COMMUTATION
Modification, exchange, or substitution.
Commutation is the replacement of a
greater amount by something lesser. To com-
mute periodic payments means to substitute a
single payment for a number of payments, or to
come to a “lump sum” settlement.
In CRIMINAL LAW, commutation is the sub-
stitution of a lesser punishment for a greater
one. Contrasted with clemency, which is an act
of grace eliminating a sentence or punishment,
commutation is the modification or reduction
of a punishment.
The change from consecutive prison sentences
to concurrent sentences is a commutation of punishment.
