# Titling cases "by his next friend"
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/titling-cases-by-his-next-friend/493726
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [April 20, 2009, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/titling-cases-by-his-next-friend/493726 "2009-04-20T15:09:49Z")
**Posts on this page:** 7
**Page:** 2
### Author:  [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)
#### Post date: [April 21, 2009, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/titling-cases-by-his-next-friend/493726/21 "2009-04-21T04:13:12Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#):
>
> Now that’s interesting, **Cunctator** - “tutor” is a term used in the civil law systems to mean a type of guardian for an underage person. Any idea who it got introduced into Australian court procedure?
None, I’m afraid. But it didn’t happen with _Harriton v Stephens_. One of the footnotes to that case refers to \*X and Y (By Her Tutor X) v Pal \*(1991) 23 NSWLR 26, a NSW case from 1991.
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### Author:  [@BTO429](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BTO429)
#### Post date: [May 9, 2014, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/titling-cases-by-his-next-friend/493726/22 "2014-05-09T16:07:27Z")
I know this is an old post but the terms you are looking for are Proximus Amicus, next friend latin,French,prochain ami
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### Author:  [@BTO429](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BTO429)
#### Post date: [May 9, 2014, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/titling-cases-by-his-next-friend/493726/23 "2014-05-09T16:16:19Z")
proximus amicus Latin
prochain ami, French
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### Author:  [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)
#### Post date: [May 9, 2014, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/titling-cases-by-his-next-friend/493726/24 "2014-05-09T16:23:01Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#):
>
> Looks like it came from the law French term, [prochein amy (or ami)](http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/prochein+ami).
Already answered in 2009.
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### Author:  [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)
#### Post date: [May 9, 2014, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/titling-cases-by-his-next-friend/493726/25 "2014-05-09T17:13:55Z")
I am thinking that by the time Latin is eliminated from legal language, Rome will have risen again! 🙂
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### Author:  [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)
#### Post date: [May 9, 2014, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/titling-cases-by-his-next-friend/493726/26 "2014-05-09T20:17:34Z")
Actually, the use of Latin helps to make legalese more comprehensible, not less. One problem which plagues technical jargon of any sort is when a word has a loose common meaning, as well as a stricter technical meaning, which can be confused for it: Consider, for example, the term “work” in physics. By putting the terms of art in a language which is no longer in common use, you avoid this problem.
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### Author:  [@ruadh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ruadh)
#### Post date: [May 10, 2014, 7:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/titling-cases-by-his-next-friend/493726/27 "2014-05-10T07:10:53Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#):
>
> Most common law systems have done away with the “next friend” terminology
Still used in Ireland, FWIW.
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