CCArchive Posted August 16, 2014 Report Share Posted August 16, 2014 The subject of punctuation keeps coming and going on the corner, so with great glee, I present Roger Casement, the man who fought for his life with a comma. Casement was charged under the Treason Act of 1351. His counsel contended that, because the Act was unpunctuated, the phrase 'if the man be adherent to the king's enemies in his realm giving to them aid and comfort in the realm or elsewhere' could be construed to mean that it was perfectly all right to plot against the realm provided you did it abroad. The judges adjourned and checked public records and found a faint comma, after the second 'realm'. This, according to Mr Justice Darling proved that 'giving aid and comfort' were words of apposition, ie if you were on the side of the king's enemies you were on their side wherever you happened to be. And Casement was duly hanged. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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