Reward - Definition - Law Dictionary Home Dictionary Definition reward

Definition :

Reward, a recompense for anything done.

Something of value, usu. money, given in return for some service or achievement, such as recovering property, or providing information that leads to capture of a criminal, Black's Law Dictionary, 7th Edn., p. 1321.

By the (English) Criminal Law Act, 1826, s. 28, the Courts may order the sheriff of the county, in which certain offences have been committed, to pay the person active in or towards the apprehension of persons charged with felonies a reasonable sum to compensate for expense, exertion, and loss of time, and by s. 30, if a man be killed in attempting to take such offenders the Court may order compensation to his wife or relatives. See Archbold, Crim. Pleading, etc., 25th Edn., pp. 276 et seq.

Corruptly taking a reward for helping to the recovery of stolen property without exercising all due diligence to cause the offender to be brought to trial is punishable by penal servitude up to seven years. [(English) Larceny Act, 1916, s. 34, and cf. s. 5 (3)]

The offering of rewards by the Government has been discontinued for several years in England on the ground that persons committed crimes for the purpose of obtaining them by false accusations, and the Home Office, though urgently requested to offer a reward for the discovery of a series of murders in White chapel in 1888, steadily refused to do so. Advertising a reward for the return of property stolen or lost with the use of words 'purporting that no questions will be asked,' etc., or publishing any advertisement to that effect, entails a forfeiture of 50l. to any person who will sue for the same, by s. 102 of the Larceny Act, 1861; but by the Larceny (Advertisements) Act, 1870, an action under this section against a newspaper must be brought within six months, and with the consent of the Attorney-General.

As to notice to be given to the local authority of reception, death or removal of infants kept for reward, see (English) Children and Young Persons Act, 1932, ss. 65 and 77, and Sch. II.; and see BRIBE.

Action for Reward.--An offer for reward for information is a contract to pay the reward to the first person giving it and to him only, his motive being immaterial, See Williams v. Carwardine, (1833) 4 B&Ad 621, and other cases in Chitty on Contracts.