Legal Dictionary of Pakistan
Quick lookup for English, Urdu, and Latin legal terms used in Pakistani jurisprudence.
amnesty
n. a pardon extended by the government to a group or class of persons, usu. for a political offense; the act of a sovereign power officially forgiving certain classes of persons who are subject to trial but have not yet been convicted <the 1986 immigration reform and control act provided amnesty for undocumented aliens already present in the country>. ( unlike an ordinary pardon, amnesty is usu. addressed to crimes against state sovereign-ty - that is, to political offenses with respect to which forgiveness is deemed more expedient for the public welfare than prosecution and punishment. amnesty is usu. general, addressed to classes or even communities. - also termed general pardon. - amnesty, ub. see pardon.
amnesty clause
a clause, esp. one found in a peace treaty, that wipes out past offenses such as treason, sedition, rebellion, and even war crimes. ( a sovereign may grant amnesty to all guilty persons or only to certain categories of offenders.
amnesty international
an international non-governmental organization founded in the early 1960s to protect human rights throughout the world. 0 its mission is to "secure throughout the world the observance of the universal declaration of human rights." amnesty int'1 statute, art. 1.
express amnesty.
amnesty granted in direct terms.
implied amnesty
amnesty indirectly resulting from a peace treaty executed between contending parties.