Legal Definitions - ob reverentiam personae et metum perjurii

ob reverentiam personae et metum perjurii

Ob reverentiam personae et metum perjurii is a Latin term used in law. It means that a witness can refuse to answer a question if they fear that their answer might make them commit perjury or if it goes against their respect for a person.

For example, if a witness is asked if they saw someone commit a crime, but they did not actually see it, they might refuse to answer the question because they fear that they might lie and commit perjury. Another example is if a witness is asked to say something bad about a person they respect, they might refuse to answer the question because it goes against their respect for that person.

These examples illustrate how the principle of ob reverentiam personae et metum perjurii can protect witnesses from being forced to say something that might be untrue or that goes against their values.