ˈspecial pleading
[See pleading vbl. n.]
1. A pleading drawn with particular reference to the circumstances of a case, as opposed to general pleading.
| 1684 A. Vidian (title), The Exact Pleader; A Book of Entries of Select and Special Pleadings in the Court of King's-Bench. 1685 J. Hansard (title), A Book of Entries of Declarations and other Pleadings general and special. |
2. The putting forward of special pleadings; the art or science of drawing pleadings.
| 1768 Blackstone Comm. III. 305 The science of special pleading having been frequently perverted to the purposes of chicane and delay, the courts have of late in some instances..permitted the general issue to be pleaded. 1849 Forsyth Hortensius (1879) 341 Of all the systems that ever were invented to cramp and confine the intellect, that of special pleading seems to have been the most admirably adapted to attain that end. 1864 Bowen Logic ix. 299 In Law the only object of what is called special pleading is, to ascertain the precise point at issue. |
| attrib. 1846 Ld. Campbell Chancellors V. 81 Carteret..ridiculed with much pleasantry this piece of special-pleading sophistry. 1896 Westm. Gaz. 3 July 2/2 It will enable him to make some capital special-pleading speeches. |
b. fig. Ex-parte or one-sided argumentation; disingenuous pleading; sophistry.
| 1872 Murray in Compl. Scotl. Introd. p. cxiv, His [Leyden's] argument, which is probably one of the most successful pieces of special pleading in existence. 1878 Stubbs Study Med. & Mod. Hist. ix. (1886) 217 We all know what an amount of special pleading was thought necessary to justify that [the Norman Conquest]. |
Hence
special-plead v. intr., to employ special pleading or sophistical argument.
| 1848 Duke of Argyll Eccles. Hist. Scot. 232 They [sc. the clergy]..misrepresent, conceal, and special-plead. |