A Digest of Case Law on the Human Rights of Women - Asia Pacific ...

Glossary
prerogative writ
A historic generic term for a writ (court order) directed to government agencies or
public <strong>of</strong>ficials in order to prevent them from exceeding their powers or to make
them carry out their functions.
public law
The body <strong>of</strong> law dealing with the rights, powers, obligations and responsibilities
<strong>of</strong> the government including public <strong>of</strong>ficers and the governed (the public). It is
composed <strong>of</strong> criminal, international, environmental, administrative and constitutional
law.
ratification
The adoption or confirmation by a state <strong>of</strong> an agreement or treaty that the state was
not obliged to adopt prior to ratification.
ratio decidendi
Literally means the ‘reason for the decision’.
repeal
The deletion, omission, or reduction in scope <strong>of</strong> an existing law by a subsequent
law.
reservations
A unilateral statement made by a state when signing or ratifying a treaty, by which
the state excludes or modifies the legal effect <strong>of</strong> certain provisions <strong>of</strong> the agreement
in their application to that state.
respondent
A person or entity required to answer a petition for a court order. It is also a party to
court proceedings against whom relief is claimed by an applicant or an appellant. It
is analogous to the term defendant, which is used in many jurisdictions.
sexual harassment
Unwanted sexual approaches or an unwelcome request for sexual favours or engaging
in other unwelcome conduct, <strong>of</strong> a sexual nature e.g. sexist remarks where a reasonable
person would have anticipated that the person harassed would be <strong>of</strong>fended, humiliated,
or intimidated. Sexual harassment is a type <strong>of</strong> sex discrimination and is unlawful in
many jurisdictions.
Sharia law
Sharia <strong>Law</strong> is derived from the teachings <strong>of</strong> the Koran and from Sunna (the practice <strong>of</strong>
the prophet Mohammed), and is implemented to varying degrees in different Islamic
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