Each question below has two blanks, which is indicating

Solution

• Stringent : This means strict or severe. "Stringent legal provisions" makes sense in the context of laws that are tough and can lead to long periods of incarceration.
• Scuttled : This means to deliberately cause a plan or a project to fail. "Scuttled hearings" refers to hearings that were deliberately delayed or cancelled, preventing the cases from moving forward.

• Cacophony means a harsh, discordant mixture of sounds.
• Serendipity means the occurrence and development of events by chance in a happy or beneficial way.
• Limerence refers to a state of being infatuated with another person.
• Settled means to resolve or establish a matter.
• Riposte is a quick retort in conversation. It is not a word used to describe legal provisions.
• Sanctimony is the pretense of being morally superior. This does not fit the context of a legal hearing.
• Draconian is a synonym for stringent in this context (extremely severe or harsh).
• Accismus is a rhetorical term for feigning disinterest in something while desiring it.