Ex Rel. Legal Meaning and Definition

Here is a simplified definition of the legal term Ex Rel..

Ex Rel. (abbreviation, derived from Latin ex relatione)

1. Meaning "upon being related" or "upon information," this term is used to indicate a legal action brought by the government, but instigated at the request of a private individual.

2. Seen in the title or caption of a lawsuit, it shows that the case was initiated by a private person using the power of the state, often an Attorney General or the Department of Justice, to enforce public rights and their own.

3. For example, in a case titled 'The State of Tennessee ex rel. Archie Johnson v. Hardy Products’, it signifies that Archie Johnson is the private individual who brought forth the lawsuit, with the government acting on his behalf.