sua sponte

American  

[soo-uh spon-tee, -tey] / ˈsu ə ˈspɒn ti, -teɪ /

adverb

Law.

1. (used by a judge or court to indicate that a motion is coming from the court itself and was not introduced or prompted by either party to the judicial matter.)

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Etymology

Origin of sua sponte

First recorded in 1805–15; from Latin: “by one's free will”; suicide ( def. ), spontaneous ( def. )

Example Sentences

Even without this complaint, the Grievance Committee could also act sua sponte where infamous criminal notoriety might instead suffice, as may have been the case when it disbarred Michael Cohen.

From Slate

All the civilian female defense attorneys wore Islamic headdresses when their clients were present—not at the request of their clients, nor for religious reasons, but sua sponte, to build trust.

From The Wall Street Journal

Privacy Policy Sua sponte: Hereto within, both for consideration and exemplification in abeyance subject to adjudication pro se and terms whereto superseding justifies the underscore until res judicata thuslyrelieving ALL satisfactions.

From Forbes

At one, in the morning, the bell of the Hollis Street Church, says a zealous writer of that day, “began to ring”—sua sponte, no doubt.

From Project Gutenberg

Sua sponte, or on his own initiative, Judge Cacheris has now given himself the chance to reverse his usurpation of Supreme Court authority and avoid that disaster.

From New York Times