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Definition:
Attainder comes form the Old French word ataindre, which meant "to convict,
affect." In traditional common law, the word referred to the state of someone who had
been convicted of a capital offense and was often used in England during the 16th
and 17th centuries. When the penalty was anything less than death, for example
banishment, they were called a "bill of pain and penalty."
Over time, however, it acquired a more general usage and applied to the state of anyone who had had any civil rights restricted or eliminated because of some crime. The United States Constitution provides that no "Bill of Attainder" can be passed and no attaineder for treason can cause "corruption of blood" or forfeiture except during the life of the accused.
Also Known As: none
Alternate Spellings: none
Common Misspellings: none
Related Resources:
What are Political and Legal Philosophy
The Philosophy of Politics and the Philosophy of Law are often studied separately, but they are presented here jointly because they both come back to the same thing: the study of force. Politics is the study of political force in the general community, while jurisprudence is the study of how laws can and should be used to achieve political and social goals.What is Philosophy?
What is philosophy? Is there any point in studying philosophy, or is it a useless subject? What are the different branches of philosophy - what's the difference between aestheitcs and ethics? What's the difference between metaphysics and epistemology?
