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Legal Terms – Autrefois Acquit
Autrefois acquit is a French term that means previously acquitted. A plea in bar of arraignment is made when the defendant claims that they have been previously acquitted by a court of competent jurisdiction for the same or a very similar offense they are currently being charged with. Alternatively, the defendant may argue that they could have been convicted for the same or a very similar offense in a previous indictment. Upon entering this plea, the judge assesses the matter at hand. If the plea is upheld, it prevents any other legal actions related to the indictment. The plea can be paired with a plea of *not guilty. The Criminal Justice Act 2003 permits the possibility of a retrial in some cases if there is fresh and persuasive evidence indicating that the acquitted individual is indeed guilty of the offense, and a retrial is deemed necessary for the sake of justice.
Autrefois acquit is a French term that means previously acquitted. A plea in bar of arraignment is made when the defendant claims that they have been previously acquitted by a court of competent jurisdiction for the same or a very similar offense they are currently being charged with. Alternatively, the defendant may argue that they could have been convicted for the same or a very similar offense in a previous indictment. Upon entering this plea, the judge assesses the matter at hand. If the plea is upheld, it prevents any other legal actions related to the indictment. The plea can be paired with a plea of *not guilty. The Criminal Justice Act 2003 permits the possibility of a retrial in some cases if there is fresh and persuasive evidence indicating that the acquitted individual is indeed guilty of the offense, and a retrial is deemed necessary for the sake of justice.
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