Index of Legal Terms
A definitive collection of legal terms that are used by attorneys in contracts, agreements and other legal documents in South Africa.
Joinder: Joining another person in a common suit; the acceptance by a party to an action of an issue tendered (formally presented).
Joint: Combined; united; coupled in a joint action (suit).
Joint: Tenant An individual who owns real or personal property together with one or more people in equal shares, usually in an arrangement where, upon the death of one joint tenant, the surviving joint tenant(s) automatically owns the deceased personÆs share.
Joint custody: A child custody decision which means that both parents share joint legal custody and joint physical custody. This is not very common and many professionals have taken to referring to "joint legal custody but sole maternal physical custody" as "joint custody".
Joint living trust: A cancelable arrangement created by a married couple ("Grantors"), whereby the Grantors transfer property to a trustee to be held for the benefit of the Grantors while alive, then distributed to named beneficiaries.
Judge: A public official, appointed or elected, authorized to hear and often to decide cases brought before a court of law.
Judgment: A court order (outcome) determined by court, which is in favour or against the Plaintiff / Applicant.
Judgment: The decision of a court having the appropriate jurisdiction to have tried the case; the final determination of a case; a ruling of the court.
Judgment creditor: A person who has won his case against a debtor but who has not yet collected his debt.
Judgment debtor: A person who has lost his case to a creditor but has not yet paid his debt.
Judicial: Anything related to the administration of justice; anything that has to do with a court of justice.
Jurisdiction: The power and right to administer justice; the geographic area in which a judge or a court has the right to try and decide a case.
Jury: A specified number of men and/or women who are chosen and sworn to look into matters of fact and, therefore, to determine and render a decision upon the evidence presented to them. Juries may be of different sizes in various jurisdictions and in various categories. A grand jury may have anywhere from 12 to 24 jurors.
