Legal Definitions - poenitentia

poenitentia

Poenitentia is a Latin word that means "repentance." In Roman law, it refers to the act of reconsidering or changing one's mind.

• After committing a crime, the defendant showed poenitentia by confessing and expressing remorse.
• The senator's poenitentia led him to change his vote on the controversial bill.

These examples illustrate how poenitentia involves a change of heart or mind. In the first example, the defendant's poenitentia led to a confession and admission of guilt. In the second example, the senator's poenitentia caused him to reconsider his position and vote differently. Both cases demonstrate the concept of poenitentia as a form of repentance or reconsideration.