De Facto - Definition - Law Dictionary Home Dictionary Definition de-facto

Definition :

De facto, in fact, opposed to de jure, of right.

The Act 11 Hen. 7, c. 1 (declared by some great writers to be only declaratory of the Common Law), was passed for the protection of all subjects who assist and obey a king de facto. It was pleaded to no purpose on the trial of Sir Harry Vane, the judges actually holding that Charles II. had been king de facto as well as de jure from the moment of his father's death (Hall. Const. Hist. Ch. xi.)