recanting

Recanting is the act of formally withdrawing a previous statement, belief, or commitment. The term comes from Latin recantare, "to revoke, recall." It can refer to testimony given under oath, religious profession, or publicly stated opinions.

In legal settings, a recantation usually means withdrawing a confession or testimony. Courts consider recantations with caution because they may result from coercion, duress, faulty memory, or fear of consequences. A recanted confession may not invalidate a conviction if other corroborating evidence exists; some jurisdictions require corroborating evidence or independent confirmation of the recantation. In some criminal justice systems, a voluntary recantation after a confession can trigger parole or sentencing consequences, or lead to additional questions about reliability. Police and prosecutors may re-interview witnesses to assess credibility.

In religion, recantation refers to renouncing a belief or practice previously professed, sometimes for reasons of orthodoxy or moral reform. Apostasy laws exist in some jurisdictions that penalize apostasy or define it as withdrawal from a state religion. In modern secular contexts, individuals may recant in personal or public life, affecting membership in religious communities or organizations.

Recantations can emerge from pressure, coercion, or psychological factors such as cognitive dissonance, memory reconstruction, or social desirability. They raise issues for truth-telling, justice, and accountability, particularly when a person wields authority over others or when unreliable testimony affects outcomes. Researchers study recantation in relation to false confessions and the reliability of witnesses.

See also: false confession, apostasy, retract, testimony.