Definition

1. Verb (Legal Term):
   • To commute: To officially change a criminal sentence, typically to a less severe one. This legal action involves altering the punishment after a conviction, often reducing a sentence's length or severity while the conviction itself remains.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Tòa án có thể cải tội danh từ án tử hình xuống án chung thân. (The court may commute the sentence from the death penalty to life imprisonment.)
  • Đơn xin cải tội danh của bị cáo đã được xem xét. (The defendant's petition to commute the sentence has been reviewed.)

Advanced Usage

• The term is used almost exclusively in formal legal and judicial contexts. The focus is on the reduction of the , not on overturning the guilty verdict or the underlying charge.

Variants and Related Words

• Ân xá (v): to pardon; to grant a formal release from the punishment and guilt of a crime.
• Giảm án (v): to reduce a sentence; a more general term for sentence reduction.
• Tha tù (v): to release from prison; can be part of a commutation.

Synonyms

• Commute: The direct and most accurate synonym in a legal context.
• Reduce (a sentence): A more general synonym describing the outcome.

Related Legal Concepts

• Commutation of sentence: The formal legal process. A commuted sentence must still be served, but under less severe conditions than originally imposed.

1. (luật) Commute