Website review

This month the web review looks at a range of free, online legal dictionaries. As well as providing an overview of the websites, we will put each to the test by asking it to define “absolvitor” (naturally), “legitim” and “in limine”.

The Free Dictionary (Legal Dictionary)

http://legal-dictionary. thefreedictionary.com

This is the site which will probably appear first on most search engines if you enter the term “legal dictionary”. It is part of the free dictionary suite, which also includes a medical dictionary, financial dictionary, thesaurus and dictionaries of acronyms and idioms.

The legal dictionary claims to be compiled from two American legal texts, so I am not holding out much hope for our Scots law terms. “Absolvitor” led me to an article about an episode from TV show Angel (a spinoff from Buffy the Vampire Slayer). Legitim (or “legitime” in Louisiana state law) has much the same meaning as it does here. The definition for “in limine” was correct and well illustrated by example.

The front page highlights the most popular legal terms. Top of the tree at the moment is “limited liability”.

Score: 2/3

National Archives of Scotland

www.nas.gov.uk/guides/legalTerms.asp

The National Archives of Scotland (“Defining Moments in History”) has an index of legal terms that you may come across in accessing court records held by the NAS. The focus seems to be mainly on criminal law – indeed the page is headed “Index of legal terms and offences libelled” and, to be fair, the site specifically warns that it is not a legal encyclopaedia.

Nonetheless it makes for an interesting browse and includes a number of historical terms which one does not encounter so frequently in today’s courts.

Sadly, none of my chosen search terms were featured, which surprised me slightly – but it may still be worth a visit for interest sake or if trying to decipher a very old case report.

Score: 0/3

FindLaw’s Legal Dictionary

http://dictionary.lp.findlaw.com/

This law dictionary has a no-nonsense approach which leads the visitor directly to the search bar and invites you to “enter legal term here” – that is, after the advertisements and sponsored links which take up most of the browser window to begin with.

However, following the instructions, I duly entered my chosen legal terms. As an American site, it got “in limine” correct, but had nothing for me on my other two terms. It was also a little distracting to have every step in the process so tightly surrounded by advertisements.

Score: 1/3

Duhaime Legal Dictionary

www.duhaime.org

This website is the creation of Canadian lawyer Lloyd Duhaime, who evidently has enough spare time on his hands to maintain this hugely impressive website, which offers (among many other delights) an impressive and expanding legal dictionary.

Again, being outwith the jurisdiction, the dictionary struggled with “absolvitor” and “legitim”. However, this remains a very useful resource for the lay person and is not restricted just to Canadian law.

I was amused by the straightforward wording of the disclaimer, which I would commend more legal sites to adopt, as it warns: “you would be foolhardy to rely on [the site] in respect to any specific situation you or an acquaintance may be facing”, and “If you have a real situation, this information will serve as a good springboard to get legal advice from a lawyer.” I couldn’t have put it better myself.

Score: 1/3

The ’Lectric Law Library’s Legal Lexicon

www.lectlaw.com/def.htm

As may already be apparent from the name, this site does not take itself too seriously. It crops up in fairly high positions in searches for legal dictionaries and is linked to by a number of sites, many of which parrot the site’s own claim that it is “what many consider the Net’s Best Law Dictionary”. Don’t be fooled. It isn’t.

While it does have a large number of entries, they are difficult to navigate, the small font size in purple and blue on white made my eyes hurt, and it doesn’t contain any of the three legal terms I’d chosen.

Score: 0/3

Scottish Court Service

www.scotcourts.gov.uk/library/ publications/docs/glossary.pdf

As you might expect this document – which may be useful to print out and keep for law students, trainees or those who (like myself) are Latin-phobic – does very well when it comes to the Scots law terms, but disappointingly missed “in limine”.

Score: 2/3

In conclusion, no single source seems to be comprehensive. My advice? Print out the glossary from the Scottish Court Service, add the Free Dictionary (and maybe the National Archives, too) to your web bookmarks and consider changing your own site’s disclaimer, Duhaime-style.