Defendant
individual, company or organization that defends a legal action taken by a
plaintiff and against which the court has been asked to order damages or
specific corrective action redress some type of unlawful or improper action
alleged by the plaintiff
Defense
the establishment of a case or position in opposition to allegations or
attacks
Defense Attorney
Lawyers who represent persons facing criminal
charges
Delegatus Non Potest Delegare
Latin, 'a delegate cannot delegate'
Delict
civil law term which imposes liability on a
person who causes injury to another, or for injury caused by a person or thing
under his custody
Delusion
a firm yet irrational belief and which may
affect an individual's capacity to contract
Demand Letter
a letter from a lawyer, on behalf a client, that demands payments or some other
action, which is allegedly due or in default
Democracy
form of government in which the people freely govern themselves; where the
executive (or administrative) and law-making (or legislative) power is given to
persons chosen by the population; the free people
Demurrage
term of maritime law which refers to the damages payable by a ship charterer, to
the ship owner, as compensation for lost time; where a chartered ship is not
returned to the owner on a specified date
Demurrer
a mostly obsolete motion put to a trial judge after the plaintiff has completed
his or her case, in which the defendant, while not objecting to the facts
presented, and rather than responding by a full defense, asks the court to
reject the petition right then and there because of a lack of basis in law or
insufficiency of the evidence