to context) e.g. la décision luí était défavorable* the decision went against him S defecto legal E legal defect - liability F défaut selon la loi S defecto oculto (CL) E latent defect F défaut caché E defence 1. (civ. proc, crim. proc.) the defence: the defendant's case as a whole 2. (civ. proc, crim. proc.) the defence: the defendant or his representative 3. (civ. proc, crim. proc.) a defence: an argument available to or put forward by a party for the purpose of answering his opponent's allegation; also called plea CC 1837 OCL A defence is pleaded^ brought, put forward EN: defence «ind plea are often used interchangeably where a particular kind of legal argument is talked of in the abstract, e.g. the defence/ a plea of res judicata is not available._tQ. the defendant unlesSf1,. At the stage of proceedings, however, the following distinctions must be noted: 1. In a civil action, defence must not be used for an argument pleaded by a plaintiff unless it is pleaded by him in answer to an allegation by the defendant; every other argument put forward by the plaintiff is a claim. 2. In a civil action, a defence available to a party becomes a plea when he puts it forward in a pleading. 3. In a civil action, must not be used for the name of the defendant's formal answer to the plaintiff's statement of claim, i.e. defence 4. opposite. - 328 - 4. In criminal proceedings, ftlfia must be used for the defendant's formal answer to the charge laid against him in an information or an indictment, and defence for an argument put forward at a subsequent stage of the trial prior to the verdict being given; finally, plea in mitigation is the statement made to the judge after conviction asking for 
**Analysis**
The text appears to be discussing legal terminology and concepts related to the defense or plea in a court of law, specifically in civil and criminal proceedings. The text explains the different meanings of the term "defense" in various contexts, including its relationship with "plea" and "claim". The text also provides examples and nuances of the term in both civil and criminal proceedings.

**Category**
Law, Justice