Legal Definitions - recusable

Definition: Recusable (ri-kyoo-zuh-buhl) is an adjective that has two meanings:

1. It refers to an obligation that arises from a person's voluntary act and can be avoided. This is different from irrecusable, which means an obligation that cannot be avoided.
2. It can also refer to a judge who can be disqualified from sitting on a case.

Examples:

• John signed a contract with the company, but he found out later that the terms were not favorable to him. Since the obligation was recusable, he was able to renegotiate the terms.
• The judge had a personal relationship with one of the parties involved in the case, so he was recusable and had to be replaced by another judge.

The first example illustrates the first meaning of recusable. John voluntarily signed the contract, but he was able to avoid the obligation because it was recusable. The second example illustrates the second meaning of recusable. The judge had a conflict of interest, which made him recusable and unable to preside over the case.