Lex talionis lāks talēō´nēs . leks tâlēō´nis . n.
“The law of retaliation.”A law requiring punishment of a crime no greater than, or that mirrors or is proportional to, the crime itself. The term derives from a Roman law in which a false accusation that caused the accused to be unjustly tortured would, upon discovery, subject the accuser to torture himself or herself. Earlier examples of similar laws may be found in the Torah’s Exodus 21:23–25, the Code of Hammurabi, and elsewhere. ... ...
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