- Moratorium (law)
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A moratorium is a delay or suspension of an activity or a law. In a legal context, it may refer to the temporary suspension of a law to allow a legal challenge to be carried out.
For example, Animal rights activists and conservation authorities may request a fishing or hunting moratoriums to protect endangered or threatened animal species. These delays, or suspensions, prevent people from hunting or fishing the animals in discussion.
Another instance is a delay of legal obligations or payment. A legal official can order a delay of payment due to extenuating circumstances, which render one party incapable of paying another.
See also
- 2010 U.S. Deepwater Drilling Moratorium
- Moratorium to End the War in Vietnam
- UN moratorium on the death penalty
References
"Moratorium". New International Encyclopedia. 1905.
Categories:- Legal terms
- Law
- Legal term stubs
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moratorium — mor·a·to·ri·um /ˌmȯr ə tȯr ē əm/ n pl riums or ria [New Latin, from Late Latin, neuter of moratorius dilatory, from morari to delay, from mora delay] 1 a: an authorized period of delay in the performance of an obligation (as the paying of a… … Law dictionary
Moratorium — may refer to: Moratorium (law) Moratorium (entertainment) Moratorium to End the War in Vietnam UN moratorium on the death penalty 2010 U.S. Deepwater Drilling Moratorium “Moratorium,” a song by Alanis Morissette on her album Flavors of… … Wikipedia
moratorium — mor‧a‧to‧ri‧um [ˌmɒrəˈtɔːriəm ǁ ˌmɔː ] noun moratoria PLURALFORM [ riə] or moratoriums PLURALFORM [countable usually singular] 1. a period of time when a particular activity is officially stopped … Financial and business terms
Moratorium — Mor a*to ri*um, n. [NL. See {Moratory}.] 1. (Law) A period during which an obligor has a legal right to delay meeting an obligation, esp. such a period granted, as to a bank, by a moratory law. [Webster 1913 Suppl.] 2. a suspension of an activity … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
moratorium — ► NOUN (pl. moratoriums or moratoria) 1) a temporary prohibition of an activity. 2) Law a legal authorization to debtors to postpone payment. ORIGIN Latin, from morari to delay … English terms dictionary
moratorium — [môr΄ə tôr′ē əm] n. pl. moratoriums or moratoria [môr΄ə tôr′ēə] [ModL < neut. of LL moratorius, delaying < L morari, to delay < mora, a delay: see MERIT] 1. a legal authorization, usually by a law passed in an emergency, to delay payment … English World dictionary
Law, Crime, and Law Enforcement — ▪ 2006 Introduction Trials of former heads of state, U.S. Supreme Court rulings on eminent domain and the death penalty, and high profile cases against former executives of large corporations were leading legal and criminal issues in 2005.… … Universalium
moratorium — mor|a|to|ri|um [ˌmɔrəˈto:riəm US ˌmo: ] n plural moratoriums or moratoria [C usually singular] [Date: 1800 1900; : Modern Latin; Origin: Late Latin moratorius delaying , from Latin morari to delay ] 1.) an official stopping of an activity for a… … Dictionary of contemporary English
Moratorium — 1) A period of time in which there is a suspension of a specific activity until future events warrant a removal of the suspension or issues regarding the activity have been resolved. 2) In bankruptcy law, a legally binding halt of the right to… … Investment dictionary
moratorium — noun (countable usually singular) 1 an official stopping of an activity for a period of time (+ on): the proposed moratorium on nuclear testing 2 a law or an agreement that gives people more time to pay their debts … Longman dictionary of contemporary English