Simple English definitions for legal terms
Read a random definition: away-going crops
Definition: Spuilzie is a Scottish law term that means taking someone else's things without permission. It's like stealing, but in Scottish law, it's called spuilzie. If someone takes something that doesn't belong to them, they can be sued for spuilzie. The person who took the thing might have to give it back and pay for any damage they caused.
spuilzie (spuul-yee), n. Scots law. 1. The wrongful taking of corporeal movable property from another's possession. This is the Scottish equivalent of common-law conversion. 2. An action to recover wrongfully taken movables, and often for either profits made with them while in the taker's possession or reparations for unjust dispossession. Also spelled spulzie; spulyie. Spuilzied, adj.
Example 1: John took Mary's phone without her permission. This is an example of spuilzie because John wrongfully took Mary's property from her possession.
Example 2: Sarah sued Tom for spuilzie after he took her laptop without her consent. She was seeking reparations for the unjust dispossession of her property.
These examples illustrate the definition of spuilzie as the wrongful taking of movable property from another's possession. In both cases, someone took someone else's property without permission, which is considered spuilzie under Scots law. The second example also shows how spuilzie can lead to legal action to recover the wrongfully taken property or seek reparations for the unjust dispossession.