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Simple English definitions for legal terms
pit and gallows
Read a random definition: ex dolo malo
A quick definition of pit and gallows:
Pit and Gallows: An old way of punishing people in Scotland for stealing. If a woman was found guilty, she would be drowned in a pit, and if a man was found guilty, he would be hanged on a gallows.
A more thorough explanation:
Definition: Pit and gallows was an ancient form of capital punishment in Scots law. It was used for theft, where a condemned woman was drowned in a pit and a condemned man was hanged on a gallows.
Example: In the 16th century, a woman named Janet Douglas was accused of poisoning her husband. She was found guilty and sentenced to pit and gallows. She was drowned in a pit and her body was left to rot. This punishment was considered barbaric and was eventually abolished.
Explanation: The example illustrates how pit and gallows was used as a punishment for crimes such as theft and murder. It shows how brutal and inhumane the punishment was, and how it was eventually abolished due to its cruelty.