Cruel And Unusual Punishment (Noun)
Meaning
Punishment prohibited by the 8th amendment to the U.S. Constitution; includes torture or degradation or punishment too severe for the crime committed.
Classification
Nouns denoting acts or actions.
Examples
- The Supreme Court ruled that the new law, which allowed for the death penalty in cases of juvenile offenders, constituted cruel and unusual punishment and was therefore unconstitutional.
- Lethal injection is widely considered a more humane method of execution than other forms of capital punishment, but some argue that it still constitutes cruel and unusual punishment.
- The prisoner claimed that the conditions in solitary confinement, including a lack of access to natural light and social interaction, amounted to cruel and unusual punishment.
- The court ultimately decided that the harsh sentence, which included a term of life in prison without parole for a non-violent crime, was a clear example of cruel and unusual punishment.
- In the landmark case, the judge ruled that the use of physical punishment, including flogging and branding, was a clear violation of the Eighth Amendment's prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment.