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Simple English definitions for legal terms
excommunication
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A quick definition of excommunication:
Excommunication is when a religious court punishes someone for doing something wrong. It means that the person is kicked out of the religious community. In the past, excommunicated people in England couldn't do things like be a witness in court or sue for money. Nowadays, it's mostly used to make people come to court if they're accused of something. If the person doesn't try to make things right within 40 days, they might be arrested.
A more thorough explanation:
Definition: Excommunication is a punishment given by a religious court for breaking religious rules. It means being kicked out of a religious community or society.
In the past, in England, if someone was excommunicated, they were not allowed to do certain things in society. For example, they couldn't be a juror, they couldn't be a witness in court, and they couldn't sue to get back their land or money. However, these punishments were stopped in 1813.
Example: If a member of a church is caught stealing from the church, they might be excommunicated and not allowed to attend church anymore.
Explanation: This example shows how someone can be punished by being kicked out of their religious community for breaking religious rules. In this case, the person stole from the church, which is against the rules of the church.