Legal Definitions - jus retractus

Jus retractus is a legal term that comes from the Latin language, meaning "the right of retraction." It is a concept in civil law that refers to two different situations:

1. When certain relatives of a person who has sold immovable property have the right to repurchase it.
2. When a debtor has the right to redeem a debt that has been sold by the creditor to a third party within a year for the price paid by the purchaser.

For example, let's say John sells his house to Mary. If John's brother has the right of jus retractus, he can repurchase the house from Mary instead of John. Similarly, if John owes money to a bank and the bank sells his debt to a debt collector, John has the right of jus retractus to redeem the debt by paying the amount paid by the debt collector.