Simple English definitions for legal terms
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Manumission is the act of granting freedom to a slave. In ancient Rome, there were three ways to do this: (1) by pretending to sue the slave in court and then declaring them free, (2) by adding the slave's name to the census as a citizen, or (3) by including a clause in a will that frees the slave. Once freed, the former slave became a citizen and had certain obligations to their former master, such as providing support and respect. Manumission was like being born again, and the former master became like a father to the freed person.
Definition: Manumission is the act of granting freedom to a slave. In Roman law, there were three common ways to manumit a slave: manumission vindicta, manumission censu, and manumission testamento. Under Justinian, any form of manumission made the slave a citizen.
Examples:
These examples illustrate the different methods of manumission in Roman law. Each method had its own requirements and procedures, but all resulted in the slave being granted freedom and citizenship.