parens patriae – parent of the country – The country is the parent of our children

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  1. Definition of parens patriae: Right of a court to make decisions on behalf of persons incapable of making them, such as minors and those incapacitated by a …
1. Right of a court to make decisions on behalf of persons incapable of making them, such as minors and those incapacitated by a disability.
2. Right of a state, as the sovereign protector of its people, to prosecute a case on behalf of a legally disable citizen. Latin for, parent of the country.