A professionally qualified person trained and specialising in risk, statistics and finance who gives advice on investment, life and general insurance and pension business.

All the elements of a criminal offence except the accused's mental element.

A short, intensive exposure (less than one day) to radiation or to toxic substances which can result in severe biological harm or death.

If an advertiser breaches the UK Code on Advertising, Direct Marketing and Sales Promotions, the Committee on Advertising Practice can issue alerts to its members, including the media, advising them to withhold services such as access to advertising space.

This Practice Note discusses ad hoc arbitration in China under Chinese law. China International Commercial Court. For a general introduction to ad hoc arbitration, see Practice Note: Ad hoc arbitration—an introduction to the key features of ad hoc arbitration. Requirement to provide an administering institution Arbitration in China is governed by the Arbitration Law (promulgated by the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress, 31 August 1994, effective 1 September 1995, and revised in 2009, 2017 and 2025) (the Arbitration Law). The Arbitration Law requires parties to an arbitration agreement to select an institution in their arbitration agreement to manage the parties’ proceeding (Arbitration Law, art 16). This provision in the Arbitration Law has been interpreted to invalidate awards issued in ad hoc arbitration proceedings, namely, arbitration managed without an institution. (Note that Chinese courts do not recognise precedent so there is no case law on this point with binding authority.) However, the requirement that arbitration be managed by an arbitral institution has not been

An ad hoc arbitration is any arbitration in which the parties have not selected an institution to administer the arbitration. This offers parties flexibility as to the conduct of the arbitration, but less external support for the process. It can be quicker than institutional arbitration but not if the parties run into difficulties with the appointment or conduct of the tribunal. Many parties and lawyers are used to it and do not consider that an institution would add value to their arbitrations. Arbitration clauses may be amended after a dispute has arisen, or even after an arbitration has been commenced, in order to remove the proceedings from the hands of an institution and have them conducted on an ad hoc basis instead. Without an institution to oversee the appointment of the tribunal under its rules, the parties may agree upon an appointing authority in case their appointment procedure should fail for any reason. This may be an arbitral institution, a local law society or other trade or professional

Committees used on a temporary basis (often contrasted to formal committees) with no rights to formal recognition

Ad litem describes an appointment made specifically for the purposes of particular court proceedings, most commonly to represent or safeguard the interests of someone who cannot conduct the litigation themselves. In England and Wales and Northern Ireland, this typically refers to a “litigation friend” acting for a child or protected party in civil proceedings, or a “guardian” in family cases. In Scotland, the nearest equivalents are a curator ad litem or safeguarders in children’s hearings and related court processes. In Ireland, a guardian ad litem is frequently appointed in childcare and public law proceedings.The term itself is Latin and not usually defined in primary legislation, but is widely used in rules of court, case law and practice directions to describe a role confined to a specific action, appeal or application. An ad litem appointment does not ordinarily confer wider authority outside the proceedings. The concept is broadly consistent across the UK and Ireland: a court selects or approves a suitable person, often subject to independence and competence requirements, to make decisions, give instructions to solicitors and act in the best interests of the person they represent for the duration of the case.

Ad seriatim (often shortened to seriatim) describes, in legal practice, dealing with matters one after another, point by point, or judges delivering separate opinions in sequence. It is a Latin legal term, not defined by statute, used descriptively across civil, criminal and appellate contexts in England and Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Ireland.Typical usage includes: directions that issues be argued seriatim; submissions addressing grounds seriatim; and pleadings answering each numbered allegation seriatim. Under the Civil Procedure Rules (E&W) and equivalent rules elsewhere, parties should engage with allegations specifically; responding seriatim helps avoid impermissible “global” denials and clarifies what is admitted, denied or not admitted.In appellate courts, a seriatim judgment means each judge gives a separate reasoned judgment. This contrasts with a single judgment of the court. Practice varies: the UK Supreme Court and Court of Appeal often prefer a lead judgment with concurrences, though seriatim judgments still occur; the Irish Supreme Court and Court of Appeal frequently issue separate judgments; the Court of Session and Northern Ireland Court of Appeal may do either. Seriatim opinions can complicate identification of the ratio decidendi but enhance transparency of judicial reasoning.

Ad valorem describes a charge, duty or tax calculated by reference to the value of the property, goods or transaction, rather than a fixed (specific) amount. In UK and Irish legal practice it is commonly used for taxes, court fees and registration charges that are expressed as a percentage or banded proportion of value.The term appears in various statutes and subordinate legislation across England and Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Ireland (for example in stamp duty, stamp duty land tax, land and buildings transaction tax, and court fee orders), but “ad valorem” itself is primarily a descriptive Latin expression rather than a single, codified definition.Key legal features include: the need for a valuation or consideration figure as the basis of assessment; exposure to changes in market value; and potential for disputes over valuation methodology. Ad valorem structures are contrasted with flat or specific fees.Usage is broadly consistent across the four jurisdictions, though the detailed regimes (including rates, thresholds, reliefs and valuation rules) are jurisdiction-specific and governed by the relevant taxing or fee legislation.

The making of an adaptation of a copyright work is an act restricted by the copyright in a literary, dramatic or musical work.

means scientific research that directly contributes to enabling adaptation.