attainder
/ə'teində/
Definition
- Noun:
- The cancellation of civil rights: "Attainder" refers to the legal consequence of a death sentence or outlawry, resulting in the loss of all civil rights and capacities, such as the right to own property, inherit, or sue in court. Historically, it often included the forfeiture of the convicted person's estate to the Crown.
- A state of disgrace or dishonor: By extension, it can signify a state of being dishonored or disgraced, often as a result of a severe legal judgment.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- The king's decree of attainder stripped the traitorous lord of his titles and lands.
- The concept of a bill of attainder is expressly prohibited by the U.S. Constitution.
Advanced Usage
"Bill of attainder": A legislative act that declares a person or group guilty of a crime and imposes punishment (typically death and attainder) without a trial. This is considered a violation of the separation of powers.
- The Founders banned bills of attainder to prevent legislatures from acting as courts.
"To suffer attainder": To be subjected to the legal process and penalties of attainder.
- Those who plotted against the monarch would suffer attainder.
Variants and Related Words
- Attaint (verb, archaic): To condemn by a sentence or a bill of attainder; to disgrace or stain.
- His honor was attainted by the scandal.
Synonyms
- Forfeiture: The loss of property or rights as a penalty for wrongdoing.
- Proscription: The action of forbidding something; historically, a decree condemning someone to death or outlawry.
- Disgrace: Loss of reputation or respect.
Related Phrases
- Civil death: A term closely related to attainder, describing the loss of all civil rights.
- Corruption of blood: A legal doctrine, often part of attainder, preventing a person convicted of treason or a felony from inheriting or passing on property.
Noun
-
cancellation of civil rights
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