void for vagueness

void for vagueness: adj.
Describes a statute so obscure, difficult to understand, or unclear that it is impossible for ordinarily intelligent people to agree on a meaning, and so it must be void.

void for vagueness: A civil or criminal statute that is so unclear or ambiguous that a reasonable person of average intelligence could not determine its meaning or application. A vague criminal statute is unconstitutional on the basis that a defendant could not defend against a charge which could not be understood. (See also: due process of law)

Category: Criminal Law

Category: Small Claims Court & Lawsuits

void for vagueness: n. When it becomes necessary for a person of average intelligence to guess at the meaning of a law or how that law is to be applied, the statute is constitutionally void for vagueness. A criminal statute may be vague for how it is to be applied, to whom it applies, what conduct is forbidden, or what the punishment is for violating it.

void for vagueness: adj.

referring to a statute defining a crime which is so vague that a reasonable person of at least average intelligence could not determine what elements constitute the crime. Such a vague statute is unconstitutional on the basis that a defendant could not defend against a charge of a crime which he/she could not understand, and thus would be denied "due process" mandated by the 5th Amendment, applied to the states by the 14th Amendment.

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Void for vagueness — is a legal concept in American constitutional law, whereby a civil statute or, more commonly, a criminal statute is adjudged unconstitutional when it is so vague that persons of common intelligence must necessarily guess at its meaning and differ … Wikipedia
void–for–vagueness doctrine — n: a doctrine requiring that a penal statute define a criminal offense with sufficient definiteness that ordinary people can understand what conduct is prohibited and in a manner that does not encourage arbitrary and discriminatory enforcement ◇… … Law dictionary
void for vagueness doctrine — A doctrine derived from the Due Process Clauses of the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments to the U.S. Constitution that requires criminal laws to be drafted in language that is clear enough for the average person to comprehend. Dictionary from West… … Law dictionary
vagueness — index ambiguity, confusion (ambiguity), doubt (indecision), ignorance, incertitude, indistinctness … Law dictionary
vagueness doctrine — n: void for vagueness doctrine Merriam Webster’s Dictionary of Law. Merriam Webster. 1996 … Law dictionary
for — prep 1: because of a statute void for vagueness 2: on behalf of: as the representative of attorney general s office for petitioner Merriam Webster’s Dictionary of Law. Merriam Webster. 1996 … Law dictionary
Vagueness — Ambiguity is one way in which the meanings of words and phrases can be unclear, but there is another way, which is different from ambiguity: vagueness. One example of a vague concept is the concept of a heap. Two or three grains of sand is not a… … Wikipedia
void — Null; ineffectual; nugatory; having no legal force or binding effect; unable, in law, to support the purpose for which it was intended. Hardison v. Gledhill, 72 Ga.App. 432, 33 S.E.2d 921, 924. An instrument or transaction which is wholly… … Black's law dictionary
vagueness doctrine — Under this principle, a law (e.g., criminal statute) which does not fairly inform a person of what is commanded or prohibited is unconstitutional as violative of due process. The doctrine originates in due process clause of Fourteenth Amendment,… … Black's law dictionary
City of Akron v. Akron Center for Reproductive Health — Supreme Court of the United States Argued 30 November … Wikipedia

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void for vagueness

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