PEINE FORTE ET DURE Meaning and
Definition
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Peine forte et dure is a legal term derived from Old French that translates to "strong and hard punishment" in English. Also known as the peine forte et dure torture or pressing, it refers to a historical method of torture and punishment employed in common law legal systems. It was used as a means to elicit a plea from a defendant during criminal trials.
The peine forte et dure punishment involved placing the accused person on their back, with their body stretched out and naked, over a hard surface. Heavy weights or stones were then gradually placed on top of them, increasing the pressure and causing intense pain. The accused would be denied food or water throughout this torturous process, which could last for hours or even days. The pain and distress inflicted were intended to compel the accused to enter a plea, as the refusal to plead or stand trial was considered a legal loophole to avoid judgment.
Peine forte et dure, at its core, was an extreme form of coercion that aimed to break the will of the defendant. However, this punishment was eventually abolished in many jurisdictions due to its inhumane nature. Today, it serves as a chilling historical reminder of the brutalities that were once accepted as means of extracting confessions or pleas in the legal systems of the past.
