Ban (law) facts for kids

A ban is a formal rule or order that stops something from happening or being used. It's like saying "no" to certain activities in a specific area or country. Sometimes, when countries stop trading with another country, it's called an embargo. The word "ban" can also be used as a verb, meaning "to forbid" or "to prohibit."

What Does "Ban" Mean?

The word "ban" comes from old English words that meant "to summon" or "to proclaim." Over time, it started to mean "to forbid" or "to curse." This change was influenced by similar words in old Norse and French languages.

Why Are Political Parties Banned?

In many countries, certain political parties or groups are not allowed. This can happen for several reasons:

• Extreme Ideas: Some parties are banned because their ideas are considered too extreme or go against democratic principles (where people vote and have a say).
• Against the Government: Sometimes, a group is banned simply because it strongly opposes the government's policies, even if the government claims other reasons.
• Ethnic or Religious Reasons: In some sad cases, parties have been banned based on people's ethnic background or religion.

For example, Germany has a history of banning political parties. The Nazi Party was banned in 1923. Later, when the Nazi Party took power in 1933, they banned other parties like the Social Democrats. After the Nazis were defeated in 1945, the Nazi Party was banned again, and the ban on other parties was lifted.

When Were Marriages Banned?

Throughout history, there have been bans on marriages between people from different ethnic groups or religions.

• In Nazi Germany, for instance, marriages between non-Jewish people and Jewish people were forbidden.
• In apartheid South Africa, marriages between people classified as "white" and non-white people were not allowed.

For a long time in the 1800s and 1900s, many parts of the United States had bans on marriage between people of different races. This was called interracial marriage. However, in 1967, the highest court in the U.S., the Supreme Court, ruled that these bans were illegal. This happened in a very important civil rights case called Loving v. Virginia. The court said that stopping people from marrying someone of a different race was against their basic right to marry.

Also, in the past, it was common for children to get married. But now, child marriage is banned in many countries around the world to protect young people.

People Who Were Banned

Being Banned in the Holy Roman Empire

In the old Holy Roman Empire, there was something called the Imperial ban. This was a very serious punishment. If someone was put under an Imperial ban, they lost all their rights and everything they owned. Anyone could harm or even kill them without facing legal trouble. This ban also applied to anyone who tried to help the banned person.

Banning Orders During Apartheid in South Africa

During the apartheid period in South Africa, the government issued "banning orders" to individuals they saw as a threat to their power. These were often black politicians or organizations that spoke out against the government.

These banning orders were like strict rules that limited a person's freedom:

• They couldn't talk to more than one person at a time unless they were at home. This stopped them from doing political activities.
• They couldn't travel outside a specific local area without government permission.
• They were not allowed to express their opinions publicly.
• Their writings or speeches could not be published or quoted in newspapers or scientific papers.
• They couldn't attend public gatherings.

These measures could also be used against groups or organizations. For example, the Christian Institute of South Africa was banned in 1977. Several laws allowed the government to do this.

Sometimes, people were also banished, meaning they were forced to leave their homes. This happened to 156 people between 1948 and 1967.

Bans for Health and Safety

Governments often put bans in place to keep people safe and healthy. For example, there are bans on having certain weapons, smoking in public places, or using certain harmful substances. These bans help control things for the good of everyone.

See also

• Ban (medieval)
• Censure and Excommunication, which may result in a ban pursuant to religious law
• Export restriction
• Herem (censure), a ban pursuant to Jewish law
• List of banned books
• List of banned computer and video games
• List of banned films
• List of banned political parties
• List of people subject to banning orders under apartheid
• List of websites blocked in China
• Ostracism
• Prohibition
• Shunning practiced in the Amish community

Images for kids

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  The "no smoking" symbol, showing a ban on smoking in that place.