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De Facto
De facto is a Latin expression that means "of the fact" or "in practice" but not spelled out by law. It is commonly used in contrast to de jure (which means "by law") when referring to matters of law, governance, or technique (such as standards), that are found in the common experience as created or developed without or contrary to a regulation. When discussing a legal situation, de jure designates what the law says, while de facto designates action of what happens in practice.
The term de facto may also be used when there is no relevant law or standard, but a common practice is well established, although not universal. For example, English is the most common language in the United States, but there is no official language. (Some U.S. states have established official languages.)
Sex Post Facto
United States v. Marcus, No. 07-4005-cr (2d Cir. August 14, 2008) (Straub, Sotomayor, Wesley, CJJ) (per curiam)Between 1999 and 2001, Glenn Marcus kept a woman, ?Jodi,? as his sex slave...
"De Facto Disenfranchisement"
Jeffrey Zaino of the American Arbitration Association and Jeanne S. Zaino of Iona College have this paper, presented at the Northeastern Political Science Association's annual meeting...
No De Facto Parenthood In Maryland
The Maryland Court of Appeals held today that Maryland law does not recognize the concept of de facto parenthood. One member of a committed, long-term same-sex relationship had adopted a child from India...
Ex Post Facto Right to Redo
Ballard Spahr issued a client alert last Thursday that pointed out to those who might take part in the Treasury Department's Capital Purchase Program under TARP that there is a very disturbing provision in the Securities Purchase Agreement that Treasury...
Same-Sex Partnerships in Portugal From De Facto to De Jure?
Against this background, it will be possible to reflect on the current legal situation of same-sex relationships in Portugal and determine which further steps the Portuguese legislature should take along the path of according a legal status to same sex relationships.
Screen Actors in "De Facto" Strike
The AFP is reporting: US production studios warned Monday that Hollywood's entertainment industry "is now in a de facto strike" after they presented a final offer to the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) as a labor contract was set to expire...
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