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bill of attainder

 

Definitions from WordNet

Noun bill of attainder has 1 sense
  1. bill of attainder - a legislative act finding a person guilty of treason or felony without a trial; "bills of attainder are prohibited by the Constitution of the United States"
    --1 is a kind of
    bill, measure

Definitions from the Web

Term: Bill of Attainder

Description:

A bill of attainder refers to a legislative act that declares a person or a group guilty of a crime and punishes them without the benefit of a trial or judicial process. It is an unconstitutional form of punishment under the legal systems of many countries, as it violates the principle of due process.

Senses and Usages:

1. Legal Sense:

In the legal context, a bill of attainder is a legislative act that declares a person or group guilty of a crime without granting them a fair trial. This act of punishment by legislature is considered unconstitutional in many modern legal systems.

Example Sentence: The Supreme Court ruled that the bill of attainder passed by the Congress was a violation of the defendant's constitutional rights.

2. Historical Sense:

A bill of attainder was widely used in medieval and early modern Europe as a means to punish political opponents or enemies of the state without the need for a trial. It was often employed as a way of taking away one's property, title, or even their life.

Example Sentence: King Henry VIII frequently used bills of attainder to dispose of those he perceived as threats to his reign.

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