take the law into one's own hands

English

Alternative forms

• take law into one's own hands

Pronunciation

• Audio (General Australian):

  (file)

Verb

take the law into one's own hands (third-person singular simple present takes the law into one's own hands, present participle taking the law into one's own hands, simple past took the law into one's own hands, past participle taken the law into one's own hands)

1. (intransitive, idiomatic) To punish someone according to one's own idea of justice, without consideration for the role of law enforcement authorities.

   After his son's killer was let off without a conviction, the man decided to take the law into his own hands.

Related terms

• take matters into one's own hands

Translations

punish someone according to one's own idea of justice

• Catalan: fer justícia pel seu compte
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 用私刑

• Finnish: ottaa laki omiin käsiinsä, käyttää omankädenoikeutta, jakaa oman käden oikeutta
• French: se faire justice soi-même, faire justice (fr)
• Greek: αυτοδικώ (el) (aftodikó)
• Hebrew: לָקַח אֶת הָחֹק לַיָּדַיִם m (lakáħ et ha-ħok la-yadáyim) (modern)
• Indonesian: main hakim sendiri (id)
• Italian: farsi giustizia
• Polish: zaprowadzać prawo impf, zaprowadzić prawo pf
• Portuguese: fazer justiça com as próprias mãos (pt)
• Russian: please add this translation if you can
• Spanish: tomarse la justicia por su mano

See also

• law unto oneself