Is personhood a legal term?

[jimmyjack]

Is personhood a legal term?

 

[FallingPianos]

Is personhood a legal term?

per·son Pronunciation (pûrsn)
n.
1. A living human. Often used in combination: chairperson; spokesperson; salesperson.
2. An individual of specified character: a person of importance.
3. The composite of characteristics that make up an individual personality; the self.
4. The living body of a human: searched the prisoner's person.
5. Physique and general appearance.
6. Law A human or organization with legal rights and duties.
7. Christianity Any of the three separate individualities of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, as distinguished from the essence of the Godhead that unites them.
8. Grammar
a. Any of three groups of pronoun forms with corresponding verb inflections that distinguish the speaker (first person), the individual addressed (second person), and the individual or thing spoken of (third person).
b. Any of the different forms or inflections expressing these distinctions.
9. A character or role, as in a play; a guise: "Well, in her person, I say I will not have you" Shakespeare.

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/dict.asp?Word=person

person
n. 1) a human being. 2) a corporation treated as having the rights and obligations of a person. Counties and cities can be treated as a person in the same manner as a corporation. However, corporations, counties and cities cannot have the emotions of humans such as malice, and therefore are not liable for punitive damages unless there is a statute authorizing the award of punitive damages.

http://dictionary.law.com/default2.asp?selected=1516&bold=||||

person

1: "natural person"

2: the body of a human being

also
: the body and clothing of a human being
Example: had drugs on his person

3: one (as a human being or corporation) that is recognized by law as the subject of rights and duties

http://dictionary.lp.findlaw.com/sc...com&topic=e4/e4b1efffd2c970a94531d44ee63d3d3b


yes, its a legal term, but its not limited to being a legal term.

 

[jimmyjack]

Excellent reply!

 

[tryreading]

Is personhood a legal term?

In the U.S. it is. It is a term used several times in the Constitution to identify the thing/entity the Document protects, and therefore has legal meaning here:

"...secure in their persons..."

"No person shall be held to answer..."