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- Wagner Act
- A 1935 American federal
statute
which recognized employee rights to collective bargaining, protected the right
to belong to a union, prohibited many anti-union tactics then used by
employers, and set up the National Labor Relations Board. The NLRB was given
wide enforcement powers. It was later amended by the
Taft-Hartley Act
in 1947.
- Waiver
- When a person disclaims or renounces to a right that they may have
otherwise had. Waivers are not always in writing. Sometimes a person's actions
can be interpreted as a waiver.
- Warranty
- A guarantee given on the performance of a product or the doing of a
certain thing. For example, many consumer products come with warranties under
which the manufacturer will repair or replace any product that fails during
the warranty period; the commitment to repair or replace being the "warranty".
- Waste
- The abuse, destruction or permanent change to property by one who is
merely in possesion of it as in the case of a
tenant or a
life tenant.
- Wedlock
- Being married. Has the same meaning as "matrimony."
Used mostly to refer to illegitimate children as "born out of wedlock."
- Will
- A written and signed statement, made by an individual, which provides for
the disposition of their property when they die. (See also
codicil and
probate.)
- Wire-tapping
- An electronic surveillance device which secretly listens in and records
conversations held over a phone line. It is usually only allowed with the
permission of a judge and if it can be shown to be necessary for the solving
of a serious crime.
- Without prejudice
- A statements set onto a written document which qualifies the signatory as
exempted from it's content to the extent that they may be interpreted as
containing admissions or other interpretations which could later be used
against the person signing; or as otherwise affecting any legal rights of the
person signing. A lawyer will often send a letter "without prejudice" in case
the letter makes admissions which could later prove inconvenient to the
client.
- Witness
- The regular definition of this word is a person who perceives an event (by
seeing, hearing, smelling or other sensory perception). The legal definition
refers to the court-supervised recital of that sensory experience, in writing
(deposition)
or verbally (testimony).
- Words of limitation
- Words in a conveyance or in a will which set the duration of an estate. If
a will said "to Bob and his heirs", the words "and his heirs" were words of
limitation because they indicate that Bob gets the land in
fee simple
and his heirs get no interest.
- Words of purchase
- Words which specifically name the person to whom land is being conveyed.
The property is conveyed to specifically and by name in a legal act such as a
conveyance
or will. This would preclude, for example, transfer as a
result of
intestacy.
- Writ
- An official court document, signed by a judge or bearing an official court
seal, which commands the person to whom it is addressed, to do something
specific. That "person" is typically either a sheriff (who may be instructed
to seize property, for example) or a defendant (for whom the writ is the first
notice of formal legal action. In these cases, the writ would command the
person to answer the charges laid out in the suit, or else judgment may be
made against them in their absence).
- Wrongful death
- An American tort law action which claims damages from any person who,
through negligence or direct act or omission, caused the death of certain
relatives (eg. spouse, children or parent). These actions are commenced under
special "wrongful death" statutes because under the common law, there is no
right of action for survivors for their own loss as a result of someone's
death. The Canadian equivalent of the wrongful death legislation is generally
known as the "fatal accidents act." In England, it is known as Lord
Campbell's Act.
- Wrongful dismissal
- Being fired from a job without an adequate reason or without any reason
whatsoever. Employees do not have a right to a job for life and can be
dismissed for economic or performance reasons but they cannot be dismissed
capriciously. Most employment implies an employment contract, which may be
supplemented by labor
legislation.
Either could provide for certain procedures to be followed, failing which any
firing is wrongful dismissal and for which the employee could ask a court for
damages against the employer. Can also be referred to as "dismissal without
just cause." Not all states recognize this
tort law
action.
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