Pro
possessore
As a possessor. For example, a person may exercise certain rights over
a thing not as owner but pro possessore: as a person who possesses,
but does not own, the thing.
Propound
To offer a document as being authentic or valid. Used mostly in the
law of wills; to propound a will means to take legal action, as part
of probate, including a formal inspection of the will, by the court.
Prosecute
To bring judicial proceedings against a person and to administer them
until the conclusion of the court proceedings. Lawyers are hired by
the government to administer the prosecution of criminal charges in
the courts.
Prospectus
A document in which a corporation sets out the material details of a
share or bond issue and inviting the public to invest by purchasing
these financial instruments.
Proxy
A right which is signed-over to an agent. Proxies are used frequently
at annual meetings of corporations where the right to exercise a vote
is "proxied" from the shareholder to the agent.
Puisne
Junior or lower in rank, as opposed to the chief justice. For example,
there are 8 puisne judges on the Supreme Court of Canada and a chief
justice.
Punitive
damages
Special and highly exceptional damages ordered by a court against a
defendant where the act or omission which caused the suit, was of a
particularly heinous, malicious or highhanded nature. Where awarded,
they are an exception to the rule that damages are to compensate not
to punish. The exact threshold of punitive damages varies from jurisdiction
to jurisdiction. In some countries, and in certain circumstances, punitive
damages might even be available for breach of contract cases but, again,
only for the exceptional cases where the court wants to give a strong
message to the community that similar conduct will be severely punished.
They are most common in intentional torts such as rape, battery or defamation.
Some jurisdictions prefer using the word "exemplary damages"
and there is an ongoing legal debate whether there is a distinction
to be made between the two and even with the concept of aggravated damages.
