Legal Definitions - decies tantum

Decies tantum was a historical legal writ in English law, used to address a specific form of judicial corruption.

This writ allowed for a legal action to be brought against a juror who had accepted a bribe in exchange for influencing their verdict in a trial. The purpose of decies tantum was to impose a severe financial penalty on such corrupt jurors.

If a juror was found guilty under a decies tantum writ, they were ordered to pay a sum equal to ten times the amount of the bribe they had received. This substantial penalty was then divided: half of the payment went to the individual who initiated the lawsuit (the "suing party"), and the other half went to the Crown (representing the state or government). This system was designed to encourage private citizens to report and prosecute instances of juror bribery.

Here are some examples illustrating how decies tantum would have applied:

• Example 1: A Land Dispute

  Imagine a medieval court case concerning a boundary dispute between two wealthy landowners, Lord Ashworth and Lady Beaumont. A juror, Sir Reginald, secretly accepts a payment of 5 gold coins from Lord Ashworth to ensure the verdict favors him. Lady Beaumont, suspecting foul play after the verdict goes against her, discovers evidence of Sir Reginald's bribe. She could then initiate a decies tantum action against Sir Reginald. If successful, Sir Reginald would be compelled to pay 50 gold coins (ten times the bribe), with 25 gold coins going to Lady Beaumont as the suing party and the remaining 25 to the Crown.

• Example 2: A Merchant's Trial

  Consider a trial for a merchant accused of selling spoiled goods, a serious offense in its time. One of the jurors, Master Thomas, is approached by the merchant's desperate family and accepts a bribe of 10 silver pieces to vote for an acquittal. After the merchant is found not guilty, a concerned citizen, who had witnessed the family interacting suspiciously with Master Thomas, investigates and uncovers the bribery. This citizen could then bring a decies tantum writ against Master Thomas. If proven, Master Thomas would have to pay 100 silver pieces (ten times the bribe), with half going to the citizen who brought the suit and half to the Crown.

• Example 3: A Public Works Case

  In a historical context, a local town council is suing a contractor for failing to complete a public works project. During the trial, a juror named Eleanor is offered a bribe of 2 pounds sterling by the contractor to sway her vote towards finding him not liable. Another juror, noticing Eleanor's sudden change in demeanor and suspicious interactions, reports her. If a decies tantum writ were successfully pursued, Eleanor would be ordered to pay 20 pounds sterling (ten times the bribe). The town council, as the suing party, would receive 10 pounds, and the Crown would receive the other 10 pounds.