- 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 impositiona retroactive tax see also ex post facto lawret·ro·ac·tive·ly advret·ro·ac·tiv·i·ty /-ak-'ti-və-tē/ n
Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary of Law. Merriam-Webster. 1996.
- retroactive
-
I
adjective
affecting the past, beginning before, commencing before, effective before, having prior application, having prior effect, operational before, starting before, taking effect before
associated concepts: ex post facto, retroactive effect
II
index
ex post facto
Burton's Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006
- retroactive
-
adj.Made effective as of a date in the past.n.retroac-tivity
The Essential Law Dictionary. — Sphinx Publishing, An imprint of Sourcebooks, Inc. Amy Hackney Blackwell. 2008.
- retroactive
-
A law or court decision that takes away or impairs a previously vested right, imposes new duties or obligations, or changes or effects past transactions or legal actions. Retroactive (or retrospective) laws are not favored and, unless it is expressly stated, it is usually presumed that legislation is not intended to apply retroactively. In criminal law, statutes which would increase penalties or make activities which had been previously legal criminal are prohibited by the Constitutional ban on ex post facto laws.Category: Criminal LawCategory: Small Claims Court & Lawsuits
Nolo’s Plain-English Law Dictionary. Gerald N. Hill, Kathleen Thompson Hill. 2009.
- retroactive
-
adj. Referring to a law, a ruling, and so on affecting matters that occurred beforehand; affecting past happenings.See also prospective.
Webster's New World Law Dictionary. Susan Ellis Wild. 2000.
- retroactive
-
Having reference to things that happened in the past, prior to the occurrence of the act in question.
Dictionary from West's Encyclopedia of American Law. 2005.
- retroactive
-
Having reference to things that happened in the past, prior to the occurrence of the act in question.
Short Dictionary of (mostly American) Legal Terms and Abbreviations.
- retroactive
-
adj.referring to a court's decision or a statute enacted by a legislative body which would result in application to past transactions and legal actions. In criminal law, statutes which would increase penalties or make criminal activities which had been previously legal are prohibited by the constitutional ban on ex post facto laws (Article I, Section 9). Most court decisions which change the elements necessary to prove a crime or the introduction of evidence such as confessions are usually made non-retroactive to prevent a flood of petitions of people convicted under prior rules. Nor can statutes or court decisions take away "vested" property rights or change contract rights. However, some decisions are so fundamental to justice they may have a retroactive effect, depending on the balance between stability of the law and the public good. Retroactive is also called "retrospective."See also: ex post facto
Law dictionary. EdwART. 2013.
