Legal Dictionary of Pakistan

Quick lookup for English, Urdu, and Latin legal terms used in Pakistani jurisprudence.

Attainder

n. At common law, the act of extinguishing a person's civil rights when sentenced to death or declared an outlaw for committing a felony or treason. - attaint (a-taynt), vb. See bill of attainder. "the word attainder is derived from the latin term attinctus, signifying stained or polluted, and includes, in its meaning, all those disabilities which flow from a capital sentence. On the attainder, the defendant is disquali

act of attainder.

See BILL OF ATTAINDER.

bill of attainder.

A special legislative act prescribing capital punishment, without a trial, for a person guilty of a high offense such as treason or a felony. 0 Bills of attainder are prohibited by the U.S. Constitution (art. I, § 9, cl. 3; art. I, § 10, cl. 1). - Also termed act of attainder. See ATTAINDER; BILL OF PAINS AND PENALTIES.