Legal Definitions - ex metu carceris

EX METU CARCERIS

Ex metu carceris is a Latin term that means "from fear of imprisonment." It refers to a situation where someone takes a certain action or makes a decision because they are afraid of being put in jail.

• He confessed to the crime ex metu carceris, even though he was innocent.
• The witness agreed to testify ex metu carceris, as he was threatened with arrest if he didn't.

These examples illustrate how someone might act out of fear of imprisonment. In the first example, the person falsely confessed to the crime because they were afraid of being put in jail. In the second example, the witness agreed to testify even though they may not have wanted to, because they were threatened with arrest if they didn't.