memorandum of understanding

memorandum of understanding (plural memoranda of understanding or memorandums of understanding)

1. (law) A document that outlines the legal and factual premises believed by the parties to have been agreed to between them.
   • 1925, Report of the National Conference on Utilization of Forest Products, page 7:

     Immediately after the passage of the act a general memorandum of understanding was prepared and submitted to the States.

   • 2012, Dinah Shelton, International Law and Domestic Legal Systems, page 624:

     On the question of whether a memorandum of understanding is legally binding, British courts have held that this is determined by the presence (or, as the case may be, absence) of an intention to create a legal obligation, on the part of the states parties concerned, at the time of entry into the arrangement.

   • 2020 December 2, Philip Haigh, “A winter of discontent caused by threat of union action”, in Rail, page 63:

     The memorandum of understanding between the Rail Accident Investigation Branch, the Office of Rail and Road and the police states: "In the absence of a clear indication that serious criminality has caused the accident, RAIB will normally have precedence in respect of the investigation and will assume lead responsibility for the investigation."

• MoU (abbreviation)
• MOU (initialism)