united-kingdom legal-terms legal-history
Why do adjectives sometimes follow nouns in legal phrases?
<p>For example, consider the phrase &quot;bodies corporate.&quot; Would the more natural English construction not simply be &quot;corporate bodies&quot;?</p>
<p>Why is the former form so often used?</p>

<blockquote>
<p>The postpositive adjectives in many legal noun phrases in English—attorney general, fee simple—are a heritage from Law French.</p>
<p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Law_French" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Source</a></p>
</blockquote>
<p>See also the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norman_Conquest" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Norman Conquest</a> of England</p>
<p>And also see <a href="https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2005/15/section/69?timeline=false" rel="nofollow noreferrer">section 69</a> SOCPA2005, specifically at s.69(3)(a) and s.69(4)(a), for the use of &quot;<em>body corporate</em>&quot; in <a href="/questions/tagged/england-and-wales" class="post-tag" title="show questions tagged &#39;england-and-wales&#39;" aria-label="show questions tagged &#39;england-and-wales&#39;" rel="tag" aria-labelledby="england-and-wales-container">england-and-wales</a> legislation.</p>
