What is the legal definition of oppression?

Asked by: Alena Hyatt III  |  Last update: January 31, 2025
Score: 4.4/5 (20 votes)

oppression n : an unjust or excessive exercise of power: as. a : unlawful, wrongful, or corrupt exercise of authority by a public official acting under color of authority that causes a person harm.

What is the legal definition of oppressive?

Legal Definition

oppression. noun. op·​pres·​sion ə-ˈpre-shən. : an unjust or excessive exercise of power: as.

What is the simple definition of oppression?

noun. the exercise of authority or power in a burdensome, cruel, or unjust manner. Synonyms: persecution, despotism, tyranny. Antonyms: justice, kindness. an act or instance of oppressing or subjecting to cruel or unjust impositions or restraints.

What is oppression in civil rights?

Oppression is malicious or unjust treatment of, or exercise of power over, a group of individuals, often in the form of governmental authority. Oppression may be overt or covert, depending on how it is practiced.

What is oppression in criminal terms?

' Criminal oppression occurs when people are excluded from full participation in important social and political institutions because they are perceived to have violated certain community norms.

oppression - definition

45 related questions found

What is oppression in legal terms?

: an unjust or excessive exercise of power: as. a : unlawful, wrongful, or corrupt exercise of authority by a public official acting under color of authority that causes a person harm.

What is official oppression?

What is Official Oppression? 2025 Update. Official oppression includes actions like unjust arrests, police misconduct, or the use of excessive force.

What is the act of oppression?

Oppression is when a person or group in a position of power controls the less powerful in cruel and unfair ways.

What are the five civil rights?

Examples of civil rights include the right to vote, the right to a fair trial, the right to government services, the right to a public education, and the right to use public facilities.

How do you identify oppression?

According to Frye, the first criterion to help us determine if the social group to which a person belongs is oppressed is that there must be restrictions, barriers, or limitations on the person's freedoms.

What is the basis of oppression?

The subordination or devaluing of one group by another based on historically rooted social hierarchies and biases. It can be experienced as marginalization, persecution, disenfranchisement, or through other barriers to equity based on a particular social identity (e.g., anti-Black racism, heterosexism).

What is the explanation of oppressive?

burdensome, unjustly harsh, or tyrannical: an oppressive king; oppressive laws. causing discomfort by being excessive, intense, elaborate, etc.: oppressive heat.

What is the difference between discrimination and oppression?

So in essence, prejudice is the thought and discrimination is the action. Oppression, on the other hand, is the systematic weight of prejudice and discrimination on the people it affects.

What is the true meaning of oppression?

oppression noun [U] (RULE)

a situation in which people are governed in an unfair and cruel way and prevented from having opportunities and freedom: Every human being has the right to freedom from oppression. War, famine and oppression have forced people in the region to flee from their homes.

What is the concept of oppression?

The University of Michigan School of Social Work defines oppression as 'the social act of placing severe restrictions on an individual, a group or an institution [which] occurs at all levels and is reinforced by social norms, institutional biases, interpersonal relationships and personal beliefs.

What is an oppression case?

Oppression generally occurs when majority shareholders take actions that unfairly diminish the rights of a minority shareholder or frustrate the reasonable expectations of a minority owner, such as limiting their ability to influence corporate decisions or denying them a fair share of profits.

What are 3 key civil rights?

Key pieces of federal legislation included the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which banned discrimination in public accommodations; the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which extended protections to voters in the South; and the Fair Housing Act of 1968, which made housing discrimination illegal.

What are the 5 principles of rights?

Principles. The HRBA is underpinned by five key human rights principles, also known as PANEL: Participation, Accountability, Non-discrimination and Equality, Empowerment and Legality. Participation – everyone is entitled to active participation in decision-making processes which affect the enjoyment of their rights.

What are the 11 civil rights?

Broadly speaking, it prohibited discrimination and segregation on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, and sex in voting, workplaces, places of education, housing, and public accommodations. It has been followed up by additional legislation to better define and enforce its 11 sections, or titles.

What are the 5 pillars of oppression?

Description. An exhibit that outlines the five pillars of Jim Crow laws in the United States during the 1800 and 1900s: Economic Oppression; Political Oppression; Legal Oppression; Social Oppression; and Personal Oppression.

What are the 5 types of oppression?

According to Iris Marion Young, there are five “faces” or types of oppression: violence, exploitation, marginalization, powerlessness, and cultural imperialism. Exploitation is the act of using people's labors to produce profit while not compensating them fairly.

What is the section for oppression?

Section 241 and 242 of CA, 2013 are the relevant provisions that give power to an individual member or members to apply for relief against the oppressive conduct being carried out against them by the majority members.

What is official misconduct in law?

The term “official misconduct” refers to an illegal act by a public official in California and is covered under the California Penal Code Section 801 et. seq. To be covered under that section you must be an employee or official of the government.

What is the penalty for abuse of power of attorney?

The California Probate Code provides for civil penalties against agents for breaching fiduciary duties to their principals. If an agent breaches a fiduciary duty, they are chargeable for: Any loss or depreciation in value of the principal's property resulting from the breach of duty, with interest.

What is oppression in government?

Definition. Political oppression is the systematic and intentional use of state power to suppress dissent, limit individual freedoms, and control the political landscape. This can manifest in various forms, including censorship, imprisonment of political opponents, and the enactment of laws that curtail civil liberties ...