take the law into one's own hands: meaning & examples

Meanings:

• 1.

  International (English)neutralformal
  • To enforce justice, punish, or retaliate without legal authority or due process; to engage in vigilantism.
  • To act outside the legal system to settle a perceived wrong.

  Examples

  Beta

  • Frustrated by the lack of police response, some citizens took the law into their own hands.

    Frustrados por la falta de respuesta policial, algunos ciudadanos tomaron la ley en sus propias manos.

  • Vigilantes who take the law into their own hands often create more problems than they solve.

    Los vigilantes que toman la ley en sus propias manos a menudo crean más problemas de los que resuelven.

  • He warned them not to take the law into their own hands and to trust the judicial system instead.

    Les advirtió que no tomaran la ley en sus propias manos y confiaran en el sistema judicial en su lugar.