Definition of Amicus curiae

Babylon English Dictionary
friend of the court, person invited by the court to advise it on some matter
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Amicus curiae Definition from Arts & Humanities Dictionaries & Glossaries
JM Latin-English Dictionary
Friend of the court
Amicus curiae Definition from Encyclopedia Dictionaries & Glossaries
Wikipedia English - The Free Encyclopedia
An amicus curiae (also spelled amicus curiæ; plural amici curiae) is someone, not a party to a case, who volunteers to offer information to assist a court in deciding a matter before it. The information provided may be a legal opinion in the form of a brief (which is called an amicus brief when offered by an amicus curiae), a 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 on whether to admit the information lies at the discretion of the court. The phrase amicus curiae is legal Latin and literally means "friend of the court".

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Amicus curiae Definition from Law Dictionaries & Glossaries
The 'Lectric Law Library
Lat. "friend of the court." Refers to a party that is allowed to provide information (usually in the form of a legal brief) to a court even though the party is not directly involved in the case at hand.

One, who as a stander-by, when a judge is doubtful or mistaken in a matter of law, may inform the court. And any one, as amicus curia, may make an application to the court in favor of an infant, though he be no relation.

A legal argument filed in a lawsuit by a person or organization not a party to the case, but who has an interest in the outcome. For example, in the Supreme Court abortion case, Webster v. Reproductive Services, amicus curiae briefs were filed by hundreds of pro-choice and anti-abortion organizations. The court may give the arguments in the amicus curiae brief as much or as little weight as it chooses.
   

This entry contains material from Bouvier's Legal Dictionary, a work published in the 1850's.
Courtesy of the 'Lectric Law Library.
Duhaime.org Legal Dictionary
Latin: friend of the court. - (read more on Amicus curiae)
  
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HMCS Legal Terms
A friend of the court
A neutral party who does not represent any individual party in the case who will be asked by the Court to make representations from an independent viewpoint
By Her Majesty's Courts Service. Published under Crown Copyright.
Amicus curiae Definition from Language, Idioms & Slang Dictionaries & Glossaries
WordNet 2.0

Noun
1. an adviser to the court on some matter of law who is not a party to the case; usually someone who wants to influence the outcome of a lawsuit involving matters of wide public interest
(synonym) friend of the court
(hypernym) adviser, advisor, consultant
(classification) law, jurisprudence