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Simple English definitions for legal terms
civil imprisonment
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A quick definition of civil imprisonment:
Term: Civil Imprisonment
Definition: Civil imprisonment is when a court orders a person who owes money to be put in jail until they pay their debt. This usually only happens if the debt is for taxes or fines owed to the government, court-ordered support or alimony, or if the debtor fails to obey a court order. It used to be more common in the past, but now it is rarely used.
A more thorough explanation:
Definition: Civil imprisonment is the detention of a debtor by court order to force them to pay certain civil obligations. This was usually used when the debt arose from nonpayment of taxes or fines owed to the Crown, failure to pay court-ordered support or alimony, or failure to obey a decree ad factum praestandum.
Example: John owed $10,000 in taxes to the government. Despite several reminders and warnings, he failed to pay the amount. As a result, the court ordered civil imprisonment, and John was detained until he paid the debt.
Explanation: In this example, John's debt arose from nonpayment of taxes owed to the government. The court ordered civil imprisonment to force him to pay the debt. This is an example of how civil imprisonment was used to ensure that debtors paid their civil obligations.