LYNCH LAW Meaning and
Definition
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Lynch law is a term that refers to the act of extrajudicial punishment carried out by a group of people, typically involving the public execution of an individual believed to have committed a crime, without the due process of law. It is named after Charles Lynch, a Virginia planter and colonel during the American Revolutionary War, who was known for serving as a judge and jury in the absence of a legal system in some areas during the war.
The concept of lynching usually involves a spontaneous gathering of a mob that takes matters into its own hands in order to seek swift retribution or maintain control in a community. Generally lacking any legal authority, the mob often carries out acts of violence, such as hanging, shooting, or burning the individual they perceive to be guilty. These acts are usually driven by anger, prejudice, or a desire for revenge, and are often marked by racial or social discrimination.
The practice of lynching has historically been associated with the United States, particularly during periods of racial strife, such as the Jim Crow era and the Civil Rights Movement. Although lynching has occurred in other countries as well, it remains a significant part of America's dark history, reflecting a breach of justice, abandonment of due process, and a violation of human rights. Over time, efforts have been made to address and eradicate this form of vigilante justice, through legal reforms and increased public awareness of its destructive consequences.
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• See lynch; maritime law, the law of the sea; a branch of the commercial law, martial law, rules for the government of an army; summary laws superseding the ordinary law of a country in a disturbed or rebellions district, and administered by the military authorities; moral law, the laws which lay down to men their duties to God and to each other-applied particularly to the Ten Commandments; Mosaic or Jewish law, that given by Moses, contained in the first five books of the Old Test. Scrip.; municipal law, the ordinary law of a country, regulating the civil conduct and affairs of its people; physical laws or laws of nature, the properties, actions, tendencies, &c., impressed by the Creator on animals, vegetables, and matter generally, in all their varied conditions and forms; statute law, a law or rule enacted by the legislative power, and recorded in writing; the law, a body or system of rules of conduct or action; the whole body of the Jewish laws and doctrines contained in the Old Test. Scrip., as opposed to the Gospel; the books of the Jewish laws and religion as opposed to the prophets.
• Popular vengeance inflicted by a mob; mob-law, as in U.S. of America.
Etymological and pronouncing dictionary of the English language. By Stormonth, James, Phelp, P. H. Published 1874.
Common Misspellings for LYNCH LAW
- kynch law
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- lynchlaw
Etymology of LYNCH LAW
The word "lynch law" traces back to the late 18th century in the United States and is named after Charles Lynch, a Virginia planter and American Revolutionary War officer. In the late 1760s, Lynch presided over a self-appointed court in Virginia, enforcing extralegal punishments against British loyalists during the American Revolution. These punishments included whipping, property confiscation, and occasional public humiliation.
Although Lynch's actions were initially seen as necessary for maintaining order during a time of rebellion, the term "lynch law" soon became associated with acts of vigilante justice. The practice of extrajudicial punishment, often involving mob violence and public executions, continued beyond the American Revolution and became more prevalent throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries, especially with regards to African Americans in the Southern United States.
Similar spelling word for LYNCH LAW
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