Matter Of Law (Noun)
Meaning
A disputed legal contention that is generally left for a judge to decide.
Classification
Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents.
Examples
- The judge ruled that the issue of whether the contract was valid was a matter of law, and therefore she would decide it herself.
- The question of whether the defendant's actions constituted negligence was a matter of law, and the jury was instructed to accept the judge's ruling on the issue.
- The lawyers argued that the interpretation of the statute was a matter of law, and therefore the judge should make the decision rather than the jury.
- The court held that the determination of whether the plaintiff had standing to sue was a matter of law, and the judge's decision on the issue was binding.
- The judge instructed the jury that the question of whether the defendant's actions were a proximate cause of the plaintiff's injury was a matter of law, and she would decide it after hearing all the evidence.