Legal Term: QUI TAM

Definition: remedies. Who as well. When a statute imposes a penalty, for the doing or not doing an act, and gives that penalty in part to whosoever will sue for the same, and the other part to the commonwealth, or some charitable, literary, or other institution, and makes it recoverable by action, such actions are called qui tam actions, the plaintiff describing himself as suing as well for the commonwealth, for example, as for himself. Espin. on Pen. Act. 5, 6, 1 Vin. Ab. 197, 1 Salk. 129 n., Bac. Ab. h. t.

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