法律英语术语选粹（4）：Statute of Limitations

Statute of Limitations

       A law which sets the maximum period which one can wait before filing a lawsuit, depending on the type of case or claim. The periods vary by state. Federal statutes set the limitations for suits filed in federal courts. If the lawsuit or claim is not filed before the statutory deadline, the right to sue or make a claim is forever dead (barred). In some instances a statute of limitations can be extended (“tolled”) based on delay in discovery of the injury or on reasonable reliance on a trusted person (a fiduciary or confidential adviser who has hidden his/her own misuse of someone else’s funds or failure to pay). A minor’s right to bring an action for injuries due to negligence is tolled until the minor turns 18 (except for a claim against a governmental agency). There are also statutes of limitations on bringing criminal charges, but homicide generally has no time limitation on prosecution. The limitations (depending on the state) generally range from 1 to 6 years except for Rhode Island, which uses 10 years for several causes of action. There are also statutes of limitations on the right to enforce a judgment, ranging from 5 to 25 years, depending on the state. Some states have special requirements before a lawsuit can be filed, such as a written warning to a physician in a claim of malpractice, making a demand upon a state agency and then waiting for the claim to be denied or ignored for a particular period, first demanding a retraction before filing a libel suit, and other variations.

诉讼时效

       诉讼时效是指民事权利受到侵害的权利人在法定的时效期间内若不行使权利，则当时效期间届满时，法院对权利人的权利不再进行保护的制度，即自发生之日起多长时间内提起诉讼为有效，超出诉讼时限之后则无效。在法律规定的诉讼时效内，权利人提出请求的，法院就强制义务人履行所承担的义务。而在法定的诉讼时效届满之后，权利人行使请求权的，法院就不再予以保护。诉讼时效届满后，义务人虽可拒绝履行其义务，但权利人请求权的行使仅发生障碍，权利本身及请求权并不灭失。法院应当受理当事人超过诉讼时效后的起诉，受理后若查明无中止、中断、延长事由，则判决驳回其诉讼请求。根据美国各州不同的法律，分别有不同的诉讼时效。