A "plea in abatement" is a legal term referring to a formal statement or argument made by a defendant in a legal case that seeks to suspend or dismiss legal proceedings on specific grounds before addressing the substantive claims of the case. It is often employed to challenge the form or manner of commencement of the case.
Frequency of Use: This term is primarily used within legal contexts and is not commonly found in everyday conversation. It is more prevalent in written legal documents rather than oral speech.
Обвиняемый подал ходатайство о замене, утверждая, что суд не обладает надлежащей юрисдикцией в данном деле.
The judge carefully considered the arguments presented in the plea in abatement before making a ruling.
While "plea in abatement" is not commonly featured in idiomatic expressions, the concept relates closely to legal terminology and various phrases used in law. Here are a few expressions that might include similar concepts:
The attorney proposed a plea bargain to the prosecutor to mitigate his client's sentence.
"Plea of insanity"
He entered a plea of insanity, hoping for a lighter sentence due to his mental condition.
"Not guilty plea"
The term "plea" originates from the Old French word "plee," which means a lawsuit or legal action. "Abatement" comes from the Old French "abattre," meaning to overthrow or bring down, which reflects the action of reducing or abating a matter in legal context.
This legal term is quite specialized, and while it's essential within the domain of law, it is not widely known or used outside of legal discussions and documents.