Sentence:  While it is easy enough to ridicule Hawkins ' <WSD>pronouncement</WSD> in Pleas of the Crown from a metaphysical point of view , the concept of the `` oneness '' of a married couple may reflect an abiding belief that the communion between husband and wife is such that their actions are not always to be regarded by the criminal law as if there were no marriage . 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  an authoritative declaration