Okuzeka
Contract & Commercial Law vocabulary · Disputes & Arbitration

Without prejudice

Meaning in contract & commercial law, with examples

phraseCommon term

In contract & commercial law, without prejudice means: A label for written or spoken settlement communications, meaning they cannot later be used as evidence in court against the party who made them.

In Turkish: delil olarak kullanılamaz kaydıyla, haklar saklı kalmak kaydıyla

How it is used

Common in English letters and emails ('Without prejudice', 'Without prejudice save as to costs'). It lets parties make offers without admitting liability, but only genuine attempts to settle a dispute are protected. In contracts, 'without prejudice to' means 'without affecting'.

Example sentences

  1. Our letter was marked 'without prejudice', so it cannot be shown to the judge.

  2. Termination is without prejudice to any rights that have already accrued.

Common collocations

  • without prejudice letter
  • without prejudice save as to costs
  • without prejudice to
  • without prejudice discussions
  • settlementAn agreement that ends a dispute or lawsuit, usually with one party paying an agreed amount and both sides dropping their claims.
  • disputeA disagreement between parties about their rights or obligations, for example over payment, quality or the meaning of a clause.
  • litigationThe process of taking a dispute to a national court and having a judge decide it, as opposed to resolving it through arbitration or mediation.
  • mediationA way of resolving a dispute in which a neutral person, the mediator, helps the parties reach their own settlement but does not impose a decision.

More terms: Disputes & Arbitration

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This page explains English vocabulary for learners. It is not legal advice.