Noun
legal fiction (plural legal fictions)
An assumption, not necessarily true, made by a court in order to apply a legal rule.
In view of Louise's great wealth, William Manchester described this legal fiction as "preposterous".sfn Chief of Staff By 1930, MacArthur was still, at age 50, the youngest of the U.S. Army's major generals, and the best known. Source: Internet
Most often and familiarly, defendants are persons: either natural persons (actual human beings) or juridical persons (persona fiction) under the legal fiction of treating organizations as persons. Source: Internet
On November 18, 2010, the Regents finally gave up on the longstanding legal fiction that UC does not charge tuition by renaming the Educational Fee to "Tuition." Source: Internet
This is a strange paradox" Despite its growing dominance in the constitutional hierarchy, the Premiership was given little formal recognition until the 20th century; the legal fiction was maintained that the Sovereign still governed directly. Source: Internet
This legal fiction was denounced by Edmund Burke as a "glaring falsehood", Derry, p.109 as a "palpable absurdity", and even as a "forgery, fraud". Source: Internet