- amnesty
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am·nes·ty /'am-nəs-tē/ n pl -ties: an act of clemency by an authority (as a government) by which pardon is granted esp. to a group of individualsillegal-alien farm workers seeking amnesty — National Law Journal
Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary of Law. Merriam-Webster. 1996.
- amnesty
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I
noun
absolution, acquittance, act of grace, act of mercy, conciliation, condonation, discharge, dissipation, exculpation, exoneration, forgiveness, general pardon, grace, ignoscere, pardon, quittance, release, reprieve, universal forgiveness of past offenses, venia
associated concepts: express amnesty, implied amnesty, presidential pardon
II
index
absolution, acquittal, clear, clemency, condonation, dispensation (exception), exoneration, impunity, pardon, reconciliation, release, remission, remit (release from penalty), respite (reprieve)
Burton's Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006
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n.An official pardon granted by a government to a group of people forgiving them for past crimes, usually political crimes such as treason or draft evasion.
The Essential Law Dictionary. — Sphinx Publishing, An imprint of Sourcebooks, Inc. Amy Hackney Blackwell. 2008.
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an act of a sovereign power waiving liability for a past offence. The term is also used for similar orders of inferior bodies.
Collins dictionary of law. W. J. Stewart. 2001.
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A pardon extended to a group or class of individuals by the government, usually before any trial or conviction. Amnesties often follow wars — for example, the amnesty granted to Confederate officials and soldiers after the Civil War or to those who violated the Selective Service Act by evading the draft during the Vietnam War.Category: Immigration
Nolo’s Plain-English Law Dictionary. Gerald N. Hill, Kathleen Thompson Hill. 2009.
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n. A pardon for past criminal offenses for a class or group of individuals who are subject to trial but have not yet been convicted. Amnesty may be limited or conditional. For example, amnesty may be offered only to those who perform a certain act, such as community service, within a specific period of time. Also referred to as grant of amnesty.
Webster's New World Law Dictionary. Susan Ellis Wild. 2000.
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The action of a government by which all persons or certain groups of persons who have committed a criminal offense—usually of a political nature that threatens the sovereignty of the government (such as sedition or treason)—are granted immunity from prosecution.
Dictionary from West's Encyclopedia of American Law. 2005.
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Short Dictionary of (mostly American) Legal Terms and Abbreviations.
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n.a blanket abolition of an offense by the government, with the legal result that those charged or convicted have the charge or conviction wiped out. Examples: a) the amnesty given to Confederate officials and soldiers after the Civil War, or b) President Jimmy Carter's granting amnesty (under certain conditions) to those who violated the Selective Service Act in evading the draft during the Vietnam War. The basis for amnesty is generally because the war or other conditions that made the acts criminal no longer exist or have faded in importance. Amnesty is not a pardon as some believe, since a pardon implies forgiveness, and amnesty indicates a reason to overlook or forget the offenses.See also: pardon
Law dictionary. EdwART. 2013.
