ex parte

adverb or adjective

ex par·​te (ˌ)eks-ˈpär-tē 

1

: on or from one side or party only

—used of legal proceedings

2

: from a one-sided or partisan point of view

Did you know?

Latin has not been over-used in a procedural context ('ex parte' being a rare exception,) wrote a correspondent to the London Times in May 1999. Indeed, ex parte (which literally meant "on behalf [of]" in Medieval Latin) pops up quite often in legal settings. An ex parte proceeding, for example, is one that occurs at the request of and for the benefit of one party, usually without the knowledge and participation of any other party. Even when ex parte steps outside of the courtroom - to be used of an ex parte meeting, interview, chat, conversation, investigation, discussion, or contact, for example - the one-sided sense often has some sort of legal or legislative slant, referring to involvement of just one party or side in a case or dispute.

Examples of ex parte in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

At some point while Clayborne and her children were in the parking lot of the Coffee County Jail, DCS held an emergency ex parte hearing with Judge Greg Perry in Coffee County General Sessions Court to get an order to take her children away, the lawsuit says. —Evan Mealins, The Tennessean, 20 Dec. 2024

An ex parte motion is a legal request presented to the court by one party without the other being present. —Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 11 Dec. 2024

Ten days later, Christina filed an ex parte alleging Josh had made questionable financial moves during the days around their split. —Brendan Le, People.com, 28 Nov. 2024

And in July, the trial’s original judge, Ural Glanville, was recused over a June 10 secret, ex parte meeting with prosecutors and a witness. —Justin Curto, Vulture, 29 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Medieval Latin

First Known Use

1672, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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Legal Definition

ex parte

adverb or adjective

ex par·​te ˈeks-ˈpär-tē, -tā 

: on behalf of or involving only one party to a legal matter and in the absence of and usually without notice to the other party

an ex parte motion

relief granted ex parte

—used in citations to indicate the party seeking judicial relief in a case

Ex Parte Jones, 7 U.S. 2 (1866)

compare in re, inter partes

Etymology

Medieval Latin, on behalf (of)