Legal Topic | D

med. jur., contracts. A state of the stomach in which its functions are disturbed, without the presence of other diseases; or when, if other diseases are present, they are of minor importance. Dunglison’s Med. Dict. h. t. 2. Dyspepsia is not, in general, considered as a disease which tends to shorten life, so as to [...]

Scotch law. A bankrupt.

(Dyvour’s Habit) Scotch law. A habit which debtors, who are set free on a cessio bonorum, are obliged to wear, unless in the summons and process of cessio, it be libelled, sustained, and proved that the bankruptcy proceeds from misfortune. And bankrupts are condemned to submit to the habit, even where no suspicion of fraud [...]

A succession of kings in the same line or family; government; sovereignty.

A trust within a wealthy family that is designed to avoid transfer taxes.

Bad legislation; the enactment of bad laws.

An actual or a threatened violence or restraint of a man’s person, contrary to law, to compel him to enter into a contract, or to discharge one. 1 Fairf. 325. 2. Sir William Blackstone divides duress into two sorts: First. Duress of imprisonment, where a man actually loses his liberty. If a man be illegally [...]

It is the double of letters patent, letters of administration, or other instrument.

In its most enlarged sense, this word is nearly equivalent to taxes, embracing all impositions or charges levied on persons or things; in its more restrained sense, it is often used as equivalent to customs, or imposts.

The double of anything. 2. It is usually applied to agreements, letters, receipts, and the like, when two originals are made of either of them. Each copy has the same effect. The term duplicate means a document, which is essentially the same as some other instrument. 7 Mann. & Gr. 93. In the English law, [...]