Law, Crime & Punishment, HEI-INT
Every society draws lines between order and disorder. Explore the laws, crimes, courts, and punishments that reveal how communities define justice and respond when rules are broken.
Law, Crime & Punishment Encyclopedia Articles By Title
Heir
Heir, one who succeeds to the property of a person dying without a will or who is legally entitled to succeed by......
heir apparent
heir apparent, the individual or individuals with an indisputable legal claim to an inheritance. The term refers......
Heirloom
Heirloom, an item of personal property that by immemorial usage is regarded as annexed by inheritance to a family......
Hells Angels
Hells Angels, club for motorcyclists that was founded in California in 1948 and is probably the best known of the......
Henrician Articles
Henrician Articles, (1573) statement of the rights and privileges of the Polish gentry (szlachta) that all elected......
Heriot
Heriot, in European feudal society, the right of the lord to seize his tenantâs best beast or other chattel on......
hetaira
hetaira, one of a class of professional independent courtesans of ancient Greece who, besides developing physical......
Hezbollah
Hezbollah, ShiÊżi Lebanese political party and militant group that first emerged during Lebanonâs civil war as a......
High Court of Admiralty
High Court of Admiralty, in England, formerly the court presided over by the deputy of the admiral of the fleet.......
High Court of Justice
High Court of Justice, in England and Wales, court system centred in London and comprising three divisions of both......
High seas
High seas, in maritime law, all parts of the mass of saltwater surrounding the globe that are not part of the territorial......
Hijacking
Hijacking, the illegal seizure of a land vehicle, aircraft, or other conveyance while it is in transit. Although......
Hijacking of IC-814
The hijacking of IC-814 was the takeover of an Indian Airlines flight on December 24, 1999, by five armed militants......
Hillside Strangler
Hillside Strangler, name coined by media for the serial killer believed to be responsible for the rape and murder......
History of Women in the U.S. Congress
This infographic highlights 10 Congresses that are notable in the history of womenâs fight for equal representation......
Hoa Lo Prison
Hoa Lo Prison, former prison in Hanoi, Vietnam, that was originally constructed by Vietnamâs French colonial rulers......
Hollingsworth v. Perry
Hollingsworth v. Perry, legal case, decided by the U.S. Supreme Court on June 26, 2013, that had the practical......
Homeland Security Act
Homeland Security Act, U.S. legislation signed into law by President George W. Bush on November 25, 2002, that......
Homeland Security, United States Department of
The United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) was created in response to the catastrophic failures of......
Homestead Act of 1862
Homestead Act of 1862, in U.S. history, significant legislative action that promoted the settlement and development......
homicide
homicide, the killing of one human being by another. Homicide is a general term and may refer to a noncriminal......
Honig v. Doe
Honig v. Doe, case in which the U.S. Supreme Court on January 20, 1988, ruled (6â2) that a California school board......
honor killing
honor killing, most often, the murder of a woman or girl by male family members. The killers justify their actions......
Hortonville Joint School District No. 1 v. Hortonville Education Association
Hortonville Joint School District No. 1 v. Hortonville Education Association, case in which the U.S. Supreme Court......
Hostage
Hostage, in war, a person handed over by one of two belligerents to the other or seized as security for the carrying......
house arrest
house arrest, court-ordered confinement in oneâs own home. The sentence is viewed as an important alternative to......
housecarl
housecarl, member of the personal or household troops or bodyguard of Scandinavian kings and chieftains in the......
How Did James A. Garfield Die?
The short answer is that Pres. James A. Garfield died as the result of an assassinâs bullet. However, the ultimate......
How Did Jeffrey Dahmer Die?
On November 28, 1994, American serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer was fatally beaten at the Columbia Correctional Institution......
How Did Morocco Become the First Country to Recognize the United States?
Although French support for American independence is well known, France was actually the second country to formally......
How Did Pablo Escobar Die?
On December 2, 1993, Pablo Escobar died during a shootout with Colombian authorities. The drug lord was shot three......
How did Patrice Lumumba die?
For decades, the question of how Patrice Lumumba, the first prime minister of the newly independent Democratic......
How did the Magna Carta influence the American Constitution?
The Magna Carta significantly influenced the American Constitution by laying the groundwork for the concepts of......
How Did the Massacre of St. Bartholomewâs Day Start?
