Head(s) of argument

[Peter H.M. Brooks]

I've encountered the expression before, but was reminded of it in the
latest news on the Zuma trial. Having a hunt to find its origin, I
found mainly South African legal sites - is this a phenomenon of
Google, or is the term largely a South African legal term? If so, does
it come from Roman or Dutch law?

Looking wider, there is only one reference to this term in the OED (but
there is one, suggesting that it is an English term in origin) '1796
C.SMITH Marchmont IV. 423. The first head of his argument, which he
divided sermon-wise.'.

Is the image of arguments as a hydra with many heads, though,
presumably, in law, without the supposition that two grow in place of
any one that is severed?

[Jeffrey Turner]

Post by Peter H.M. Brooks
I've encountered the expression before, but was reminded of it in the
latest news on the Zuma trial. Having a hunt to find its origin, I
found mainly South African legal sites - is this a phenomenon of
Google, or is the term largely a South African legal term? If so, does
it come from Roman or Dutch law?
Looking wider, there is only one reference to this term in the OED (but
there is one, suggesting that it is an English term in origin) '1796
C.SMITH Marchmont IV. 423. The first head of his argument, which he
divided sermon-wise.'.
Is the image of arguments as a hydra with many heads, though,
presumably, in law, without the supposition that two grow in place of
any one that is severed?

Never seen it in AmE.

--Jeff

[HVS]

On 18 Apr 2006, Peter H.M. Brooks wrote

Follow-up set to alt.usage.english

Post by Peter H.M. Brooks
I've encountered the expression before, but was reminded of it
in the latest news on the Zuma trial. Having a hunt to find
its origin, I found mainly South African legal sites - is this
a phenomenon of Google, or is the term largely a South African
legal term? If so, does it come from Roman or Dutch law?

I've not come across it -- but given that "Heads of Agreement" is
very common, "Heads of Argument" seems a logical enough
construction for legal writers to have adopted.