Legal Definitions - back

BACK

Back is a verb that means:

1. To sign the back of a document.
2. To sign a document to show acceptance or approval.
3. To sign a document to indicate financial responsibility for it.
4. In history, for a magistrate to sign a warrant issued in one county to permit its execution in the signing magistrate's county.

For example, if you receive a check, you need to endorse it by signing your name on the back of it. This shows that you accept the payment and that you are the rightful recipient of the money. Another example is when a person co-signs a loan. They are backing the loan, which means they are taking financial responsibility for it if the original borrower cannot pay it back.

In the past, if a warrant was issued in one county, it could not be executed in another county unless it was backed by a magistrate from the county where it was to be carried out. This meant that the magistrate from the other county had to sign the warrant to show that they approved of it being executed in their county.