Columbia Encyclopedia

(Encyclopedia) Shammai shäˈmī [key], c.50 b.c.–c.a.d. 30, Jewish sage known for his opposition to the liberal teachings of Hillel. He and his school interpreted the Law extremely rigorously, emphasizing deed ra...

(Encyclopedia) Mishna mĭshˈnə [key], in Judaism, codified collection of Oral Law—legal interpretations of portions of the biblical books of Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy and other legal material. ...

(Encyclopedia) sharia, the religious law of Islam. As Islam makes no distinction between religion and life, Islamic law covers not only ritual but many aspects of life. The actual codification of canonic law is the ...

(Encyclopedia) Parsons, Theophilus, 1750–1813, American jurist, b. Byfield, Mass. One of the leading lawyers in New England, he was an outstanding member of the Essex Junto, which opposed (1778) the state constitu...

(Encyclopedia) perjury pûrˈjərē [key], in criminal law, the act of willfully and knowingly stating a falsehood under oath or under affirmation in judicial or administrative proceedings. If the person accused of ...

(Encyclopedia) Bracton, Henry de, d. 1268, English writer on law. He was the author of De legibus et consuetudinibus Angliae [on the laws and customs of England], a broad, philosophic treatise that is often called t...

(Encyclopedia) Buys Ballot, Christoph Heinrich Diedrich krĭsˈtôf hīnˈrĭkh dēdˈrĭkh boisˈ bälōˈ [key], 1817–90, Dutch meteorologist. Director of the Dutch Royal Meteorological Institute after 1854, he ...

(Encyclopedia) Coudert, Frederic René ko͞odârˈ [key], 1832–1903, American lawyer and public official, b. New York City. He practiced law in New York City and for many years was counsel in the United States for...

(Encyclopedia) Virginia, University of, mainly at Charlottesville; state supported; coeducational; chartered 1819, opened 1825 with Thomas Jefferson as its rector. Jefferson also planned the organization and curricu...

(Encyclopedia) Quinn, William Francis, 1919–2006, U.S. politician, first governor (1959–62) of the state of Hawaii, b. Rochester, N.Y., grad. St. Louis Univ. (1940), Harvard Law School (1947). Quinn served in Ha...