Legal Dictionary of Pakistan
Quick lookup for English, Urdu, and Latin legal terms used in Pakistani jurisprudence.
Fatal
adj. 1. Of or relating to death <the decision had fatal consequences>. 2. Providing grounds for legal invalidity <a fatal defect in the contract>.
damnum fatale
n. [Latin "accidental damage"] Roman law. Damage caused by an unavoidable circumstance, such as a storm or a shipwreck, for which bailees or others will not be held liable. ( But an exception was made for damages resulting from theft. "The liability of innkeepers, carriers, and stable keepers, at Roman law, was provided for in the praetor's edict. They were under an obligation to restore all goods which the guests or passengers had with them, or left in their charge, and they could not defend themselves by showing the utmost degree of diligence. Unavoidable accident, which no human prudence would avert or provide against, damnum fatale, or overwhelming force, uis maior, were, however, an adequate defense .... lt was particularly noted that theft by a third person would not be permitted as a defense and the reason assigned was the fact that travelers have scarcely any chance to protect themselves against collusion between the innkeeper and the thief." Max Radin, Handbook of Roman Law 254 (1927).
fatal defect
A serious defect capable of nullifying a contract.
fatal error
See reversible error.
fatal variance
See VARIANCE (i).
fatal variance.
A variance that either deprives the defendant of fair notice of the charges or exposes the defendant to the risk of double jeopardy. 0 Such a variance is grounds for reversing a conviction.