Legal Definitions - appellor

The term appellor refers to a historical legal role, primarily found in English law.

An appellor was a person who took a formal and active step in a legal proceeding, often by:

• Formally accusing another individual of a crime.
• Challenging the suitability or impartiality of a jury.
• Providing information and testimony against an accomplice in a crime.

This role involved initiating a legal action or making a significant formal declaration within the court system.

Examples:

• Imagine a scenario in medieval England where a landowner discovered that a neighboring lord had unlawfully seized part of their estate. Instead of merely complaining, the landowner might personally bring a formal legal accusation against the offending lord in the King's court, initiating a process to reclaim their property and seek justice.

  This landowner, by formally accusing another of a wrong and initiating legal proceedings, would be acting as an appellor.

• Consider a historical trial for a serious felony where the accused believed that some of the individuals chosen to serve on the jury were known enemies or had a personal interest in the outcome of the case. The accused, or their legal representative, might formally object to these specific jurors, arguing they could not deliver an impartial verdict.

  In this situation, the person formally challenging the composition of the jury would be considered an appellor.

• During a complex conspiracy trial in an earlier legal era, one of the co-conspirators, perhaps in exchange for a lighter sentence or a pardon, might formally confess their involvement and provide detailed testimony and evidence against their fellow plotters, naming them and outlining their roles in the crime.

  By formally informing against and accusing their accomplices, this individual would be acting as an appellor.