Ex parte

"Ex parte" is a legal term meaning on behalf of one party. Taken from Medieval Latin, this term is most often used in connection with legal procedure: an "ex parte proceeding" is one where only one side is present. These are dangerous proceedings because the other side is not there to present its side, and very one-sided rulings can result.

Latin terminology exists throughout the law, but legal procedure has fewer Latin terms than substantive areas of the law. "Ex parte," a procedural term, is a rare exception.