Simple English definitions for legal terms
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Duodecima manus is a Latin term that means "twelve men". In the past, when someone had to prove their innocence in court, they had to bring eleven of their neighbors to swear that they believed the person was telling the truth. This was called "waging law". The defendant would stand at the end of the bar and be warned about the seriousness of lying under oath. Then, the eleven neighbors would swear that they believed the defendant was telling the truth. This was important because people's credibility in court depended on what their neighbors thought of them. Later, it was decided that fewer than eleven neighbors could be used, but originally it had to be twelve people.