Legal Definitions - bind

Definition: To impose legal duties on a person or institution. It can also mean to indenture or legally obligate to serve.

Examples:

• The contract binds the parties to their agreement.
• Courts are bound by precedent, meaning they must follow previous legal decisions.
• Historically, people were bound to serve their masters through indentured servitude.

The examples illustrate how BIND is used to describe the legal obligation or duty that is imposed on a person or institution. In the first example, the contract creates a binding agreement between the parties, meaning they are legally obligated to fulfill their duties under the contract. In the second example, courts are bound by precedent, meaning they must follow previous legal decisions, even if they disagree with them. The third example shows how BIND was used historically to describe the legal obligation of indentured servitude.