exclusionary rule

noun

A doctrine which requires that evidence obtained as the result of an illegal act on the part of law enforcement personnel (such as a warrantless search, or continued questioning a witness who has invoked the right of counsel) must therefore be excluded from being admitted as evidence in a trial. This rule does not apply in civil proceedings, although statutes sometime specifically provide for exclusion of such evidence.

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Meanings

nounexclusionary rule (plural exclusionary rules)

plural exclusionary rules

  1. USlawA doctrine which requires that evidence obtained as the result of an illegal act on the part of law enforcement personnel (such as a warrantless search, or continued questioning a witness who has invoked the right of counsel) must therefore be excluded from being admitted as evidence in a trial. This rule does not apply in civil proceedings, although statutes sometime specifically provide for exclusion of such evidence.
Cite this entry
APA

exclusionary rule. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/exclusionary%20rule

MLA

“exclusionary rule.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/exclusionary%20rule. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “exclusionary rule,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/exclusionary%20rule.

Source: exclusionary rule on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.