Legal Definitions - deprivation

In legal terms, deprivation refers to the act of taking something away, the withholding of something that should be provided, or the state of lacking something essential. It can also specifically mean the removal of an individual from an office or position.

• Withholding of Essential Services: Imagine a situation where a landlord deliberately shuts off the heating and hot water to a tenant's apartment in the middle of winter, hoping to force them to move out.
  This scenario illustrates a deprivation because the landlord is actively withholding essential services that are legally required for habitable living conditions, thereby denying the tenant access to basic necessities.
• State of Lacking Due to External Factors: Consider a remote village that becomes completely cut off from the outside world for weeks after a major landslide destroys the only access road. This results in the community experiencing a severe deprivation of medical supplies and fresh food.
  Here, deprivation describes the state of being without critical resources due to an external event, highlighting the impact of the lack of access to essential goods.
• Removal from Professional Office: A city council member is found guilty of misusing public funds and, as a result, is formally removed from their elected position by a vote of the council.
  This is an example of deprivation in the context of removing an individual from their official public office due to misconduct, signifying the loss of their professional role and authority.