The rule of lenity, also called the rule of strict construction, is a principle in criminal law that requires a court to interpret an ambiguous or unclear criminal statute in the way that is most favorable to the defendant. The rule has a long history in the English and American common law tradition and has been an important element of the relationship between the courts and the legislature, although its role in modern jurisprudence is less clear.
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1. Wikipedia: Rule of lenity
a principle in criminal law that requires a court to interpret an ambiguous or unclear criminal statute in the way most favorable to the defendantView the Source Rule of lenity (Wikipedia)
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The rule of lenity, also called the rule of strict construction, is a principle in criminal law that requires a court to interpret an ambiguous or unclear criminal statute in the way that is most favorable to the defendant.
In Legal System: Common Law, Introduction
The rule has a long history in the English and American common law tradition and has been an important element of the relationship between the courts and the legislature, but its role in modern jurisprudence is less clear.
In Group: Trial, Jury and Pretrial Protection Doctrines, Introduction, sentence 1
The rule of lenity, also called the rule of strict construction, is a principle in criminal law that requires a court to interpret an ambiguous or unclear criminal statute in the way that is most favorable to the defendant.
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