riot act

Riot Act. A 1714 English statute that made it a capital offense for 12 or more rioters to continue together for an hour after a magistrate has officially proclaimed that rioters must disperse. • This statute was not generally accepted in the United States and did not become a part of American common law. It did, however, become a permanent part of the English language in the slang phrase reading the Riot Act (meaning “to reprimand vigorously”), which originally referred to the official command for rioters to disperse.

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词条贡献者

双语律师Akira，国际知名法学院法律专业，擅长翻译各类与地产开发相关的法律文件。