2007-02-20 04:10:56 · 4 answers · asked by reneeeld 1 in Politics & Government ➔ Law & Ethics
An example might work best to explain...
A 'priceless' work of art stolen from a museum during WWII. The rightful owner just knows that it's gone...
The thief sells the art (cause they don't care) and makes a fortune.
Decades go by.. and the rightful owner sees the art and says that it is theirs....
The 'owner' of the art has records and has had it for years. Their possession of the art is a huge piece of evidence that the art is theirs... Imagine what the other person (the rightful owner) has to do to prove that it really belongs to them?!
2007-02-20 04:16:46 · answer #1 · answered by words_smith_4u 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Possession is 9/10 of the law fist came out during "homesteading"... where you just claimed your land and it was yours... hence... possesion is 9/10 of the law
It is pretty much of a useless expression today; however, people use it because it is a catchy little phrase. Sadly, some people use it in a VERY serious tone not realizing how STUPID they sound hoping that the victim will just accept the popularity of the phrase and leave the perpetrator alone.
2007-02-20 04:19:25 · answer #2 · answered by Leroy Studying Law 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's an old saying, based on property laws, 'possession' meaning the occupation of property.
'Lawful possession' means the legal owner or their agent exercising the right to occupy the property.
'Unlawful possession' means squatting and a 'warrant of possession' is the piece of paper from the court that allows the bailiff to evict the squatters on behalf of the legal owner.
The saying came about because a large number of cases in civil law are over disputes of ownership or occupation of land, premises etc.
2007-02-20 22:38:53 · answer #3 · answered by squeaky guinea pig 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yeah, the stolen painting's one good example, but just to go over to the flip side how about this;
A guy picks up a hitchhiker going down the road. The hitchhiker has just shot 3 cops in the face and is now making his gettaway. He leaves the gun in the car that picked him up after wiping off his fingerprints, gets dropped off at a gas station and then goes on his way.
The guy then gets stopped at a road-block 2 miles further down the road, after matching the discription of an average sized guy with darkish hair and average build (how many of you match that!?) he is stopped and his car searched.
On finding the murder wepon in his car as he is driving away from the murder scene how do you think the cops would react? 'You got the gun in your car sir, your going down!' would be the likley responce.
2007-02-20 04:27:40 · answer #4 · answered by Sea Feathers 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