Catherine deâ Medici might say that the Massacre of Saint Bartholomewâs Day was never intended to happen. After......
How Did the World Learn About Emmett Tillâs Murder?
On August 31, 1955, the body of Emmett Till was found at the bottom of the Tallahatchie River in northern Mississippi.......
How does a grand jury work?
In the United States a grand jury is a group of 16 to 23 people chosen by a court for the purpose of determining......
How does a polygraph test work?
A polygraph test works by measuring someoneâs physiological responses, which are believed to change when a person......
How Does the U.S. Government Define the Difference Between a Protest and a Riot?
Generally speaking, a protest in the sense relevant here is âa usually organized public demonstration of disapprovalâ......
How Holy (and Roman) Was the Holy Roman Empire?
Voltaire, it seems, was at least partially right when he famously quipped that the Holy Roman Empire was neither......
How long does a patent last?
A patent typically lasts 20 years from the filing date of the application. This standard duration is common around......
How Many of the Signers of the U.S. Constitution Were Enslavers?
There does not appear to be a consensus on the number of men who signed the U.S. Constitutionâor, more broadly,......
How Many People Did Ed Gein Kill?
Ed Gein is one of the most notorious criminals in U.S. history. Known as âthe Butcher of Plainfield,â he murdered......
How Many People Did John Wayne Gacy Kill?
John Wayne Gacy killed at least 33 boys and young men. In the late 1970s authorities discovered 29 bodies buried......
How Many People Did Ted Bundy Kill?
It is uncertain how many people Ted Bundy killed. He confessed to 30 murders, though the number is thought to be......
How Many People Signed the U.S. Constitution?
Of the 70 delegates chosen as representatives to the Constitutional Convention of 1787, only 55 actually attended......
How Many People Were Killed in the September 11 Attacks?
The exact number of victims of the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, is not definitively known due to uncertainty......
How Oprah Got Sued for Dissing a Burger
An earlier version of this article was published on the Britannica blog Advocacy for Animals. In December 1997......
How rich was Pablo Escobar?
Pablo Escobar was one of the wealthiest individuals in the world during his time, with an estimated net worth of......
How the Dred Scott Decision Affected the U.S. Election of 1860
The Dred Scott decision of 1857 put a match to the tinderbox of sectional conflict over the future of slavery,......
How was Pablo Escobar caught?
Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar, leader of the MedellĂn cartel, surrendered in June 1991 and was subsequently......
How was the Thirteenth Amendment enforced in the South?
The enforcement of the Thirteenth Amendment in the South was a complex and multifaceted process that involved significant......
hue and cry
hue and cry, early English legal practice of pursuing a criminal with cries and sounds of alarm. It was the duty......
Huesca, Code of
Code of Huesca, most important law code of medieval Aragon, written by Bishop Vidal de Canellas under the Aragonese......
Human Rights Act 1998
Human Rights Act 1998, legislation that defines the fundamental rights and freedoms to which everyone in the United......
human trafficking
human trafficking, form of modern-day slavery involving the illegal transport of individuals by force or deception......
Hunt v. McNair
Hunt v. McNair, legal case in which the U.S. Supreme Court ruled (6â3) on June 25, 1973, that a state program under......
Hurley v. Irish-American Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual Group of Boston, Inc.
Hurley v. Irish-American Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual Group of Boston, Inc., legal case in which, on June 19, 1995,......
Hypothec
Hypothec, in Roman law, a type of security for a debt in which the creditor had neither ownership nor possession.......
identity theft
identity theft, use of an individualâs personally identifying information by someone else (often a stranger) without......
Ignorance
Ignorance, in English and U.S. law (as in Roman law) falls into two categories: ignorance of law (ignorantia juris)......
Iguala Plan
Iguala Plan, (Feb. 24, 1821), appeal issued by AgustĂn de Iturbide, a creole landowner and a former officer in......
IkhwÄn
IkhwÄn, in Arabia, members of a religious and military brotherhood that figured prominently in the unification......
ikki
ikki, peasant uprisings in Japan beginning in the Kamakura period (1192â1333) and continuing through the Tokugawa......
Ilbert Bill
Ilbert Bill, in the history of India, a controversial measure proposed in 1883 that sought to allow senior Indian......
Illegitimacy
Illegitimacy, status of children begotten and born outside of wedlock. Many statutes either state, or are interpreted......
illicit antiquities
illicit antiquities, archaeological objects that have been illegally excavated or exported from their country of......
