question of law
1
7.7
- noun
- /ˈkwɛsʧən əv lɔ/
- Formal
:
cuestión de derecho
- In the appeal, the court focused on a complex question of law regarding the interpretation of statutes.
- questions of law and fact
- common questions of law
Examples
-
At the same time, it seems that it was generally assumed that courts would review questions of law at this point.
Academic text (2018) -
At the same time, they raise many questions of law and ethics, stimulating public interest and concern.
Academic text (2007) -
It's a question of law.
-
What were the main questions of law considered by the court?
Blog text (10) -
I completely agree, but this was one of the specific questions of law the lawsuit inexplicably lost on.
Blog text (32) -
His comments were especially salient, for the Justice Department renders the final decision on questions of law for the Executive Branch.
Academic text (2017) -
Rosenberg does not address the broader question of law's efficacy as a general matter.
Academic text (2008) -
But Holocaust claims often are complicated by the underlying facts, procedural issues, and, in some cases, unanswered questions of law.
Academic text (2006) -
Since the inception of judicial review in Marbury v. Madison, judges have continuously struggled with the issue of who should ultimately decide questions of law.
Academic text (2017) -
Similar scenes play out from Maine to Hawaii as questions of law and public policy arise over the wisdom of rebuilding or fortifying homes in delicate coastal areas after storms and other disasters.
Academic text (2006)
Synonyms
8
7.4
An issue a judge decides about how the law applies
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase literally combines 'question' (an issue) and 'law' (legal rules), so a B1 learner who knows both words can infer it means an issue concerning the law. The construction is compositional and mirrored in many languages (e.g. Spanish/French equivalents), though some procedural legal nuance (judge vs. jury) may require domain knowledge.
Etymology
Question of law comes from how courts long ago worked: juries decided the facts while the 'judge' read the law book and answered any question about the law. So today a question of law means a legal issue the 'judge' must decide, not a fact for the 'jury'.