Ex Rel. Definition and Legal Meaning

On this page, you'll find the legal definition and meaning of Ex Rel., written in plain English, along with examples of how it is used.

What is Ex Rel.?

conj. abbreviation for Latin ex relatione, meaning “upon being related” or “upon information,” used in the title of a legal proceeding filed by a state Attorney General (or the federal Department of Justice) on behalf of the government, on the instigation of a private person, who needs the state to enforce the rights of himself/herself and the public. For example, the caption would read: The State of Tennessee ex rel. Archie Johnson v. Hardy Products.