Legal Definitions - ad non executa

Definition: For the things not executed (as by an executor).

Definition: A note written in the margin of a document; especially, the reply of the emperor in his own hand to a petition addressed to him.

Examples:

• A judge's written order to a court clerk explaining how to dispose of a case.
• An appellate court's written decision, usually unsigned, that is sent down to the trial court.
• A Roman emperor's or a Pope's written answer to a legal inquiry or petition.

The examples illustrate that a rescript can be a judge's written order, an appellate court's decision, or a Roman emperor's or a Pope's written answer to a legal inquiry or petition. The term "adnotatio" specifically refers to a note written in the margin of a document, such as the reply of an emperor to a petition addressed to him.