fettering

Fettering is the act of binding or confining a person or thing with fetters, typically iron shackles for the ankles or wrists. In a historical sense, fetters were used to secure prisoners, enslaved persons, and captured combatants; they were also used to restrain animals in some contexts. The term derives from Old English feter, related to other Germanic terms for binding or chaining.

In modern usage, fetters are largely ceremonial or historical outside of specialized contexts, but "to fetter" remains a common verb meaning to restrain or impede freedom of movement or action. In administrative and constitutional law, the phrase "fettering discretion" refers to an improper constraint on a decision-maker's ability to consider relevant factors or to exercise independent judgment. Courts discourage fettering discretion by rigidly binding decisions to preexisting policies when circumstances require flexibility, while recognizing that policies may legitimately guide decisions.

Fettering can also occur in contexts such as workplace discipline or security protocols, where procedures are used to limit discretion or to ensure consistency. Human rights considerations emphasize minimizing the use of physical fetters; international law prohibits excessive or unnecessary restraint and guards against cruel or degrading treatment.

Throughout history, fetters have symbolized power and control—physical restraints in prisons and ships, and the metaphorical restraints that shape law, policy, and personal autonomy.