''Ex tunc'' is a legal term derived from Latin, and means "from the outset". It can be contrasted with ''

ex nunc ''Ex nunc'' is a Latin phrase meaning ''from now on''. It is used as a legal term to signify that something is valid only for the future and not the past. The opposite is '' ex tunc''. See also * List of legal Latin terms A ''list'' is any set ...

'', which means "from now on". An example of usage of the term can be found in

contract law A contract is a legally enforceable agreement between two or more parties that creates, defines, and governs mutual rights and obligations between them. A contract typically involves the transfer of goods, services, money, or a promise to ...

, where voidance of a contract can lead to it either being void ''ex nunc'', i.e. from then on, or ''ex tunc'', in which case it is treated as though it had never come into existence. Another example can be found in the

ecclesiastical court An ecclesiastical court, also called court Christian or court spiritual, is any of certain courts having jurisdiction mainly in spiritual or religious matters. In the Middle Ages, these courts had much wider powers in many areas of Europe than ...

s. These courts, after the conciliatory of Trente 1582, were granted the right to nullify a marriage ''ex tunc'', meaning there was good reason it should be nullified. The consequence is that said couple were never married in the eyes of the church and can get married again by a priest, which they normally would not be able to do if they had divorced. In some cases, in Italian Courts disqualification from incompatible offices has been declared ''ex tunc''.The electoral dispute refers to the right to vote and it should be assessed ex tunc, aside from (sometimes fraudulent) events that have occurred beyond the timeline ruled for the option:

References

Latin legal terminology {{law-term-stub