special plea

American  

noun

Law.

1. a plea that alleges special or new matter as an answer to the allegations made by the opposite side and not as a denial of them.

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Etymology

Origin of special plea

First recorded in 1710–20

Example Sentences

It's a special plea for a form of moral reckoning, one that worship of the marketplace has made impossible.

From Salon • Dec. 25, 2021

"The special plea is dismissed," Judge Piet Koen said.

From Reuters • Oct. 26, 2021

After postponing the vote in Parliament, Mrs May travelled to Brussels to make a special plea to EU leaders, in a bid to make her deal more acceptable to MPs.

From BBC • Dec. 15, 2018

Her crystal clear “Blue Bayou” earned her a four-chair turn, a standing ovation from all the coaches, a hug from Levine and special plea from Aguilera, who said she had been “moved” by Porter’s story.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 1, 2016

Who would establish the "special plea" for so large a proportion of the voting population?

From Woman and the Republic — a Survey of the Woman-Suffrage Movement in the United States and a Discussion of the Claims and Arguments of Its Foremost Advocates by Johnson, Helen Kendrick