Legal Definitions - law-worthy

Law-worthy

This historical term refers to an individual who was considered fully entitled to and deserving of the legal rights, benefits, and protections offered by the law of their society.

In historical legal systems, not everyone held the same legal standing. To be "law-worthy" meant that a person could fully participate in the legal system, bring lawsuits, have their testimony accepted, and be protected by the law in the same way as other full members of society. Conversely, those not deemed "law-worthy" might have had limited rights, lacked access to certain legal remedies, or even been considered outside the full protection of the law.

• Example 1: Loss of Legal Standing

  In medieval England, if a nobleman was found guilty of a serious crime like treason, he might be declared an outlaw or suffer attainder. This meant he would lose his lands, titles, and crucially, his "law-worthy" status. He could no longer bring a case before a court, his testimony might be disregarded, and he would lose the full protection of the king's law. This illustrates how a person could lose their entitlement to the benefits and protections of the legal system due to their actions.

• Example 2: Social Status and Rights

  In ancient Roman society, a free Roman citizen (civis Romanus) was considered "law-worthy." They possessed full legal rights, could own property, enter into contracts, marry, and appeal to the courts for justice. In stark contrast, a slave was generally not considered "law-worthy." Slaves were legally treated as property, had virtually no legal rights, and could not bring lawsuits or defend themselves in the same way as a citizen. This demonstrates how social status fundamentally determined who was considered deserving of the law's full protection.