Legal Definitions - nulla persona

Nulla persona is a Latin term that historically translates to "no person." In a legal context, it referred to an individual who, due to specific actions or their social status, was considered to have essentially no legal rights or standing within the legal system. Such a person was effectively stripped of their legal identity, meaning they could not typically own property, make contracts, testify in court, or seek protection under the law.

• Imagine a historical kingdom where a person committed a severe crime, such as treason, and fled justice. The monarch might declare them an "outlaw." This declaration meant they were a nulla persona; they lost all legal protection. Anyone could harm them without legal consequence, their property could be seized by the crown, and they had no right to appeal to the courts for justice. This illustrates nulla persona because the individual's actions (committing a crime and fleeing) led to a complete forfeiture of their legal rights and identity, effectively making them a non-person in the eyes of the law.

• Consider a legal system in the past where a person sentenced to life imprisonment for a heinous crime was declared "civilly dead." This status rendered them a nulla persona in many respects. They might lose the right to marry, inherit property, vote, or even have their existence recognized for certain legal purposes, despite being physically alive. This example demonstrates nulla persona because the individual's status (as a convicted felon serving a life sentence) resulted in the legal system treating them as if they no longer existed as a rights-bearing person.