Legal Dictionary of Pakistan
Quick lookup for English, Urdu, and Latin legal terms used in Pakistani jurisprudence.
Means
n. 1. Available resources, esp. for the payment of debt; income. 2. Something that helps to attain an end; an instrument; a cause.
alternative-means doctrine
criminal law. the principle that, when a crime may be committed in more than one way, jury unanimity is required on the defendant's guilt, but is not required on the possible different methods of committing the crime, as long as each possible method is supported by substantial evidence.
least-intrusive-means doctrine
A doctrine requiring the government to exhaust all other investigatory power before seeking sensitive testimony, as by compelling an attorney to testify before a grand jury on matters that may be considered protected by the attorney-client privilege.
least-restrictive-means test
The rule that a law or governmental regulation, even when based on a legitimate governmental interest, should be crafted in a way that will protect individual civil liberties as much as possible, and should be only as restrictive as is necessary to accomplish a legitimate governmental purpose.
means-plus-function clause
Patent law. An element in a patent claim, usu. in a claim for a combination patent, asserting that the design is a way to perform a given function or is a step in the process of performing a given function. ( The claim will be interpreted as including the structure or means stated in the patent, and reasonable equivalents, but not all possible means of achieving the same function. 35 USCA ยง 112. See combination patent under PATENT.
visible means of support
An apparent method of earning a livelihood. ( Vagrancy statutes have long used this phrase to describe those who have no ostensible ability to support themselves.
ways-and-means committee
A legislative committee that determines how money will be raised for various governmental purposes.