Written by attorneys · grounded in primary & secondary sources — see below
A temporal specification requiring that an act or event occur no later than the designated date or time.
Sources & Authorities· 40 primary sources
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Cases
Statutes
How it applies
Common Examples
6
Negligent Driving Before Deadline
Oscar Ortiz drove his truck at excessive speed on or before midnight on June 1. His conduct caused a fatal collision with a pedestrian. Because the death resulted from criminal negligence, the killing constitutes involuntary manslaughter.
Title Cure Before Closing
Odyssey Logistics contracted to sell land to Omega Energy. An unreleased lien clouded title. The contract required Odyssey to cure the defect on or before the scheduled closing date. When the lien remained, Omega could rescind for lack of marketable title.
Jury Demand Exceeding Threshold
Owen Ortega filed a common-law damages suit seeking $50,000. He demanded a jury on or before the date required by local rules. Because the amount in controversy exceeded twenty dollars, the Seventh Amendment preserved his right to trial by jury.
Olga O'Neill sued Orbit Communications. Her attorney filed a motion on or before the court-ordered date. Because Orbit was represented by counsel, service had to be made on the attorney rather than the party.
Reputation Testimony Deadline
Odin Obeng offered character evidence in a criminal trial. The defense called a witness to testify about the defendant's reputation on or before the date set for trial. The court permitted the reputation testimony under the applicable evidence rule.
Judicial Bias Before Hearing
Orla O'Malley presided over a case involving a litigant of a particular ethnicity. She made remarks manifesting bias on or before the scheduled hearing date. The conduct violated the rule prohibiting judges from manifesting bias or prejudice in judicial duties.
Common questions
Frequently Asked
3
What does a deadline stated as 'on or before' require?+
The phrase requires that the required act occur no later than the stated date or time. Performance after that point fails to satisfy the condition.
Does 'on or before' allow performance on the final day?+
Yes. The specification permits the act to occur at any time up to and including the designated deadline.
How does 'on or before' affect an offer's expiration?+
An offer that must be accepted on or before a stated time expires at the end of that period if acceptance has not occurred. The offeree loses the power to accept afterward.
5 U.S. (1 Cranch) 137 (1803)Property
…to issue a mandamus to a Secretary of State of the United States, it being an exercise of original jurisdiction not warranted by the Constitution. Congress have not power to give original jurisdiction to the Supreme Court in other cases than those described in the Constitution. An act of Congress repugnant to the…