C

Lat. In the civil law. Compensation, or set-off. A proceeding resembling a set-off in the common law, being a claim on the part of the defendant to have an amount due to him from the plaintiff deducted from his demand. Dig. 16, 2; Inst 4, 6, 30, 39 ; 3 Bl. Comm. 305. Compensatio eriminis. (Set-off of crime or guilt.) In practice. The plea of recrimination in a suit for a … [Read more...] about COMPENSATIO

That virtue whose object is, to render to every one what belongs to him, as nearly as may be, or that which governs contracts. 2. The word commutative is derived from commutare, which signifies to exchange. … [Read more...] about COMMUTATIVE JUSTICE

Tort law distribution of liability which reduces the amount of an award given to a plaintiff in proportion to the damages that may have been caused by the plaintiff's own negligent actions. … [Read more...] about COMPARATIVE NEGLIGENCE

To substitute one punishment in the place of another. For example, if a man be sentenced to be hung, the executive may, in some states, commute his punishment to that of imprisonment. … [Read more...] about COMMUTE

A comparison by the Juxtaposition of two writings, in order, by such comparison, to ascertain whether both were written by the same person. A method of proof resorted to where the genuineness of a written document is disputed; it consists in comparing the handwriting of the disputed paper with that of another instrument which is proved or admitted to be in the writing of the … [Read more...] about COMPARISON OF HANDWRITING