Legal Definitions - ministerial

Definition: Ministerial is an adjective used to describe an act that involves following instructions or laws rather than using personal judgment or skill.

Example: The court clerk's ministerial duties include recording judgments on the docket.

Explanation: In this example, the court clerk is required to perform a task that does not require any personal judgment or decision-making. Instead, they must follow specific instructions or laws to record judgments on the docket. This is an example of a ministerial task because it involves following a set of rules or guidelines rather than using personal discretion.

Additional Example: A police officer's ministerial duty is to enforce traffic laws by issuing tickets to drivers who violate them.

Explanation: In this example, the police officer is required to follow specific traffic laws and issue tickets to drivers who break them. This is a ministerial duty because it does not require the officer to use their personal judgment or discretion. Instead, they must follow the rules and regulationsset forth by the law.