Inter partes

Content sourced from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Inter partes is a Latin term meaning "between the parties." It describes lawsuits or agency actions where all interested people have been notified and given a fair chance to participate. A judgment in inter partes binds the parties involved, within the right to appeal, so the issues aren’t relitigated endlessly. People who weren’t parties but have a legitimate interest can ask the court to be heard. By contrast, a judgment in rem binds everyone, even those not involved, when it concerns property. Contracts can also be inter partes, creating rights that exist only between the parties and do not attach to a person’s status (these are not in rem rights).