Is there any place in the world where it is still legally possible to kill someone in a duel and not be charged? If not, when and where was the last place to outlaw the practice?
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6Incidentally, dueling was illegal in a lot of places long before it went out of fashion.– cpastNov 7, 2015 at 21:35
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I suppose you mean duelling outside of organised competition (e.g. fencing)? Also, for the last duel this answer from History SE may be informative.– jimsugNov 8, 2015 at 0:22
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1You could add this: In which countries is killing or injuring a person in a fair duel treated substantially different from murder or assault or battery?– gnasher729Dec 15, 2015 at 23:37
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1Also, this depends on the definition of "dueling". Arguably, boxing could be considered a form of duel, at least in the sense that injuring the opponent (inflicting a concussion) is the goal. I imagine some cultures may allow or tolerate practices that fall somehwere in the spectrum between a "duel" as understood in Europe or the USA, and things like boxing.– sleskeJan 27, 2017 at 14:23
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It was outlawed, on a state by state basis, in most U.S. states where it had been legal in the 19th century, often with a provision in a state constitution to that effect. So the last jurisdiction to have outlawed it couldn't have been any later than the late 19th century and was probably more recent. Also, I don't think that all forms of combat by agreement constitute duels. A duel assumes that the purpose of combat by agreement is to resolve a dispute or failure to apologize for an affront to someone's honor. Combat by agreement to see who is a better fighter is not a duel.– ohwillekeJan 30, 2017 at 3:12
2 Answers
According to Wikipedia, duelling was legal in Uruguay from 1921 to 1971. It cites this article and I have found in the source that the law was passed in 1920, although I haven't found that it ended in 1971. However, several politically motivated duels were fought in Uruguay in 1971, and one newspaper claimed at least one of them to be legal.
There are many parts of the world that are still tribal and governed by tribal laws. (e.g., Many parts of Central America, South America, Africa, Afghanistan, outside of Kabul, etc.)
I would imagine dueling is probably legal in one or more of those places.