Simple English definitions for legal terms
Read a random definition: lapsed devise
Petty treason is a type of treason where someone kills or betrays their master or employer. It is a very serious crime.
Definition: Petty treason is a type of treason where a person kills their master, husband, or someone they owe loyalty to.
Example: In the past, a wife who killed her husband was committing petty treason because she owed him loyalty as her husband.
Explanation: Petty treason was a crime that existed in the past, where a person would betray someone they owed loyalty to, such as a servant killing their master or a wife killing her husband. This was considered a serious crime because it involved breaking the trust and loyalty that existed between two people. The example given illustrates how a wife who killed her husband was committing petty treason because she was breaking the loyalty and trust that existed between them as husband and wife.