Legal Definitions - ab initio

Ab initio

Ab initio is a Latin term that means "from the beginning” or “from inception.” It is used to indicate that something existed from the start of a relevant time period. For example, if a marriage is considered "void ab initio," it means that the marriage was never valid from the beginning.

1. The contract was declared void ab initio because it was signed under duress.

2. The court ruled that the company's actions were illegal ab initio, and ordered them to pay damages.

The examples illustrate how the term "ab initio" is used to indicate that something was invalid or illegal from the very beginning. In the first example, the contract was considered void ab initio because it was signed under duress, meaning that it was never valid from the start. In the second example, the court ruled that the company's actions were illegal ab initio, meaning that they were illegal from the very beginning of the relevant time period.