Legal Definitions - quartering

Quartering has two primary meanings in a legal context:

1. Historically, it referred to a severe form of punishment where a criminal's body was dismembered into four parts after execution, typically for grave offenses such as high treason. This practice is no longer part of modern legal systems.
2. More commonly in modern legal discourse, it refers to the act of providing lodging or housing for military personnel. The Third Amendment to the U.S. Constitution specifically protects individuals from being forced to house soldiers in their private homes without consent, particularly during peacetime.

Here are some examples illustrating the different contexts of "quartering":

• Example 1 (Historical Punishment): In 17th-century England, a man found guilty of high treason against the Crown was sentenced to be hanged, drawn, and then his body "quartered" as a public display of the severe consequences of disloyalty. This extreme punishment was meant to deter others from similar acts.

  Explanation: This illustrates the historical meaning of quartering as a brutal post-execution punishment, intended to maximize public deterrence and humiliation for severe crimes like treason.

• Example 2 (Providing Military Housing - General): When a new military base was established in a rural area, the government constructed extensive barracks and family housing units to "quarter" the thousands of soldiers and their families who would be stationed there. These facilities provided all necessary living arrangements for the personnel.

  Explanation: This example demonstrates the general sense of quartering as providing living arrangements for military personnel, in this case, within a designated military facility.

• Example 3 (Third Amendment Protection): During a severe hurricane, the state government deployed National Guard troops to assist with rescue and recovery efforts. When a local commander suggested that residents whose homes were undamaged should be compelled to "quarter" some of the soldiers due to a shortage of temporary shelters, a civil liberties advocate quickly reminded officials that the Third Amendment protects citizens from being forced to house military personnel in their private homes without their consent.

  Explanation: This scenario highlights the constitutional protection against quartering. The advocate is referencing the Third Amendment, which prevents the government from forcing private citizens to house soldiers in their private property, even in an emergency, without their consent.