PREJUDICE (

See also:

• LAT

Lat. praejudicium)  , literally judgment or decision beforehand, which in classical usage meant a precedent, a preceding judgment, also a special form of judicial examination precedent to a trial, especially in matters relating to status . The transferred sense, of injury or damage inflicted by decisions or judgments disregarding interests affected, does not appear till post-classical times in Latin . This last use of damage appears in English in relation to legal matters, especially in the phrase " without prejudice," i.e. without detriment to rights or claims . When two parties are negotiating for the settlement of a dispute, statements or admissions made by or on behalf of either, with a stipulation, expressed or implied, that the statements are made " without prejudice " to the party's claims in the dispute, cannot be put in evidence in litigation to settle the dispute (see EVIDENCE) . The general meaning of the word is that of opinion, favourable or hostile, based on prepossessions, and therefore biassed or unreasonable .