Immunity
Immunity, in law, exemption or freedom from liability. In England and the United States legislators are immune......
Impeachment
Impeachment, in common law, a proceeding instituted by a legislative body to address serious misconduct by a public......
In re Debs
In re Debs, legal case in which the U.S. Supreme Court, on May 27, 1895, unanimously (9â0) upheld the governmentâs......
In re Territo
In re Territo, legal case in which the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ruled on June 8, 1946, that......
Independent counsel
Independent counsel, Official appointed by the court at the request of the U.S. attorney general to investigate......
indeterminate sentence
indeterminate sentence, in law, term of imprisonment with no definite duration within a prescribed maximum. Eligibility......
Index Librorum Prohibitorum
Index Librorum Prohibitorum, list of books once forbidden by Roman Catholic Church authority as dangerous to the......
India, Constitution of
Constitution of India, the supreme law that defines the organizing principles of the Republic of India, the structure......
India, Parliament of
Parliament of India, the supreme legislature of India. The Parliament consists of the president of India and two......
Indian Councils Act of 1909
Indian Councils Act of 1909, series of reform measures enacted in 1909 by the British Parliament, the main component......
Indian Evidence Act
Indian Evidence Act, act passed by the British Parliament in 1872 that set forth the rules of evidence admissible......
Indian Independence Act
Indian Independence Act, legislation passed by the Parliament of the United Kingdom on July 18, 1947, providing......
Indian law
Indian law, the legal practices and institutions of India. The general history of law in India is a well-documented......
Indian Rebellion of 1857
Indian Rebellion of 1857, widespread but unsuccessful rebellion against British rule in India in 1857â59. The revolt......
Indian Removal Act
Indian Removal Act, (May 28, 1830), first major legislative departure from the U.S. policy of officially respecting......
Indian Reorganization Act
Indian Reorganization Act, (June 18, 1934), measure enacted by the U.S. Congress, aimed at decreasing federal control......
Indictment
Indictment, in the United States, a formal written accusation of crime affirmed by a grand jury and presented by......
Indies, Laws of the
Laws of the Indies, the entire body of law promulgated by the Spanish crown during the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries......
Industrial court
Industrial court, any of a variety of tribunals established to settle disputes between management and labour, most......
infamy
infamy, public disgrace or loss of reputation, particularly as a consequence of criminal conviction. In early common......
infanticide
infanticide, the killing of a newborn child. It has often been interpreted as a primitive method of birth control......
Infographic: Mass Shootings in the United States, 1982-Present
A mass shooting, also called an active shooter incident, is defined by the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation......
information-access law
information-access law, statute or regulation that determines who may or may not see information held by organizations,......
Ingraham v. Wright
Ingraham v. Wright, legal case in which the U.S. Supreme Court on April 19, 1977, ruled (5â4) that corporal punishment......
Inheritance
Inheritance, the devolution of property on an heir or heirs upon the death of the owner. The term inheritance also......
- Introduction
- Critiques, Laws, Equity
- Freedom, Testation, Wills
- Testation, Wills, Estates
- Divided, Undivided, Law
- Intestate Succession, Wills, Estates
- Civil Law, Property, Succession
- Spousal Rights, Wills, Estates
- Probate, Wills, Estates
- Wills, Estates, Probate
- Estate, Wills, Probate
- Estate, Wills, Probate
Injunction
Injunction, in civil proceedings, order of a court requiring a party to do or not to do a specified act or acts.......
Inquest
Inquest, judicial inquiry by a group of persons appointed by a court. The most common type is the inquest set up......
Inquisitorial procedure
Inquisitorial procedure, in law, one of the two methods of exposing evidence in court (the other being the adversary......
Insanity
Insanity, in criminal law, condition of mental disorder or mental defect that relieves persons of criminal responsibility......
Insolvency
Insolvency, financial condition in which the total liabilities of an individual or enterprise exceed the total......
Insurrection Act
The Insurrection Act is a U.S. federal law passed in 1807 that originally authorized the president of the United......
Intellectual-property law
Intellectual-property law, the legal regulations governing an individualâs or an organizationâs right to control......
Inter-Parliamentary Union
Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), international organization of parliaments of sovereign states established in 1889......
Interdict
Interdict, in Roman and civil law, a remedy granted by a magistrate on the sole basis of his authority, against......