Amicus curiae

Amicus curiae

"Amicus curiae" or amicus curiæ (plural "amici curiae") is a legal Latin phrase, literally translated as "friend of the court", that refers to someone, not a party to a case, who volunteers to offer information on a point of law or some other aspect of the case to assist the court in deciding a matter before it. The information may be a legal opinion in the form of a brief, testimony that has not been solicited by any of the parties, or a learned treatise on a matter that bears on the case. The decision whether to admit the information lies with the discretion of the court.

The role of an amicus is often confused with that of an intervener (see Intervention (law)). The role of an amicus is as stated by Salmon LJ (as Lord Salmon then was) in Allen v Sir Alfred McAlpine & Sons Ltd [1968] 2 QB 229 at p.266 F-G where he said:

:I had always understood that the role of an amicus curiae was to help the court by expounding the law impartially, or if one of the parties were unrepresented, by advancing the legal arguments on his behalf.

The situation most often noted in the press is when an advocacy group files a brief in a case before an appellate court to which it is not a litigant. Appellate cases are normally limited to the factual record and arguments coming from the lower court case under appeal; attorneys focus on the facts and arguments most favorable to their clients. Where a case may have broader implications, "amicus curiae" briefs are a way to introduce those concerns, so that the possibly broad legal effects of court decisions will not depend solely on the parties directly involved in the case.

In prominent cases, "amici curiae" are generally organizations with sizable legal budgets. Non-profit legal advocacy organizations such as the American Civil Liberties Union, the Electronic Frontier Foundation, the American Center for Law and Justice or NORML frequently submit such briefs to advocate for or against a particular legal change or interpretation. If a decision could affect an entire industry, companies other than the litigants may wish to have their concerns heard. In the United States, federal courts often hear cases involving the constitutionality of state laws. In this case, other states may file briefs as "amici curiae" when their laws are likely to be affected.

"Amici curiae" that do not file briefs often present an academic perspective on the case. For example, if the law gives deference to a history of legislation of a certain topic, a historian may choose to evaluate the claim using their expertise. An economist, statistician, or sociologist may choose to do the same.

The court has broad discretion to grant or to deny permission to act as "amicus curiae". Generally, cases that are very controversial will attract a number of such briefs.

Legal interpretations

Rules defining use in the United States

ee also

*Intervener

External definitions

* [http://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/index.php/Amicus_curiae Wex]
* [http://m-w.com/dictionary/Amicus%20curiae Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary]
* [http://encarta.msn.com/dictionary_/Amicus%2520curiae.html Dictionary - MSN Encarta]
* [http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/Amicus%20curiae Definitions from Dictionary.com]
* [http://www.thefreedictionary.com/amicus+curiae The Free Online Dictionary, Thesaurus and Encyclopedia]


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  • amicus curiae — amicus cu·ri·ae / kyu̇r ē ˌī, ku̇r , ē ˌē/ n pl amici curiae [New Latin, literally, friend of the court]: one (as an individual or organization) that is not a party to a particular lawsuit but is allowed to advise the court regarding a point of… …   Law dictionary

  • Amicus curiae — Saltar a navegación, búsqueda El amicus curiae (amigo de la corte o amigo del tribunal) es una expresión latina utilizada para referirse a presentaciones realizadas por terceros ajenos a un litigio, que ofrecen voluntariamente su opinión frente a …   Wikipedia Español

  • Amicus Curiae — (auch amicus curiæ, Pl. Amici Curiae, lat.: Freund des Gerichts) bezeichnet eine Person oder eine Organisation, die sich an einem Gerichtsverfahren beteiligt, ohne selbst Partei zu sein. Diese Beteiligung kann z. B. als „Äußerung Dritter“ in …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • amicus curiae — 1610s, Latin, lit. friend of the courts; plural is amici curiae. From L. amicus friend, related to amare to love (see AMY (Cf. Amy)) + curia court (see CURIA (Cf. curia)) …   Etymology dictionary

  • amicus curiae — [kyoor′ē ē΄] n. [L, lit., friend of the court] Law a person who offers, or is called in, to advise a court on some legal matter …   English World dictionary

  • Amicus curiae — In diesem Artikel oder Abschnitt fehlen folgende wichtige Informationen: römischer Ursprung, Bestellung als A.C., Stellungnahme ad hoc, formelle und tatsächliche Bedeutung der Teilnahme als A.C., Abgrenzung zur Beiladung, Streitverkündung;… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • amicus curiae — /euh muy keuhs kyoor ee ee , euh mee keuhs kyoor ee uy /, pl. amici curiae /euh muy kuy kyoor ee ee , euh mee kee kyoor ee uy /. Law. a person, not a party to the litigation, who volunteers or is invited by the court to give advice upon some… …   Universalium

  • amicus curiae — noun a person/entity who has been allowed by the court to plead or make submissions but who, however, is not directly involved in the action. BANNATYNE v BANNATYNE (COMMISSION FOR GENDER EQUALITY, AS AMICUS CURIAE) 2003 (2) SA 363 (CC) The Court… …   Wiktionary

  • amicus curiae — n. (pl. amici curiae) Law an impartial adviser in a court of law. Etymology: mod.L, = friend of the court * * * /euh muy keuhs kyoor ee ee , euh mee keuhs kyoor ee uy /, pl. amici curiae /euh muy kuy kyoor ee ee , euh mee kee kyoor ee uy /. Law.… …   Useful english dictionary

  • Amicus curiae — Un Amicus curiae est une expression légale latine signifiant « ami de la cour », référant à quelqu un qui, n étant pas partie à une cause, se porte volontaire pour aider la cour à trancher une matière. Portail du droit Catégorie :… …   Wikipédia en Français

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