matter of law
Judge's exclusive domain
A matter of law is a question for judges to decide, not juries—issues of legal interpretation, procedure, or application of statutes.
Distinguished from matters of fact, which concern what actually happened.
Appeals courts review matters of law but generally defer to trial courts on factual findings: Whether the contract was valid is a matter of law; whether it was signed is a matter of fact.
Enacted written rule
- actDeed or performance
- billAmount owed, written
- enactmentPassing into law
- codeSymbolic communication system
regulation · ordinance · amendment · provision · clause · legislature · parliament · decree
Judicial examination of claims
- verdictOfficial court decision
- appealFormal review request
- adjudicationFormal decision on disputes
- judgmentReasoned decision-making capacity
plaintiff · defendant · prosecution · defense · testimony · evidence · cross-examination · witness
Guaranteed judicial fairness
- equityImpartial treatment or ownership value
- jurisdictionLegal authority's scope
- legal theoryDoctrine explaining law's foundations
- jurisprudencePhilosophy governing legal systems
Interpreting law literally
- purposiveHaving conscious aim
- plain meaningDirect, straightforward interpretation
- ambiguityOpenness to multiple interpretations
- canonsEstablished authoritative standards
hermeneutics · exegesis · contextual · literal · presumption · intent · semantics · definitional
Reject by higher authority
- dissentDisagreement with authority
- distinguishRecognize as distinct
- landmark decisionLegally significant court judgment
- holdingMaintaining physical possession
statute
Enacted written rule
code · regulation · ordinance · amendment · provision · clause · legislature · parliament · decree · bylaw
trial
Judicial examination of claims
- verdictOfficial court decision
- appealFormal review request
- adjudicationFormal decision on disputes
judgment · plaintiff · defendant · prosecution · defense · testimony · evidence · cross-examination · witness · jury
due process
Guaranteed judicial fairness
- equityImpartial treatment or ownership value
- jurisdictionLegal authority's scope
- legal theoryDoctrine explaining law's foundations
jurisprudence · codification · normative · legalism · constitutional
textualism
Interpreting law literally
- purposiveHaving conscious aim
- plain meaningDirect, straightforward interpretation
- ambiguityOpenness to multiple interpretations
canons · hermeneutics · exegesis · contextual · literal · presumption · intent · semantics · definitional · original meaning
overrule
Reject by higher authority
- dissentDisagreement with authority
- distinguishRecognize as distinct
- landmark decisionLegally significant court judgment
matter of lawmatter of opinion
matter, matters, mattered, mattering, material, materials, materialism, materialist, materialistic