Star chamber proceeding is a phrase used in litigation to refer to an arbitrary and unfair adjudicatory proceeding. The term derives from the Star Chamber Courts of Medieval and early-modern England, which were at first used to try noblemen...
ACADEMIC TOPICS
stare decisis
Stare decisis is the doctrine that courts will adhere to precedent in making their decisions. Stare decisis means “to stand by things decided” in Latin.
When a court faces a legal argument, if a previous court has ruled on...
statutory construction
Statutory construction is the process of determining what a particular statute means so that a court may apply it accurately; also known as statutory interpretation. Although sometimes the words of a statute may have a plain meaning; in many...
statutory interpretation
Statutory interpretation is the process where courts interpret and apply legislation; also known as statutory construction. Although sometimes the words of a statute may have a plain meaning; in many cases there may be some level of ambiguity...
stipulation
Stipulation generally means an agreement, a bargain, proviso, or condition. If the stipulation complies with an applicable statute or rule of court, it will be binding. A stipulation could mean a fact, promise, or provision in a contract...
stock
A stock is the share in the ownership of a corporation. Commonly the ownership of a corporation is divided into shares of a definite value, like 10 dollars per share. The charter of the company will define how many shares and classes of...
stock certificate
A stock certificate is a printed certificate issued by a corporation to a shareholder, documenting ownership in a stated number of shares of that corporation's stock. It must be noted that generally the courts consider stock certificates...
stockholder
A stockholder, also called a shareholder, is a person who owns stock in a corporation.
The stockholder has several rights; including the right to vote for board members, the right of receiving interest and dividends from...
strict construction
Strict construction is a form of judicial interpretation of a statute. The fundamental principle behind this construction is that the text of a provision in a statute should be applied as it is written (see also: statutory construction). Such...
sua sponte
Latin for "of one's own accord; voluntarily." Used to indicate that a court has taken notice of an issue on its own motion without prompting or suggestion from either party.
As a general rule, where grounds for dismissal exist, an action is...