Motu Proprio - Other Uses of The Phrase "motu Proprio"

Other Uses of The Phrase "motu Proprio"

More generically, the Latin phrase is used to indicate "of his own accord" and is thus similar to "sua sponte". It is used very rarely in legal opinions in the United States: the better known term "sua sponte" is preferred. As it relates to a monarch, the term motu proprio describes the condition of a royal decree being made expressly on the sovereign's initiative, a practice more usual in some nations than in others. The term "Proprio motu" is used to refer to a decision by the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court to initiate an investigation into a situation without a referral from the Security Council or a State Party; this power is granted by article 15(1) of the Rome Statute.