take the law into one's own hands

• take law into one's own hands

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take the law into one's own hands (third-person singular simple present takes the law into one's own hands, present participle taking the law into one's own hands, simple past took the law into one's own hands, past participle taken the law into one's own hands)

1. (intransitive, idiomatic) To punish someone according to one's own idea of justice, without consideration for the role of law enforcement authorities.

   After his son's killer was let off without a conviction, the man decided to take the law into his own hands.

• take matters into one's own hands