Legal Definitions - forisfactus

Forisfactus is a historical legal term that refers to an individual who has committed a serious crime, particularly one punishable by death, and has consequently forfeited their life or property to the state. It signifies someone who, by their criminal actions, has lost their rights and possessions, often including their life, under the law of the time.

Here are some examples to illustrate this concept:

• Imagine a peasant in 14th-century England who is repeatedly caught poaching deer from the King's forest, an offense that, depending on the severity and local laws, could be considered a capital crime. If convicted, this peasant would be considered a forisfactus.

  This illustrates the term because the peasant's criminal act (poaching) would lead to the forfeiture of their life (execution) and potentially any meager possessions they had, to the Crown, thereby becoming a "forfeited person."

• Consider a powerful nobleman in 16th-century France who is found guilty of high treason against the king, a crime universally punishable by death during that era. This duke would be deemed a forisfactus.

  In this scenario, the duke's conviction for a capital offense (treason) would result in the forfeiture of his life (execution) and the confiscation of all his lands, titles, and wealth to the monarchy, demonstrating the complete loss of status and property associated with the term.

• During the Roman Empire, if a citizen was convicted of a severe crime like parricide (the murder of a parent), which carried extreme penalties including execution, they would be considered a forisfactus.

  This individual would forfeit their life (execution) and often all their property and civil rights to the state, embodying the concept of a person who has, through their grave criminal act, forfeited everything they possessed under the law.