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Glite Dictionary
non prosequitur

non prosequitur

9.9
A court ends a case when the person who started it stops acting
  • noun
  • /nɒn proʊˈsɛkwɪtər/
  • Formal
: no prosequitur
  • The court issued a non prosequitur when the plaintiff failed to appear for the hearing.

Examples

  • After the plaintiff failed to appear, the court declared a non prosequitur.

  • The judge issued a non prosequitur due to the plaintiff's absence.

  • After several delays, the judge entered a non prosequitur, ending the lawsuit.

  • Due to the plaintiff’s lack of action, the case concluded with a non prosequitur.

  • The court issued a non prosequitur when the plaintiff failed to appear for the hearing.

  • Due to the plaintiff’s lack of action, the case concluded with a non prosequitur.

  • After several delays, the judge entered a non prosequitur, ending the lawsuit.

Synonyms

non pros
vsnon prosequitur
  • Formal
9.9

A court decision for the defendant when the plaintiff stops the case or does not appear in court

is the same judgment but expressed in the longer formal wording

Surface Forms

non prosequitur singular
non prosequiturs plural

Morphology

non + prosequitur

This is a Latin legalism whose components are not common English words (the given constituents are listed as not found in the dictionary), and its specific procedural meaning (a judgment for defendant when plaintiff fails to proceed) cannot be inferred from literal parts by a B1 learner. Because it is a specialized, language-specific legal formula rather than a compositional English phrase, it is opaque to learners.

Etymology

Non prosequitur comes from Latin: non means 'not' and prosequitur means 'to pursue', giving the image of someone who stops chasing a case. That's why a judge enters a non prosequitur when the person who started the lawsuit does not continue, and the court ends the case.