Legal Definitions - lenity

Definition: Lenity (len-uh-tee) is the quality of being lenient, showing mercy or clemency.

Rule of Lenity: The rule of lenity is a judicial doctrine that states when a criminal statute is ambiguous and sets out multiple or inconsistent punishments, the court should resolve the ambiguity in favor of the more lenient punishment.

For example, if a law is unclear about the punishment for a crime, the court will choose the punishment that is less severe. This is because the rule of lenity believes that it is better to be too lenient than too harsh.

Another example of lenity is when a judge decides to give a lighter sentence to a first-time offender who shows remorse for their actions. The judge is showing lenity by being merciful and not giving the maximum punishment.