DE BONO ET MALO

de bono et malo (dee boh-noh et mal-oh), n.[Law Latin “for good and evil”] Hist1.For good

and evil. • A criminal defendant indicated full submission to the jury’s verdict by placing himself

or herself at the jury’s mercy de bono et malo. — Also termed de bien et de mal. 2. A special writ

of jail delivery issued by the justices of assize to enable them to try all criminal defendants who

were in jail where the court traveled. • Formerly, the judges were required to issue a separate writ

for every prisoner. This was replaced by a general commission of jail delivery.

“[T]hey  have  …  a  commission  of  general  gaol  delivery;  which  empowers  them  to  try  and

deliver  every  prisoner,  who  shall  be  in  the  gaol  when  the  judges  arrive  at  the  circuit  town,

whenever indicted, or for whatever crime committed. It was anciently the course to issue special

writs of  gaol delivery  for each  particular prisoner, which were called the writs de bono et malo:

but, these being found inconvenient and oppressive, a general commission for all the prisoners has

long  been  established  in  their  stead.  So  that,  one  way  or  other,  the  gaols  are  cleared,  and  all

offenders  tried,  punished,  or  delivered,  twice  in  every  year:  a  constitution  of  singular  use  and

excellence.” 4 William Blackstone, Commentaries on the Laws of England 267 (1769). [Blacks Law 8th]