Law Dictionary of Legal Terminology

EXPIRATION

EXPIRATION. Cessation; end. As, the expiration of, a lease, of a contract, or statute.

2. In general, the expiration of a contract puts an end to all the engagements of the parties, except to those which arise from the non-fulfilinent of obligations created during its existence. For example, the expiration of a partnership so dissolves it, that the parties cannot in general create any new liability, but it still subsists, to enable the parties to fulfil engagements in which the partners have engaged, or to compel others to perform their obligations towards them. See Dissolution; Contracts.

3. When a statute is limited as to time, it expires by mere lapse of time, and then it has no force whatever; and, if such a statute repealed or supplied a former statute, the first statute is, i so facto, revived by the expiration of the repealing statute; 6 Whart. 294; 1 Bland, R. 664 unless it appear that such was not the intention of the legislature. 3 East, 212 Bac. Ab. Statute, D.