Post factum
After the fact.
Post factum means 'after the fact' and refers to an act or assessment carried out retrospectively, after the occurrence of an event.
Post factum is a Latin term used in Dutch law to denote that a matter is determined, approved or effected only after the occurrence of a fact or event. It is frequently employed in contract law, the law of liability and administrative law to distinguish between measures adopted in advance and those taken retrospectively.
The term is significant because post-factum acts may produce legal consequences that differ from those originally anticipated, for example in the ratification of an agreement or the giving of subsequent notice. In practice, such acts may give rise to disputes concerning their validity or effect.
Courts and legal practitioners invoke the term to clarify the point in time at which a decision or action was taken in relation to the underlying fact.
“The company ratified the transaction ex post facto, thereby rendering the acts previously performed legally valid.”
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