Dueling has, historically, been legal in many places. In common-law jurisdictions, why was it not considered murder if someone dies and attempted murder or assault if not? Did the common-law or statutory definitions of these crimes specifically exempt dueling?
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It wasn’t legal
At least, outside an official trial by combat.
Duelling arrived in England from Italy sometime in the 1570s and it was outlawed by Elizabeth I in 1571 - quite possibly before any duels were ever fought there.
If you want to know why they happened despite their illegality, the answer is economics - people will do all sorts of things if they believe the rewards outweigh the risks.
Dale M
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