Legal Definitions - attainder

Definition: Attainder is a legal term that refers to the loss of civil rights of a person who has been sentenced to death or declared an outlaw for committing a felony or treason. It also refers to a grand-jury proceeding to try whether a jury has given a false verdict, and the conviction of a jury so tried.

For example, if a person is found guilty of a serious crime like murder, they may be subject to attainder, which means they lose their right to vote, own property, or hold public office. They may also be disqualified from being a witness in any court or bringing any legal action.

The term "attaint" is used as a verb to describe the process of attaining someone.

Example: In medieval England, a person who was declared an outlaw for committing a crime was subject to attainder, which meant they were stripped of all their legal rights and could be killed on sight without any legal consequences.

Explanation: This example illustrates how attainder was used in medieval England to punish criminals. If a person was declared an outlaw, they were considered outside the protection of the law and could be killed without any legal repercussions. This was a severe punishment that effectively stripped the person of all their legal rights and made them an enemy of the state.