In law, a term meaning 'at another time' or 'formerly,' used in the phrase 'autrefois acquit' or 'autrefois convict' to indicate a previous legal judgment.
French phrase meaning 'at another time,' literally 'autre' (other) + 'fois' (time/occasion). Used in English law since medieval times as part of legal pleas against double jeopardy.
'Autrefois convict' is why you can't be tried twice for the same crime—it's a centuries-old French legal principle that protects you from relentless prosecution, and it's still used in courtrooms today.
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