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Glite Dictionary
res gestae

res gestae

9.9
Facts or statements about an event that a court can accept as evidence
  • noun
  • /ˌrɛs ˈdʒɛsteɪ/
  • Formal
translation icon : hechos conexos
  • Her testimony was considered relevant because it formed part of the res gestae.

Examples

  • The lawyer argued that the evidence fell within the res gestae exception to the hearsay rule.

  • The court admitted the statement as part of the res gestae of the case.

  • The res gestae were crucial for the case.

  • Can you explain res gestae?

  • The court admitted the statement as part of the res gestae of the case.

  • Her testimony was considered relevant because it formed part of the res gestae.

  • The lawyer argued that the evidence fell within the res gestae exception to the hearsay rule.

Synonyms

evidence
vsres gestae
∞ 1.8

Things that show something is true, like documents or photos

is a narrower legal category limited to statements closely tied to an event

Surface Forms

res gestae singular
res gestae plural

Morphology

res + gestae

The phrase is literally Latin for 'things done' (res = thing, gestae = deeds/done), so a learner who knows those constituents can infer it refers to actions or facts connected to an event. Although it is a legal loanword, its meaning as facts/statements closely tied to an event is compositionally derivable from the parts, making it readily comprehensible to someone who knows the constituents.

Etymology

Res gestae comes from Latin words res and gestae meaning 'things' that were 'done'. Courts used the term for facts or short statements that happened at the same time as an event, so they were treated as part of those 'things done' and accepted as 'evidence'.