Sua Sponte Legal Meaning and Definition

Here is a simplified definition of the legal term Sua Sponte.

Sua Sponte (Latin Phrase): Sua Sponte refers to a situation where a judge takes an action or makes a decision in a court case without prompting from any of the involved parties. Originating from a Latin phrase which translates to "of one's own accord" or "of one's own will," Sua Sponte denotes acts done voluntarily and not by force. An example might be a judge in a single bench court deciding, unprompted by the parties involved, to refer a case to a full bench court.