Legal Definitions - lynch law

Lynch law refers to the act of punishing someone for a crime they are accused of without any legal authority. This punishment can include death and is carried out without a trial or any other legal process.

For example, if a group of people accuse someone of stealing, they may take matters into their own hands and decide to punish the accused person by lynching them. This is a form of vigilante justice and is illegal.

The term "Judge Lynch" is sometimes used to personify this type of punishment.

Lyndhurst's Act was an English statute passed in 1835 that made marriages within certain degrees of kinship null and void. This means that if two people were related within a certain degree, their marriage would not be recognized as legal.

For example, if a brother and sister were to get married, their marriage would not be recognized under Lyndhurst's Act.

The act was named after Lord Lyndhurst, who was the Lord Chancellor of England at the time.