"Declares null and void" is a legal term used to describe a legal or formal action that renders something to be considered as completely invalid, legally ineffective, or legally nonexistent. It is a declaration that cancels the legal force or effect of something previously established.
When an entity or authority declares something null and void, it implies that the original act, contract, document, decision, or transaction is being completely invalidated or revoked. This declaration can be made by a court, a government agency, a contractual party, or any authorized person or body with the power to nullify or overrule the original subject.
This act of declaring something null and void serves to treat the initial action as if it had never occurred in the eyes of the law. Consequently, any rights, obligations, or consequences associated with the invalidated act are extinguished or disregarded. It returns the parties involved to the original state before the act took place, denying any legal significance to its existence.
Typically, declarations of nullity and voidness are made in situations where the original act is deemed to be unlawful, fraudulent, not in accordance with the law or regulations, or constitutes a violation of rights. Such declarations can apply to contracts, agreements, official decisions, marriages, wills, licenses, permits, or any other legal instrument. The effect of declaring something null and void is to treat it as if it never had any legal validity or existence.
