retroactive law

retroactive law
n.
A law that applies to events that happened before it was passed. See also ex post facto, retrospective law

The Essential Law Dictionary. — Sphinx Publishing, An imprint of Sourcebooks, Inc. . 2008.


retroactive law
n. A statute that treats with facts or occurrences something that took place before the statute was enacted. While unusual, a retroactive law is only unconstitutional if it impairs vested rights, interferes with obligations under contracts (such as creating new obligations or attaching new disabilities), has the effect of an ex post facto law or bill of attainder, or is prohibited by the United States Constitution. Certain decisions granting new rights to criminal defendants under constitutional law have been given full retroactive effect. While others have been held to be effective only from the time of enactment forward.

Webster's New World Law Dictionary. . 2000.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Retroactive law — Retroactive Re tro*act ive, a. [Cf. F. r[ e]troactif.] Fitted or designed to retroact; operating by returned action; affecting what is past; retrospective. Beddoes. [1913 Webster] {Retroactive law} or {Retroactive statute} (Law), one which… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • retroactive law — noun or retroactive statute : a law that operates to make criminal or punishable or in any way expressly affects an act done prior to the passing of the law compare ex post facto law …   Useful english dictionary

  • retroactive law — noun any law that makes a prior legal act illegal, or increases the penalty for a prior illegal act Syn: retrospective law …   Wiktionary

  • retroactive — ret·ro·ac·tive /ˌre trō ak tiv/ adj: extending in scope or effect to a prior time or to conditions that existed or originated in the past; esp: made effective as of a date prior to enactment, promulgation, or imposition a retroactive tax see also …   Law dictionary

  • retroactive effect — index nunc pro tunc Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006 …   Law dictionary

  • Retroactive — Re tro*act ive, a. [Cf. F. r[ e]troactif.] Fitted or designed to retroact; operating by returned action; affecting what is past; retrospective. Beddoes. [1913 Webster] {Retroactive law} or {Retroactive statute} (Law), one which operates to make… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Retroactive statute — Retroactive Re tro*act ive, a. [Cf. F. r[ e]troactif.] Fitted or designed to retroact; operating by returned action; affecting what is past; retrospective. Beddoes. [1913 Webster] {Retroactive law} or {Retroactive statute} (Law), one which… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • retroactive — [re΄trōak′tiv] adj. [Fr rétroactif: see RETROACT & IVE] 1. having application to or effect on things done prior to its enactment [a retroactive law] 2. going into effect as of a specified date in the past [a retroactive increase] retroactively… …   English World dictionary

  • retroactive — Process of acting with reference to past occurrences. Annacchino v. Annacchino, 61 Misc.2d 636, 306 N.Y.S.2d 603, 605. See also retrospective @ retroactive inference The inferring of a previous fact from present conditions by a trier of facts.… …   Black's law dictionary

  • retroactive — ret|ro|ac|tive [ ,retrou æktıv ] adjective FORMAL a retroactive law or decision affects things that have happened since a particular date in the past, before the law was introduced or the decision was made ╾ ret|ro|ac|tive|ly adverb …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

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