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;bastard:A child of unmarried parents; an illegitimate child. Bastards used to be at a profound legal disadvantage; however, the law has changed so that such children are treated no differently than children born of a marriage. The appearance of this definition below that of "barrister and solicitor" is purely coincidental.
;bench:In law, (1) the court, (2) judges as a group, or (3) the place where a judge sits in a courtroom.
;beneficial interest:In law, the rights or advantages a person has in a property, even if they are not the legal owner on paper. This term is often used in trusts and property law. In trusts, a person with a beneficial interest (beneficiary) has a right to benefit from the property held in the trust, though the legal title may be held by someone else (the trustee). In property law, it can refer to a person's rights to enjoy the benefits of a property, such as receiving rent or living in a property, without being the registered owner.
;beneficiary:(1) A person for whom a trustee holds a trust, or (2) the recipient or intended recipient of property given in a will. See "heir" and "trust."
;bigamy:The act of going through a form of marriage ceremony with one person while being already married to someone else, or with a person who is already married to someone else. This is a criminal offence in Canada, under section 290 of the ''Criminal Code'', although one that is rarely, if ever, enforced. Bigamous marriages, marriages subsequent to the first, are void ''ab initio''. See "ab initio," "marriage, validity of," and "polygamy."