Statute of limitations

Question

statute of limitations is a law which gives the period of time within which action may be taken on a legal question or crime.In the above definition the word legal is connected to both question and crime syntactically, i.e. legal question or legal crime.1: What is a legal question?2: How would you differentiate between a legal crime and a crime which is not legal?3: What is the period for statute of limitations in your country?

Yankee · Accepted Answer

Hi Jackson

I would automatically read that as "a [legal question] or a [crime]".

1. A legal question is a question about the legality of something -- a question about whether or not something is/was legal.
2. As I've already mentioned, I would not read "legal crime" in that sentence. I would read "crime" -- despite whatever grammatical arguments there might be against that reading.
3. Have a look here, for example.

Clive · Answer

Hi,
A statute of limitations is a law which gives the period of time within which action may be taken on a legal question or crime.

In the above definition the word legal is connected to both question and crime syntactically, i.e. legal question or legal crime. The meaning, however, is not that it should also refer to 'crime'. As I think you realize, it doesn't make sense to talk of a 'legal crime'.

1: What is a legal question? I don't know, in this context. It seems like a very vague and general phrase. Possibly it refers to civil rather than criminal matters.
2: How would you differentiate between a legal crime and a crime which is not legal?See above.

3: What is the period for statute of limitations in your country? That's a question for a lawyer, which I am not. Very generally speaking, the use of the common-law system does not set any time limitations.
Some parliaments have therefore enacted a a statute to do this. Such statutes may consider only certain offences, whether civil or criminal. There's also a question of jurisdiction, since Canada has both federal and provincial parliaments.

So, I believe the short answer is that Canada has no overall statute of limitations.

Have a look here.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Statute_of_limitations

Best wishes, Clive

Jackson6612 · Answer

I would like to ask some follow-up questions for my edification.

Clive The meaning, however, is not that it should also refer to 'crime'. As I think you realize, it doesn't make sense to talk of a 'legal crime'.

Of course, it doesn't make any sense to talk of a legal crime and this provoked me to ask that question. If it's syntactically connected with both terms, question and crime, then why wouldn't it affect the meaning of crime. Don't you think it's a kind of a shortcoming of the language?

CliveThat's a question for a lawyer, which I am not.

A lawyer is a living being and a human. So I would have used who instead of which. What was your rationale for using which?

Thank you for the help.

Clive · Answer

Hi,
I would like to ask some follow-up questions for my edification.

Clive

The meaning, however, is not that it should also refer to 'crime'. As I think you realize, it doesn't make sense to talk of a 'legal crime'.

Of course, it doesn't make any sense to talk of a legal crime and this provoked me to ask that question. If it's syntactically connected with both terms, question and crime, then why wouldn't it affect the meaning of crime. Don't you think it's a kind of a shortcoming of the language?

The meaning would be clearer if they had written

statute of limitations is a law which gives the period of time within which action may be taken on a legal question or on a crime.

Clive

That's a question for a lawyer, which I am not.

A lawyer is a living being and a human. So I would have used who instead of which. What was your rationale for using which?

I was using the term 'lawyer' here as the name of a professional position, and not as a reference to a living person.

Best wishes, Clive

Jackson6612 · Answer

Clive

Clive

The meaning, however, is not that it should also refer to 'crime'. As I think you realize, it doesn't make sense to talk of a 'legal crime'.
Of course, it doesn't make any sense to talk of a legal crime and this provoked me to ask that question. If it's syntactically connected with both terms, question and crime, then why wouldn't it affect the meaning of crime. Don't you think it's a kind of a shortcoming of the language?

The meaning would be clearer if they had written

statute of limitations is a law which gives the period of time within which action may be taken on a legal question or on a crime.

Another example:
not legal: specifically: not being within the province of the law so as to be either required as legal or forbidden as illegal.

Here required is connected with both as legal and forbidden as illegal, i.e. ''...so as to be either required as legal'' and ''...so as to be required forbidden as illegal''. I encounter this kind of sentences frequently but right now I can't think of any more examples.

Perhaps, it's not a shortcoming rather it's the beauty of English language.

Clive · Answer

Hi again,

Another example:
not legal: specifically: not being within the province of the law so as to be either required as legal or forbidden as illegal.

Here required is connected with both as legal and forbidden as illegal, i.e. ...so as to be either required as legal and ...so as to be required forbidden as illegal. I encounter this kind of sentences frequently but right now I can't think of any more examples.

Perhaps, it's not a shortcoming rather it's the beauty of English language.

You are misinterpreting the sentence. 'Required' applies only to 'as legal'.

The idea is this.
Some things are required as legal.
Some things are forbidden as illegal.

Clive

Jackson6612 · Answer

I think the following sentence is incorrect. What do you say?
non-legal means not being within the province of the law so as to be required forbidden as illegal.

Clive · Answer

Hi,
I think the following sentence is incorrect. What do you say?
non-legal means not being within the province of the law so as to be required forbidden as illegal.

I agree with you.

Clive

Jackson6612 · Answer

Clive:
Thank you very much for all the help you have provided me with so far...

Jackson6612 · Answer

Hi Amy,

Thank you for a very helpful posting. Actually, I noticed your post a little late...

With best wishes,
Jackson

Statute of limitations

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