legal action

Noun
  1. A judicial proceeding brought by one party against another;
    One party prosecutes another for a wrong done or for protection of a right or for prevention of a wrong (synset 101184392)
    referred to in: jurisprudence, law - the collection of rules imposed by authority
    is a type of: legal proceeding, proceeding, proceedings - (law) the institution of a sequence of steps by which legal judgments are invoked
    subtypes:
    • antitrust case - a legal action brought against parties who are charged with limiting free competition in the market place
    • civil action - legal action to protect a private civil right or to compel a civil remedy (as distinguished from criminal prosecution)
    • counterclaim - a claim filed in opposition to another claim in a legal action
    • custody case - a legal action to determine custody (usually of children following a divorce)
    • lis pendens - a pending lawsuit
    • criminal prosecution, prosecution - the institution and conduct of legal proceedings against a defendant for criminal behavior
    • test case, test suit - a representative legal action whose outcome is likely to become a precedent
    same as: action, action at law

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