friend of the court

English

Alternative forms

• friend-of-the-court

Etymology

Calque of Latin amīcus cūriae.

Pronunciation

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Noun

friend of the court (plural friends of the court)

1. (law, US, Canada) Amicus curiae, a person or organization allowed to argue in court who is not a party to the legal action.

   Synonyms: amicus, (Canada) intervenor

   • 1867 December 15, “Contempt. Proceedings of the Criminal Court Yesterday”, in The Daily Memphis Avalanche, page 2:

     He did not know whether Mr. Henry appeared as the friend of the Court, or in behalf of the State.

   • 1948, United States Court of Appeals For the Ninth Circuit, No. 12027 Estate of Frank K. Sullivan […] v. Commissioner of Internal Revenue, page 12:

     Finally, the two Third Circuit cases cited by the friends of the Court have, as they themselves say, been legislatively overruled.

   • 1958 January 2, American Civil Liberties Union, News Release, New York:

     the Union and its affiliates across the nation intervened — through test suits and friend of the court briefs, through educational programs, and through public statements of policy and protest.

   • 1980, Constance Ewing Cook, Nuclear Power and Legal Advocacy, page 23:

     Thus far, these pronuclear public interest law firms have usually contributed friend-of-the-court briefs to existing litigation, rather than filing suits themselves.