Fifth Amendment

Fifth Amendment

n.

An amendment to the Constitution of the United States, ratified in 1791, that deals with the rights of accused criminals by providing for due process of law, forbidding double jeopardy, and stating that no person may be forced to testify as a witness against himself or herself.

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Fifth Amendment

n

1. an amendment to the US Constitution stating that no person may be compelled to testify against himself and that no person may be tried for a second time on a charge for which he has already been acquitted

(Law)

take the fifth (amendment) US to refuse to answer a question on the grounds that it might incriminate oneself

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

Fifth Amendment - an amendment to the Constitution of the United States that imposes restrictions on the government's prosecution of persons accused of crimes; mandates due process of law and prohibits self-incrimination and double jeopardy; requires just compensation if private property is taken for public use Bill of Rights - a statement of fundamental rights and privileges (especially the first ten amendments to the United States Constitution) law, jurisprudence - the collection of rules imposed by authority; "civilization presupposes respect for the law"; "the great problem for jurisprudence to allow freedom while enforcing order"