Ab initio – from the beginning

Actus reus – wrongful act

Ad infinitum – without limit; to infinity

Adjourn sine die – adjournment to unfixed future date

Ad nauseam - to a disgusting extent

Alma mater - school attended

A posteriori – an argument based on observation

Au revoir – till we meet again

Bete noire – a person or thing that one particularly dislikes

Bona fide – genuine; in good faith

Carte blanche – unrestricted power to act on one’s own

Canard - rumour

Cause celebre – a legal case that excites widespread interest

Coup de grace – the finishing blow

Caveat emptor – let the person beware

Certiorari – a writ issued by a superior court to a lower court calling for the records of a case

Casus belli – an occurrence giving rise to war

Corpus delicti - the material substance (such as the body of the victim of a murder) upon which a
crime has been committed

Doppelganger – a ghostly counterpart of a living person

De facto – in actual fact

Donatio mortis causa - a gift of personal property made by someone who expects to die in the
immediate future, taking full effect only after the donor dies.

En masse – in a group; all together

Entre nous – between ourselves

Exempli gratia (e.g.) – for example

Ex post facto – retroactively

Extempore – spoken without preparation

Fait accompli - a thing that has already happened or been decided before those affected hear about
it, leaving them with no option but to accept it.

Faux pas – a social blunder

Flagrante delicto – in the very act of committing a crime

Façade - a deceptive outward appearance

Hara-kiri - ritual suicide by disembowelment

habeas corpus - a writ requiring a person under arrest to be brought before a judge or into court,
especially to secure the person's release unless lawful grounds are shown for their detention.

Hoi polloi – the common people

Imbroglio - an extremely confused, complicated, or embarrassing situation.

Impasse - deadlock

In loco parentis – in the place of a parent

Mea culpa – I am to blame

Mens rea – criminal intention or guilty mind

Modus operandi - a particular way or method of doing something.

Nota bene - observe carefully or take special notice.

Onus probandi – burden of proof

Persona non grata – unacceptable / unwelcome person

Prima facie - based on the first impression; accepted as correct until proved otherwise.

Pro bono - denoting work undertaken without charge, especially legal work for a client on low
income.

Protégé - a person who is guided and supported by an older and more experienced or influential
person.

Que sera sera - used to convey a fatalistic recognition that future events are out of the speaker's
control.

Quid pro quo – something for something

Rendezvous - a meeting at an agreed time and place.

Sine qua non – indispensable element / condition

Sotto voce- in a quiet voice