate’s right to retain
documents)
3. Sarita Sharma v. Sushil Sharma, AIR 2000 SC 1019 (Custody of child, Orders of foreign
Court)
4. Ratan Gond v. State of Bihar, AIR 1959 SC 18 (Extra-judicial confession)
5. Baniben v. State of Gujarat, AIR 1992 SC 1817 (Dying declaration)
6. Dr. Surajmani Stella Kujur v. Durga Charan Hansdah, AIR 2001 SC 938 (Applicability of
Hindu Marriage Act to Scheduled Tribes, and Offence of Bigamy)
7. Gautam Paul v. Debi Rani Paul, AIR 2001 SC 61 (Right of co-sharer, obligation to sell to
other sharer)
8. Balaji Raghvan v. Union of India, AIR 1996 SC 770 (Abolition of titles under Constitution
of India)
9. Chairman Railway Board v. Chandrima Das, AIR 2000 SC 988 (Compensation to victim
of rape)
10. Daniel Latifi v. Union of India, AIR 2001 SC 3958 (Term ‘Provision’ under the Muslim
Women (Protection of Rights on Divorce) Act).