nolle prosequi

English

Alternative forms

• noli prosequi, nolo prosequi, nolly prossy coy (obsolete)

Etymology

From Latin nolle prosequi (“to not want to pursue”). Cf. prosecute.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˌnɒlɪ ˈpɹɒsɪkwaɪ/, /ˌnəʊlɪ ˈpɹɒsɪkwaɪ/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˌnoʊli ˈpɹoʊsɪkwaɪ/, /ˌnoʊli ˈpɹoʊsɪkwi/, /ˌnɑli ˈpɹɑsɪkwaɪ/, /ˌnɑli ˈpɹɑsɪkwi/

Noun

nolle prosequi (plural nolle prosequis or nolle prosequies)

1. (UK law) A declaration from the attorney general ending a criminal prosecution.
2. (law) A proceeding or declaration by which a plaintiff or prosecutor ends a legal suit.
3. (figuratively) A refusal, a denial, a rejection.
   • 1960, P. G. Wodehouse, Jeeves in the Offing, chapter XVI and XIX:

     [...] where the ordinary man would have met the suggestion they had made with a firm nolle prosequi, I was barred from doing this by the code of the Woosters, which, as is pretty generally known, renders it impossible for me to let a pal down. [...] “I do wish you wouldn't always be so difficult, Bertie. Your aunt tells me it was just the same when you were a child. She'd want you to eat your cereal, and you would stick your ears back and be stubborn and non-co-operative, like Jonah's ass in the Bible.” I could not let this go uncorrected. It's pretty generally known that when at school I won a prize for Scripture Knowledge. “Balaam's ass. Jonah was the chap who had the whale. Jeeves!” “Sir?” “To settle a bet, wasn't it Balaam's ass that entered the nolle prosequi?” “Yes, sir.”

Synonyms

• nol. pros., nol pros (both informal)

Related terms

• prosecute

Translations

A declaration from the attorney general ending a criminal prosecution

A proceeding or declaration by which a plaintiff or prosecutor ends a legal suit

• Finnish: (-- by which a prosecutors ends --) syyttämättäjättämispäätös (fi)
• Swedish: (-- by which a prosecutors ends --) åtalseftergift (sv)

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

• French: relaxe (fr) f, arrêt des poursuites m, abandon des poursuites m, abandon de poursuites m, cessation des poursuites f, ordonnance de classement f
• Spanish: abandono de proceso m, sobreseimiento m

Verb

nolle prosequi (third-person singular simple present nolle prosequis, present participle nolle prosequing or nolle prosequiing, simple past and past participle nolle prosequied)

1. (law, transitive, somewhat informal) To issue a nolle prosequi.

Synonyms

• nol. pros., nol pros (both informal)

References

• “nolle prosequi, n.”, in OED Online ⁠, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2003.