Legal Definitions - forbannitus

The term forbannitus is a historical legal concept that refers to an individual who was either declared an outlaw or a pirate, or someone who was formally banished from a territory.

Here are a few examples to illustrate this historical term:

• Example 1 (Outlaw/Pirate): Imagine a group of individuals in 17th-century England who, having committed serious crimes against the crown, fled into the wilderness and continued to operate outside the established legal system, raiding travelers and defying royal authority. They were hunted by the king's men and had no legal rights or protections.

  Explanation: These individuals would be considered forbannitus because they were declared outlaws, operating entirely outside the law and its protections, much like pirates who operate beyond the jurisdiction of any sovereign state.

• Example 2 (Banished Person): Consider a prominent political figure in a medieval European city-state who, after being accused of treason and found guilty, was stripped of all his property and titles and ordered to leave the city and its surrounding lands forever, with severe penalties if he ever returned.

  Explanation: This political figure would be a forbannitus in the sense of being banished. He was formally and legally expelled from his home territory, losing his rights and status within that jurisdiction due to a legal decree.