BOO - The Law Mind Legal Dictionary

BOOAuthored

The Law Mind • 451 words

Definition

"Boo" has no recognized independent legal meaning. As a standalone legal term, it does not appear in standard legal dictionaries, common law doctrine, statutory frameworks, or legal usage.

The Burrill's Law Dictionary source material associated with this query does not define "boo" as a legal term. The passage retrieved concerns the Latin phrase *boni homines* — "good men" — and the related maxim *Boni judicis est ampliare jurisdictionem*, neither of which is a rendering or abbreviation of "boo." The appearance of "boo" in the source index reflects a retrieval artifact, not a legal definition.

Common Confusion

"Boo" as retrieved here should not be confused with any genuine legal term. Researchers should confirm whether their source document uses "boo" as an index stub, a scanning error, or a shorthand before proceeding. OCR errors in digitized historical law dictionaries frequently produce truncated or corrupted headwords that do not correspond to actual legal terms.

Why It Matters in Research

Researchers encountering this entry in a Law Mind corpus search should treat it as a navigation signal rather than a substantive finding. The retrieval of Burrill passages touching *boni homines* and *boni judicis* maxims suggests the intended research target may be one of the following:

— BONI HOMINES: The Latin term for "good men," referring to the peer-jurors used in feudal tribunals, particularly in medieval Italy and France, and traceable in common law jury history.

— BONI JUDICIS EST AMPLIARE JURISDICTIONEM: A Latin maxim meaning "it is the part of a good judge to enlarge [or liberally use] his jurisdiction," quoted in Burrill and relevant to historical discussions of judicial discretion and equity jurisdiction.

— GOOD MEN: The English rendering used in Burrill's cross-reference, relevant to jury history and the *probi et legales homines* qualification for jurors.

If the search originated from an index abbreviation, a truncated term, or an OCR artifact in a historical source, the researcher should re-query using the full Latin or English terms above.

Historical Dictionary Support

Burrill's Law Dictionary contains no entry for "boo." The passage surfaced in this query appears under or near the entry for *Boni homines* and discusses the historical use of twelve-man peer tribunals among vassals and tenants in feudal Italy, citing Montesquieu's *Esprit des Lois*, Book 30, Chapter 18. Burrill notes this institution as an ancestor of the modern jury and cross-references "Good men" for further treatment. The maxim *Boni judicis est ampliare jurisdictionem* appears in the same vicinity as a separate doctrinal point regarding judicial construction of jurisdiction. Neither passage supports a legal definition of "boo."

BOOmain

Burrill's Law Dictionary • 1867

( 215 ) Italy, had a tribunal composed of twelve good men and true (boni homines,) usually the vassals or tenants of the lord, being the equals or peers of the parties litigant. Id. ibid. Esprit des Lois, liv. 30, c. 18. This term has survived in the courts, to the present day. See Good men. Boni judicis est ampliare jurisdictionem. It is the part of a good judge to enlarge (or use liberally) his remedial authority. Chanc. Prec. 329. Wright, J. 1 Wils. 284. Wilmot, C. J. 2 Id. 350. Nares, J. 2 W. Bl. 746. 2 Florida R. 593. It is the duty of a court to enlarge the legal remedy, if necessary, (without usurping jurisdiction,) in order to attain the justice of the case. Broom's Max. 36. It is the duty of a judge, when requisite, to extend the limits of his jurisdiction. Id. [56.] 9 Mees. & W. 818. According to Lord Mansfield, the true text of this maxim is Boni judicis est ampliare justitiam. 1 Burr. 304. See Ampliare. Boni judicis est judicium sine dilatione mandare executioni. It is the duty of a good judge to cause judgment to be executed without delay. Co. Litt. 289. Boni judicis est lites dirimere. It is the duty of a good judge to put an end or stop to lawsuits; [to discourage litigation]. 4 Co. 15. Boni judicis est lites dirimere, ne lis ex lite oriatur. It is the duty of a good judge to put an end to litigation, that suit may not grow out of suit. 5 Co. 31 a. Boni judicis est causas litium dirimere. It is the duty of a good judge to remove the causes of litigation. 2 Inst. 304. Legal remedies should be so applied as at once to put an end to the grievance complained of, without giving occasion to new suits for the same matter.