WHAT DOES QUI TAM MEAN?
The term “qui tam” stands for a longer Latin phrase [qui tam pro domino rege quam pro se ipso in hac parte sequitur] that is translated as “he who brings an action for the king as well as for himself.” Qui tam is the technical legal term for the unique mechanism in the federal False Claims Act that allows persons and entities with evidence of fraud against federal programs or contracts to sue the wrongdoer on behalf of the Government.
Qui tam (often pronounced key tom) is shorthand for the Latin phrase, qui tam pro domino rege quam pro si ipso in hac parte sequiter. This phrase is translated as who sues on behalf of the King as well as for himself. The early English kings did not have an army of prosecutors and FBI agents to investigate and prosecute thefts from the royal treasury. Instead, these kings relied upon their subjects to bring so-called popular actions to protect royal funds. If the action was successful, the king would receive a part of the recovery and the prosecuting subject the other part. Such subjects were commonly known as informers and their lawsuits were known as qui tam actions. Qui tam suits have played a role in American jurisprudence since the first days of this nation. Statutes authorizing such suits have swung in and out of favor for the last 200 years, generally being favored during times of great national crisis. The person who brings a qui tam suit today is known as a relator.
