Latae sententiae

Latae sententiae is a Latin phrase, meaning "sentence (already) passed". A latae sententiae penalty is one that follows ipso facto or automatically, by force of the law itself, when a law is contravened.

In the Roman Catholic Church, Latae sententiae is a Latin phrase used in the canon law of the Catholic Church to describe acts that excommunicate a member at the moment they are done. Latae sententiae is contrasted with ferendae sententiae, which describes excommunications performed by Church authority.