Why do we use Latin in politics and legal issues?

Answer 1

because translation is everything.

like assholes saying the Lamb SLAIN is the Lamb DIED is the same thing. Its tough but on that arm its the same thing almost.

EIN=NI3 as god to the germans?

Answer 2

Well, the Greeks invented Democracy and the majority of government systems, the Romans adapted them and exported them to England..the Greeks and Romans wrote in Latin, British Democracy grew up with Latin as its Titular Language, Britain and Europe exported that democracy to the world..etc

Answer 3

Because Latin is a dead language so the meanings of the words will not change like they do in languages that are still in use.

Answer 4

Because we lawyers are pompous and arrogant. Using old latin phrases makes us feel smart and gives us a reason to condescend to others.

Oh, and something about the foundation of our legal system. Blah blah blah.

Answer 5

Becaus our legal system is based on British common law, which existed before English was used in written documents. The system of various kinds of petitions were well established and even when legal documents were primarily in English, the names of them (such as writ of mandamus and habeas corups) were well set.

Answer 6

Becouse the first democracy is was in Latin, and it puts in emphasis on how long it has been there.
That's it. Bottom Line.

Answer 7

Because our legal tradition derives directly from both Roman law and canonical (church) law, both of which were conducted/written entirely in Latin.

Best wishes and God bless.

Answer 8

Because most terms were originally created in that language.

Latin was the laguage of the Roman Empire and
the Romans were the first people to make law into a science.

They wrote a set of laws that became the basis for many of the legal systems of Europe and Latin America.

http://www.jura.uni-sb.de/Rechtsgeschichte/Ius.Romanum/english.html

Why did latin legal and political concepts spread all over?

Necessity.

" Once the First Crusaders were able to conquer the Holy Land and establish their kingdoms there in 1099, they were faced with the necessity of ruling a disparate population, most of whom had never been governed by European laws or customs. Furthermore, it quickly became apparent, with the return of many of these Crusaders to their homes in Europe, that the majority of administrative and judicial officials needed to govern the newly conquered population would also be subject peoples, probably Jews and Muslims. These officials, while they might function based on their own laws and traditions, would have to be controlled from above by the Resident Crusaders, based on a European legal system".

quoted from: http://www.bookrags.com/history/worldhistory/medieval-europe-politics-law-military/sub14.html

Why is Roman Law still important today?

" Today Roman Law has been replaced by modern codes. These codes, however, did not create new law from scratch. But rather, to a large extent, the rules of Roman Law which had been transmitted, were placed in a statutory framework which provided a modern, systematic order. This is particularly true in regard to the German Civil Code. So, in order to fully understand the German Civil Code, it is necessary to know about the legal foundation upon which it rests. As this is true in regard to German law, it is eqully true in regard to most modern European legal systems.

Most important of all, Roman Law will have great significance in regard to the formation of uniform legal rules which further the process of political integration in Europe. Roman Law is the common foundation upon which the European legal order is built. Therefore, it can serve as a source of rules and legal norms which will easily blend with the national laws of the many and varied European states"

Quoted from: http://www.jura.uni-sb.de/Rechtsgeschichte/Ius.Romanum/RoemRFAQ-e.html#cic.

Some legal Latin terms:

alibi
(ah-lee-bee; elsewhere, at another place). If you're asked to provide an alibi for your whereabouts, you know that you need to tell where you were when a crime occurred to prove that you couldn't have been the one who did the awful deed.

alias
(ah-lee-ahs; at another time, otherwise). Today, alias often refers to an alternative name people generally use to conceal their identity. "John Smith alias Henry Taylor alias Clyde the Hustler" means John Smith is otherwise known as Henry Taylor who is otherwise known as Clyde the Hustler.

per se
(purr say; by itself). Also meaning "as such" in English usage, per se is used casually in English conversations: I didn't call him stupid, per se. I simply said he had plenty to learn.

versus
(wer-soos; turned). Often abbreviated as vs., the more common English meaning is "against" or "in contrast to": In the case Roe versus Wade, privacy in cases of abortion was an issue.

http://www.dummies.com/WileyCDA/DummiesArticle/id-1435.html