Legal Definitions - haeretico comburendo

Definition: Haeretico comburendo is a Latin term that means "of burning a heretic." It refers to a writ that ordered the execution by burning of a convicted heretic who refused to recant or was convicted of heresy again after recanting.

Example: The writ de haeretico comburendo was first used in England in 1401 when the first English penal law against heresy was enacted. This law authorized the burning of defendants who relapsed or refused to abandon their heretical opinions.

Explanation: The example illustrates how the writ de haeretico comburendo was used as a means of punishing heretics who refused to recant their beliefs. The law allowed for the burning of defendants who persisted in their heretical opinions, which was a severe punishment that was meant to deter others from following in their footsteps.