Jail in United Kingdom

Meaning of Jail

The following is an old definition of Jail [1]: A house or building used for the purposes of a public prison, or where persons under arrest are kept. Originally, a place where persons were confined to await further judicial proceeding; as, a debtor, till he paid his debt, a witness, or an accused person, till the trial came on. A “prison” was for confinement as punishment. Every county has two gaols; one for debtors,- any house where the sheriff pleases; the other formatters of the crown,- the county or common gaol. Jailer. The keeper of a jail. Formerly, a servant of the sheriff. He keeps safely persons committed to him by lawful authority. Jail delivery. A commission to members of the courts of oyer and terminer and general jail delivery, empowering them to try and to deliver every person held in provisional confinement, when the judges arrived at the circuit town. This commission was at first special, issued for individual cases, but in time became general, or for all persons so confined. Under this practice the jails were cleared, and all offenders tried, punished or delivered, twice each year. Jail liberties, or limits. A limited region of liberty for a person imprisoned for debt. Equivalent expressions are: “prison bounds,” and ” rules of the prison, ” Compare Intern. See Imprisonment; Prison.

Sub-compartment Wall in the Building (Scotland) Act 2003

Meaning of Sub-compartment Wall in the context of the Building (Scotland) Act 2003: a wall with the fire resistance required to create a sub-compartment.

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Notes and References

1. Concept of Jail provided by the Anderson Dictionary of Law (1889) (Dictionary of Law consisting of Judicial Definitions and Explanations of Words, Phrases and Maxims and an Exposition of the Principles of Law: Comprising a Dictionary and Compendium of American and English Jurisprudence; William C. Anderson; T. H. Flood and Company, Law Publishers, Chicago, United States)