abuse of discretion

English

Noun

abuse of discretion (plural abuses of discretion)

1. (law) The rendering of a decision by a court that is so unreasonable in light of the facts of the case or is such an unreasonable deviation from legal precedent that it must be reversed.
2. (law) Any action by a government official by which that official renders decisions for a clearly improper purpose.

Usage notes

Abuse of discretion is one of the three standards by which common law court decisions are reviewed on appeal; the other two are de novo and clear error.

Translations

rendering of a decision by a court that is so unreasonable in light of the facts of the case or is such an unreasonable deviation from legal precedent that it must be reversed

any action by a government official by which that official renders decisions for a clearly improper purpose

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

• Spanish: ^{(please verify)} abuso de discreción m