Petitioner

A petitioner is a very specific legal term. It is the person who presents a formal legal petition to a court or a legislature that requests a certain action be taken.^[1] A petitioner is also the person who files a motion or an appeal to a higher court.^[2] A party who petitions the Supreme Court to review a case is known as either the petitioner or the appellant.^[3] The person or entity (such as a corporation or government) who opposes the petition is called a respondent.^[1] In some cases a third party, an amicus curiae (friend of the court), may be heard.

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} "Petitioner". The Free Dictionary. Farlex. Retrieved 17 April 2016.
2. ↑ "Petitioner". JustAnswer LLC. Retrieved 17 April 2016.^{[permanent dead link]}
3. ↑ "Petitioner". The Supreme Court Database. Retrieved 17 April 2016.