Letter of the law
the letter of the law (noun) - exactly what the law says (people can often find loopholes around this)the spirit of the law (noun) - what the writers of the law wanted the law to do
loopholes - imperfections in a law that allow people to avoid the law (and do something the law was meant to prevent) (See glossary)
sticking to the letter of the law
the letter of the law versus the spirit of the law
the difference between administering the letter of the law and and the real justice of a particular situation.
abided by the letter of the law
obey the letter of the law
carried out their duty to the letter of the law
teams will be sent out to discover whether retailers are sticking to the letter of the law
it proved logistically impossible to observe the strict letter of the law
may not exactly obey every letter of the law
override the letter of the law
this might be slightly bending the letter of the law
decided what to ignore in the letter of the law
soften the letter of the law
the introduction of interpretational devices can soften the letter of the law
it is mostly within the letter of the law
the damages awarded were only nominal, reflecting the spirit and not the letter of the law
an administrator with a rigid adherence to the letter of the law
the letter of the law as it presently stands
all very well until someone decides to apply the letter of the law as it presently stands
there's a big gap between the letter of the law and fact
"the letter of the law is an ass" (i.e. donkey)
fulfil the letter of the law
the incident could be shown to have been dealt with in terms of the letter of the law
discretion is often viewed narrowly in terms of law: whether the police apply or omit the letter of the law
the letter of the law was not broken
learn the letter of the law
when you make your rules you have to carry them out to the letter of the law
not sticking rigidly to the letter of the law
the US police are set to enforce the very letter of the law
applied the letter of the law
have not been dealt with according to the letter of the law
Jesus saw that blind obedience to the letter of the law was stopping a man from being healed
has a constitutional right to acquit irrespective of the letter of the law
made homeless because the housing department followed the letter of the law too strictly
the letter of the law was observed
the typical divergence between the letter of the law and its implementation
legal experts will exploit loopholes which, although within the letter of the law, are outwith its spirit
papal connivance coupled with resolute disregard of the letter of the law
Example sentences:
* In practice it proved logistically impossible to observe the strict letter of the law.
* He may not exactly obey every letter of the law.
* By sticking to the letter of the law, the spirit of the law may be lost.
* Sticking to the letter of the law v. sticking to its spirit.
* But there's a big gap between the letter of the law and fact.
* This might be slightly bending the letter of the law in that the prospectus should be a single document but it makes good economic sense.
* The best interests of a socialist society must override even the principle and letter of the law.
* We have abided by the letter of the law; others may not have.
* This was abolished in 1972 and consequently the prosecution must now convince a more representative sample of the population that a publisher ought to be punished: a sample, moreover, which has a constitutional right to acquit irrespective of the letter of the law.
* The fear is that if defined, legal experts will exploit loopholes which, although within the letter of the law, are outwith its spirit.
* The federal income tax law offers a rather neat illustration of the divergence between a widely publicized symbol and actual resource allocation patterns observes Edelman (1964, p. 28), drawing attention to the typical divergence between the letter of the law and its implementation.
* Vodaphone say they have carried out their duty to the letter of the law.
* A month afterwards the teams will be sent out to discover whether retailers are sticking to the letter of the law.
* There is a difference between administering the letter of the law and and the real justice of a particular situation.
* The IAAF must urgently review the situation, for when you make your rules you have to carry them out to the letter of the law.
* Moreover, in terms of formal managerial rules, the incident could be shown to have been dealt with in terms of the letter of the law.
* To add insult to injury, the young thug filed a civil claim against Mr Respectable for wounding him and, although he won his action, the damages awarded were only nominal, reflecting the spirit and not the letter of the law.
* What is important is that Jesus saw that blind obedience to the letter of the law was stopping a man from being healed.
* As we saw in the last chapter, the operation of discretion by the police is a particular fascination in the sociology of policing, but discretion is often viewed narrowly in terms of law: whether the police apply or omit the letter of the law.
* There were not many talented British filmmakers, and American distributors were not simply being awkward when they decided to do no more than fulfil the letter of the law by distributing films from far-off parts of the British Commonwealth that nobody wanted to see.
* Otherwise the letter of the law is an ass.
* Borrowing looks an odd route to a balanced budget, but it is mostly within the letter of the law.
* The Bank of New England sale was itself restructured three times so that the letter of the law was not broken.
* The letter of the law was something the Adjutant had learnt in his short army career.
* What the Leeds manager appeared to be saying was that, while it was a matter of opinion whether Mr Midgley used his discretion correctly, he was glad to see a referee not sticking rigidly to the letter of the law.
* At the peak of Slim Jim's career, the secretary of SFA was Willie Allen, an administrator with a rigid adherence to the letter of the law.
* There are also rivers for which LAOs have not attempted to make agreements on the grounds that there are no problems or there is not sufficient demand, all very well until someone decides to apply the letter of the law as it presently stands.
* Arenberg, quoted in US trade magazine Variety , further claims that the US police are set to enforce the very letter of the law.
* Rideout faces a three-match ban after catching Peacock right in front of referee Gerald Ashby, who earlier applied the letter of the law when Southall instinctively grabbed a backpass straight at his midriff whilestanding a yard outside his area.
* A company that paid the telephone bills of 250 service engineers might easily face a sizeable demand for employer's and employees' NIC, especially if back years have not been dealt with according to the letter of the law.
* The first heroes in the battle to adapt to the damage are the referees at all levels who have sat down amongst themselves, worked out interpretations, decided what to ignore in the letter of the law; and because the superior team can no longer launch sustained driving to sap the opposition, you find that inferior teams are still fresh as daisies at the end.
* Even in cases where a written constitution exists, such as in France or the United States, the introduction of interpretational devices can soften the letter of the law (witness the continuing debate in America between strict constructionists and the rest).
* Research carried out at Bristol University's social policy and social planning department says women are sometimes made homeless because some housing departments follow the letter of the law too strictly.
* The letter of the law was observed in so far as none of the names of the actual raped women were mentioned.
* Thus from 1308 until the end of his reign, as a consequence of French and papal connivance coupled with resolute disregard of the letter of the law, Edward II enjoyed a welcome addition to his revenues and patronage.
