Meaning & use
statutory bar
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountablelegallaw
A rule made by a law that stops someone from making a legal claim or starting a case.
Grammar: Countable: you can say 'a statutory bar' or 'statutory bars'; it is often followed by 'to' plus the claim or action.
Patterns
- a statutory bar to something
- constitute a statutory bar
- be under a statutory bar
The deadline in the Act creates a statutory bar to any claim brought after December.
Lawyers argued that the licence requirement was a statutory bar to the company's lawsuit.
Because of a statutory bar, the family could not sue the hospital for the old injury.
nouncountablelegallaw
A legal obstacle created by legislation that prevents a court or official body from hearing a matter.
Grammar: Often used with verbs such as 'remove', 'lift', or 'overcome' when talking about getting past the obstacle.
Patterns
- remove a statutory bar
- lift a statutory bar
- overcome a statutory bar
Parliament removed the statutory bar so that victims could seek compensation.
The tribunal found that no statutory bar prevented it from reviewing the decision.
Without lifting the statutory bar, the agency has no power to act.
Word forms
| plural | statutory bars |
|---|
Common combinations
- statutory bar to a claim
- The judge treated the notice period as a statutory bar to a claim.
- constitute a statutory bar
- Missing the filing date may constitute a statutory bar.
- remove a statutory bar
- New legislation removed a statutory bar that had lasted for decades.
- statutory bar on proceedings
- There is a statutory bar on proceedings once the time limit passes.
- raise a statutory bar
- The defendant raised a statutory bar as its main defense.
Synonyms and how they differ
- legal obstacle
- A general phrase for anything that blocks a legal action; 'statutory bar' is narrower because the obstacle comes specifically from a statute.
- limitation
- Refers especially to a time limit for bringing a case; a statutory bar can arise from other kinds of rule as well.
- prohibition
- A ban on doing something; a statutory bar blocks a legal claim or proceeding rather than an activity in general.
Word family
- statute noun
- A written law passed by a legislature.
- statutory adjective
- Created or required by a statute.
- statutorily adverb
- In a way that is required or allowed by statute.
Commonly confused: statutory bar or statute-barred?
statutory bar vs statute-barred
The adjective 'statute-barred' describes a claim that is already blocked; 'statutory bar' is the noun naming the blocking rule itself.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'statutory bar' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'A statutory bar to the claim' is the standard pattern with the indefinite article and 'to'. Option 1 drops the article, option 2 uses the wrong preposition 'of', and option 3 is ungrammatical with 'for to'.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “statutory bar”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.