Legal Definitions - liberam legem amittere

liberam legem amittere

When someone loses their free law, it is called "liberam legem amittere." This happens when someone commits a crime or does something shameful that makes them lose their status as a free person. In the past, this meant that the person would lose their property, their homes would be destroyed, and they would go to prison. This was a punishment for people who were involved in a conspiracy or who refused to fight in a battle.

One example of someone losing their free law is if they were involved in a conspiracy to overthrow the government. Another example is if someone refused to fight in a battle and cried "craven." In both cases, the person would be punished by losing their property and going to prison.

These examples illustrate how serious the punishment was for losing your free law. It was a way to keep people in line and prevent them from doing things that would harm society.